Ceramics are prized not only for their beauty but also for their uses as dishes and in other quotidian functions. East Asian ceramics have a particularly wide range of patterns, forms, colors, and applications. They can incorporate vastly different materials and techniques, resulting in wares as diverse as earthenware or porcelain, with distinguishing characteristics deriving from the types of clay, the glazes, the décor, and the firing techniques employed at the site of their production. This gallery features a variety of ceramics from Japan, China, and the Korean Peninsula, pieces exemplifying the distinctive qualities and assets of each kiln site.

Important Cultural Property
Decorative Nail Covers
Attributed to Nonomura Ninsei
Kyoto National Museum

This exhibition features works relating to the powerful aristocratic regent Fujiwara no Michinaga (966–1028) and his eldest daughter Empress Fujiwara no Shōshi (988–1074), which have survived from the Heian period (794–1185).
In 1007, the fourth year of the Kankō era, Michinaga buried a cylindrical gilt bronze sutra container (now a National Treasure) in the Kinpusen mountains of Yoshino, Nara. Shōshi later dedicated a sutra case plated in gold and silver (also a National Treasure) at the Nyohōdo Hall of Yokawa, Mount Hiei, in the year 1031.
This prominent father and daughter pair is closely associated with Murasaki Shikibu (c. 973–c. 1031), author of the literary classic The Tale of Genji, who served as a lady-in-waiting under Shōshi. At the time, it was popular to bury scriptures such as the Lotus Sutra in anticipation of the Bodhisattva Miroku (Maitreya)’s Buddhahood in the distant future.
This exhibition introduces objects excavated from sutra mounds dating from the eleventh and twelfth centuries, encapsulating the spirit of Heian-period prayers.

Important Cultural Property
Sutra Container
Excavated from Hanase Bessho Sutra Mound, Kyoto
Agency for Cultural Affairs

Engi-e are paintings that explore the legendary origins and miraculous events associated with specific temples and shrines. This exhibition presents engi-e handscrolls relating to Kyoto temples that were created in the Edo period (1615–1868). During this time, Buddhist sects underwent structural shifts due to the religious policies of the shogunate. The “benevolent rule” of the day promoted scholarship, so monks deepened their studies of religious doctrines, cultivated interests in religious and temple history, and compiled historical books and biographies of temple founders.
As industry and the economy developed in the Kansai region (Osaka and Kyoto) during the late seventeenth century, talented artists produced numerous handscrolls vividly depicting this new urban culture. For the people living during this peaceful era, these vibrant engi-e handscrolls brought the enduring history of temples to life.

Legends of Jūzen-ji Temple
By Yamamoto Soken
Jūzen-ji Temple, Kyoto

The historical Buddha Shakyamuni is said to have died and entered parinirvana, his “final nirvana,” on the fifteenth day of the second lunar month (March 15th by the Gregorian calendar). Japanese temples continue to hold the Nirvana Assembly (nehan-e) in the present; a painting of the Death of the Buddha typically hangs at this ceremony.
Many Death of the Buddha paintings are oversized—some are so large that they cannot be fully unrolled, even in grand temple halls. Why use such massive dimensions? Perhaps this gave the viewers a more immersive experience akin to a sort of virtual reality. During the Kamakura period (1185–1333), artists were increasingly incorporating new Chinese artistic styles into their Death of the Buddha paintings. These included realistic elements that must have been fascinating to contemporaneous viewers.
The Nirvana Assembly became widespread among many different sects, in part because it revolves around the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. The grand scale and realism of Death of the Buddha paintings such as these may have also contributed to the Nirvana Assembly’s prevalence in Japan.

Death of the Buddha
Kyoto National Museum

Since ancient times, the Zen school of Buddhism has played a leading role within Japan’s ink painting culture. Medieval Zen temples sent numerous monks to the Chinese mainland; the new styles of ink painting they discovered overseas greatly enriched Japanese art. In addition to the classic genres of landscape and bird-and-flower painting, the religious themes of Confucianism, Taoism, and most especially Zen Buddhism became increasingly prominent subjects in Japanese art. Within Zen temples, there was a great demand for figure paintings in ink, which utilized dynamic brushstrokes incorporating variations in line and shading to capture human likenesses. Representations of Zen practitioners, including depictions of the attainment of enlightenment and other Zen anecdotes, also enjoyed considerable popularity. This exhibition introduces various representations of figures associated with Zen Buddhism.

Important Cultural Property
Six Founding Masters of Zen
Inscription by Seikan Sudon
Myōshin-ji Temple, Kyoto

Maruyama Ōkyo (1733–1795) was born into a farming family in Anao village, Tanba province (present-day Kameoka, Kyoto). From a young age, Ōkyo had a strong interest in painting and is said to have become a pupil of the Kano school painter Ishida Yūtei in his mid-teens. He went on to study a wide range of artistic approaches, including Western painting techniques, ancient and modern Chinese painting, and sketching from life, which formed the foundation of his elegant and naturalistic style. Ōkyo’s distinctive works not only enjoyed great popularity during his lifetime—as reflected by the saying, “All paintings in Kyoto are by a single hand”—but also paved the way for the development of modern Japanese painting.

Important Cultural Property
Dragons and Clouds
By Maruyama Ōkyo

In the twenty-second year of the Wanli era (1594), the two painters Ding Yunpeng (1547–1628) and Sheng Maoye (dates unknown) depicted the Five Hundred Arhats, enlightened disciples of the Historical Buddha. They painted twenty-four scrolls, each featuring around twenty-one of the mythical sages. This type of dynamic collaboration between a Buddhist painter and landscape artist in the late Ming dynasty (1368–1644) is particularly rare; recent research has begun to shed light on the background of its creation.
Although this work was brought to Japan as a complete set during the Edo period (1615–1868), the scrolls were separated and scattered. Currently the location of fourteen scrolls has been confirmed, five of which belong to the collection of Kyoto National Museum. This exhibition will explore the enduring allure of this artistic collaboration through the display of eight scrolls.

Five Hundred Arhats
By Ding Yunpeng and Sheng Maoye
Kyoto National Museum

The Heian period (794–1185) was one of the most transformative times within the history of Japanese sculpture. Buddhist statues were carved primarily in the capital city of Kyoto, but they were also produced throughout the provinces. While some statues have been lost due to wars and natural disasters, a great number of Heian Buddhist sculptures have survived to this day. In the latter half of the Heian period, Buddhist sculptures with serene expressions gained popularity in accordance with the tastes of the imperial court and aristocracy. Round faces, reminiscent of a full moon, and gently lowered eyes give such statues a gentle air. This facial expression—distinctive to Japanese sculpture—became known as wayō (“Japanese style”). One of the more prominent sculptors who embraced this style was Jōchō (d. 1057). This exhibition presents works primarily from the second half of the Heian period. We invite you to enjoy the graceful, tranquil forms of these ancient sculptures.

Important Cultural Property
Seated Shakyamuni Buddha
By Keihan and others
Kōzen-ji Temple, Osaka

Since its establishment in 1889, the Kyoto National Museum has accumulated a diverse array of materials related to activities of collecting, storage, research, and exhibitions. These extensive archives not only document the history of the museum itself but also provide essential insight into the importance of museums within modern Japanese history. Since 2021, the Kyoto National Museum has undertaken the project of identifying and organizing “historical museum materials” from among its holdings. This exhibition introduces some of these materials as it looks back over the museum’s 130-year history. This exhibition is supported by Kakenhi Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research JP21H03778 from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

Collection Records of the Kyoto Museum
Kyoto National Museum

In the face of wars, climate change, infectious diseases, and other challenges, there is a growing movement to reuse and take care of material goods as a means of social sustainability. In times past when most textiles were made by hand, second-hand garments were in regular circulation, and damaged clothing was promptly repurposed for other uses. In one sense, this practice of reuse was driven by the recognized value of textiles as a commodity. However, there was another motivation for repurposing textiles, stemming from attachment to and reverence for the individuals who wore the garments. This exhibition will consider various textiles from the perspective of reuse.

Buddhist Banner Made from Kosode (Kimono) with Camellia
Kyoto National Museum

For over 400 years, the three provinces of Bizen, Bicchū, and Bingo—collectively known as Kibi—flourished as an advanced center for sword smithing. The region’s prosperity is rooted in the abundant iron resources of the Chugoku Mountains, as reflected in a poem from the Kokin wakashū (Collected Japanese Poems of Ancient and Modern Times): “In Kibi, where true gold flows [a reference to the iron used in swords], the sound of the Hosoda River in the mountains is clear.” This exhibition introduces a number of famous swords from the Kibi region, primarily from the collection of the Kyoto National Museum.

Important Cultural Property
Tachi (Slung Sword) Blade
Inscription: “Sanemitsu of [the] Osafune [School] in Bizen Province”
Kyoto National Museum

Ceramics are prized not only for their beauty but also for their uses as dishes and in other quotidian functions. East Asian ceramics have a particularly wide range of patterns, forms, colors, and applications. They can incorporate vastly different materials and techniques, resulting in wares as diverse as earthenware or porcelain, with distinguishing characteristics deriving from the types of clay, the glazes, the décor, and the firing techniques employed at the site of their production. This gallery features a variety of ceramics from Japan, China, and the Korean Peninsula, pieces exemplifying the distinctive qualities and assets of each kiln site.

Important Cultural Property
Decorative Nail Covers
Attributed to Nonomura Ninsei
Kyoto National Museum

This exhibition features works relating to the powerful aristocratic regent Fujiwara no Michinaga (966–1028) and his eldest daughter Empress Fujiwara no Shōshi (988–1074), which have survived from the Heian period (794–1185).
In 1007, the fourth year of the Kankō era, Michinaga buried a cylindrical gilt bronze sutra container (now a National Treasure) in the Kinpusen mountains of Yoshino, Nara. Shōshi later dedicated a sutra case plated in gold and silver (also a National Treasure) at the Nyohōdo Hall of Yokawa, Mount Hiei, in the year 1031.
This prominent father and daughter pair is closely associated with Murasaki Shikibu (c. 973–c. 1031), author of the literary classic The Tale of Genji, who served as a lady-in-waiting under Shōshi. At the time, it was popular to bury scriptures such as the Lotus Sutra in anticipation of the Bodhisattva Miroku (Maitreya)’s Buddhahood in the distant future.
This exhibition introduces objects excavated from sutra mounds dating from the eleventh and twelfth centuries, encapsulating the spirit of Heian-period prayers.

Important Cultural Property
Sutra Container
Excavated from Hanase Bessho Sutra Mound, Kyoto
Agency for Cultural Affairs

Engi-e are paintings that explore the legendary origins and miraculous events associated with specific temples and shrines. This exhibition presents engi-e handscrolls relating to Kyoto temples that were created in the Edo period (1615–1868). During this time, Buddhist sects underwent structural shifts due to the religious policies of the shogunate. The “benevolent rule” of the day promoted scholarship, so monks deepened their studies of religious doctrines, cultivated interests in religious and temple history, and compiled historical books and biographies of temple founders.
As industry and the economy developed in the Kansai region (Osaka and Kyoto) during the late seventeenth century, talented artists produced numerous handscrolls vividly depicting this new urban culture. For the people living during this peaceful era, these vibrant engi-e handscrolls brought the enduring history of temples to life.

Legends of Jūzen-ji Temple
By Yamamoto Soken
Jūzen-ji Temple, Kyoto

The historical Buddha Shakyamuni is said to have died and entered parinirvana, his “final nirvana,” on the fifteenth day of the second lunar month (March 15th by the Gregorian calendar). Japanese temples continue to hold the Nirvana Assembly (nehan-e) in the present; a painting of the Death of the Buddha typically hangs at this ceremony.
Many Death of the Buddha paintings are oversized—some are so large that they cannot be fully unrolled, even in grand temple halls. Why use such massive dimensions? Perhaps this gave the viewers a more immersive experience akin to a sort of virtual reality. During the Kamakura period (1185–1333), artists were increasingly incorporating new Chinese artistic styles into their Death of the Buddha paintings. These included realistic elements that must have been fascinating to contemporaneous viewers.
The Nirvana Assembly became widespread among many different sects, in part because it revolves around the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. The grand scale and realism of Death of the Buddha paintings such as these may have also contributed to the Nirvana Assembly’s prevalence in Japan.

Death of the Buddha
Kyoto National Museum

Since ancient times, the Zen school of Buddhism has played a leading role within Japan’s ink painting culture. Medieval Zen temples sent numerous monks to the Chinese mainland; the new styles of ink painting they discovered overseas greatly enriched Japanese art. In addition to the classic genres of landscape and bird-and-flower painting, the religious themes of Confucianism, Taoism, and most especially Zen Buddhism became increasingly prominent subjects in Japanese art. Within Zen temples, there was a great demand for figure paintings in ink, which utilized dynamic brushstrokes incorporating variations in line and shading to capture human likenesses. Representations of Zen practitioners, including depictions of the attainment of enlightenment and other Zen anecdotes, also enjoyed considerable popularity. This exhibition introduces various representations of figures associated with Zen Buddhism.

Important Cultural Property
Six Founding Masters of Zen
Inscription by Seikan Sudon
Myōshin-ji Temple, Kyoto

Maruyama Ōkyo (1733–1795) was born into a farming family in Anao village, Tanba province (present-day Kameoka, Kyoto). From a young age, Ōkyo had a strong interest in painting and is said to have become a pupil of the Kano school painter Ishida Yūtei in his mid-teens. He went on to study a wide range of artistic approaches, including Western painting techniques, ancient and modern Chinese painting, and sketching from life, which formed the foundation of his elegant and naturalistic style. Ōkyo’s distinctive works not only enjoyed great popularity during his lifetime—as reflected by the saying, “All paintings in Kyoto are by a single hand”—but also paved the way for the development of modern Japanese painting.

Important Cultural Property
Dragons and Clouds
By Maruyama Ōkyo

In the twenty-second year of the Wanli era (1594), the two painters Ding Yunpeng (1547–1628) and Sheng Maoye (dates unknown) depicted the Five Hundred Arhats, enlightened disciples of the Historical Buddha. They painted twenty-four scrolls, each featuring around twenty-one of the mythical sages. This type of dynamic collaboration between a Buddhist painter and landscape artist in the late Ming dynasty (1368–1644) is particularly rare; recent research has begun to shed light on the background of its creation.
Although this work was brought to Japan as a complete set during the Edo period (1615–1868), the scrolls were separated and scattered. Currently the location of fourteen scrolls has been confirmed, five of which belong to the collection of Kyoto National Museum. This exhibition will explore the enduring allure of this artistic collaboration through the display of eight scrolls.

Five Hundred Arhats
By Ding Yunpeng and Sheng Maoye
Kyoto National Museum

The Heian period (794–1185) was one of the most transformative times within the history of Japanese sculpture. Buddhist statues were carved primarily in the capital city of Kyoto, but they were also produced throughout the provinces. While some statues have been lost due to wars and natural disasters, a great number of Heian Buddhist sculptures have survived to this day. In the latter half of the Heian period, Buddhist sculptures with serene expressions gained popularity in accordance with the tastes of the imperial court and aristocracy. Round faces, reminiscent of a full moon, and gently lowered eyes give such statues a gentle air. This facial expression—distinctive to Japanese sculpture—became known as wayō (“Japanese style”). One of the more prominent sculptors who embraced this style was Jōchō (d. 1057). This exhibition presents works primarily from the second half of the Heian period. We invite you to enjoy the graceful, tranquil forms of these ancient sculptures.

Important Cultural Property
Seated Shakyamuni Buddha
By Keihan and others
Kōzen-ji Temple, Osaka

Since its establishment in 1889, the Kyoto National Museum has accumulated a diverse array of materials related to activities of collecting, storage, research, and exhibitions. These extensive archives not only document the history of the museum itself but also provide essential insight into the importance of museums within modern Japanese history. Since 2021, the Kyoto National Museum has undertaken the project of identifying and organizing “historical museum materials” from among its holdings. This exhibition introduces some of these materials as it looks back over the museum’s 130-year history. This exhibition is supported by Kakenhi Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research JP21H03778 from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

Collection Records of the Kyoto Museum
Kyoto National Museum

In the face of wars, climate change, infectious diseases, and other challenges, there is a growing movement to reuse and take care of material goods as a means of social sustainability. In times past when most textiles were made by hand, second-hand garments were in regular circulation, and damaged clothing was promptly repurposed for other uses. In one sense, this practice of reuse was driven by the recognized value of textiles as a commodity. However, there was another motivation for repurposing textiles, stemming from attachment to and reverence for the individuals who wore the garments. This exhibition will consider various textiles from the perspective of reuse.

Buddhist Banner Made from Kosode (Kimono) with Camellia
Kyoto National Museum

For over 400 years, the three provinces of Bizen, Bicchū, and Bingo—collectively known as Kibi—flourished as an advanced center for sword smithing. The region’s prosperity is rooted in the abundant iron resources of the Chugoku Mountains, as reflected in a poem from the Kokin wakashū (Collected Japanese Poems of Ancient and Modern Times): “In Kibi, where true gold flows [a reference to the iron used in swords], the sound of the Hosoda River in the mountains is clear.” This exhibition introduces a number of famous swords from the Kibi region, primarily from the collection of the Kyoto National Museum.

Important Cultural Property
Tachi (Slung Sword) Blade
Inscription: “Sanemitsu of [the] Osafune [School] in Bizen Province”
Kyoto National Museum

Ceramics are prized not only for their beauty but also for their uses as dishes and in other quotidian functions. East Asian ceramics have a particularly wide range of patterns, forms, colors, and applications. They can incorporate vastly different materials and techniques, resulting in wares as diverse as earthenware or porcelain, with distinguishing characteristics deriving from the types of clay, the glazes, the décor, and the firing techniques employed at the site of their production. This gallery features a variety of ceramics from Japan, China, and the Korean Peninsula, pieces exemplifying the distinctive qualities and assets of each kiln site.

Important Cultural Property
Decorative Nail Covers
Attributed to Nonomura Ninsei
Kyoto National Museum

This exhibition features works relating to the powerful aristocratic regent Fujiwara no Michinaga (966–1028) and his eldest daughter Empress Fujiwara no Shōshi (988–1074), which have survived from the Heian period (794–1185).
In 1007, the fourth year of the Kankō era, Michinaga buried a cylindrical gilt bronze sutra container (now a National Treasure) in the Kinpusen mountains of Yoshino, Nara. Shōshi later dedicated a sutra case plated in gold and silver (also a National Treasure) at the Nyohōdo Hall of Yokawa, Mount Hiei, in the year 1031.
This prominent father and daughter pair is closely associated with Murasaki Shikibu (c. 973–c. 1031), author of the literary classic The Tale of Genji, who served as a lady-in-waiting under Shōshi. At the time, it was popular to bury scriptures such as the Lotus Sutra in anticipation of the Bodhisattva Miroku (Maitreya)’s Buddhahood in the distant future.
This exhibition introduces objects excavated from sutra mounds dating from the eleventh and twelfth centuries, encapsulating the spirit of Heian-period prayers.

Important Cultural Property
Sutra Container
Excavated from Hanase Bessho Sutra Mound, Kyoto
Agency for Cultural Affairs

Engi-e are paintings that explore the legendary origins and miraculous events associated with specific temples and shrines. This exhibition presents engi-e handscrolls relating to Kyoto temples that were created in the Edo period (1615–1868). During this time, Buddhist sects underwent structural shifts due to the religious policies of the shogunate. The “benevolent rule” of the day promoted scholarship, so monks deepened their studies of religious doctrines, cultivated interests in religious and temple history, and compiled historical books and biographies of temple founders.
As industry and the economy developed in the Kansai region (Osaka and Kyoto) during the late seventeenth century, talented artists produced numerous handscrolls vividly depicting this new urban culture. For the people living during this peaceful era, these vibrant engi-e handscrolls brought the enduring history of temples to life.

Legends of Jūzen-ji Temple
By Yamamoto Soken
Jūzen-ji Temple, Kyoto

The historical Buddha Shakyamuni is said to have died and entered parinirvana, his “final nirvana,” on the fifteenth day of the second lunar month (March 15th by the Gregorian calendar). Japanese temples continue to hold the Nirvana Assembly (nehan-e) in the present; a painting of the Death of the Buddha typically hangs at this ceremony.
Many Death of the Buddha paintings are oversized—some are so large that they cannot be fully unrolled, even in grand temple halls. Why use such massive dimensions? Perhaps this gave the viewers a more immersive experience akin to a sort of virtual reality. During the Kamakura period (1185–1333), artists were increasingly incorporating new Chinese artistic styles into their Death of the Buddha paintings. These included realistic elements that must have been fascinating to contemporaneous viewers.
The Nirvana Assembly became widespread among many different sects, in part because it revolves around the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. The grand scale and realism of Death of the Buddha paintings such as these may have also contributed to the Nirvana Assembly’s prevalence in Japan.

Death of the Buddha
Kyoto National Museum

Since ancient times, the Zen school of Buddhism has played a leading role within Japan’s ink painting culture. Medieval Zen temples sent numerous monks to the Chinese mainland; the new styles of ink painting they discovered overseas greatly enriched Japanese art. In addition to the classic genres of landscape and bird-and-flower painting, the religious themes of Confucianism, Taoism, and most especially Zen Buddhism became increasingly prominent subjects in Japanese art. Within Zen temples, there was a great demand for figure paintings in ink, which utilized dynamic brushstrokes incorporating variations in line and shading to capture human likenesses. Representations of Zen practitioners, including depictions of the attainment of enlightenment and other Zen anecdotes, also enjoyed considerable popularity. This exhibition introduces various representations of figures associated with Zen Buddhism.

Important Cultural Property
Six Founding Masters of Zen
Inscription by Seikan Sudon
Myōshin-ji Temple, Kyoto

Maruyama Ōkyo (1733–1795) was born into a farming family in Anao village, Tanba province (present-day Kameoka, Kyoto). From a young age, Ōkyo had a strong interest in painting and is said to have become a pupil of the Kano school painter Ishida Yūtei in his mid-teens. He went on to study a wide range of artistic approaches, including Western painting techniques, ancient and modern Chinese painting, and sketching from life, which formed the foundation of his elegant and naturalistic style. Ōkyo’s distinctive works not only enjoyed great popularity during his lifetime—as reflected by the saying, “All paintings in Kyoto are by a single hand”—but also paved the way for the development of modern Japanese painting.

Important Cultural Property
Dragons and Clouds
By Maruyama Ōkyo

In the twenty-second year of the Wanli era (1594), the two painters Ding Yunpeng (1547–1628) and Sheng Maoye (dates unknown) depicted the Five Hundred Arhats, enlightened disciples of the Historical Buddha. They painted twenty-four scrolls, each featuring around twenty-one of the mythical sages. This type of dynamic collaboration between a Buddhist painter and landscape artist in the late Ming dynasty (1368–1644) is particularly rare; recent research has begun to shed light on the background of its creation.
Although this work was brought to Japan as a complete set during the Edo period (1615–1868), the scrolls were separated and scattered. Currently the location of fourteen scrolls has been confirmed, five of which belong to the collection of Kyoto National Museum. This exhibition will explore the enduring allure of this artistic collaboration through the display of eight scrolls.

Five Hundred Arhats
By Ding Yunpeng and Sheng Maoye
Kyoto National Museum

The Heian period (794–1185) was one of the most transformative times within the history of Japanese sculpture. Buddhist statues were carved primarily in the capital city of Kyoto, but they were also produced throughout the provinces. While some statues have been lost due to wars and natural disasters, a great number of Heian Buddhist sculptures have survived to this day. In the latter half of the Heian period, Buddhist sculptures with serene expressions gained popularity in accordance with the tastes of the imperial court and aristocracy. Round faces, reminiscent of a full moon, and gently lowered eyes give such statues a gentle air. This facial expression—distinctive to Japanese sculpture—became known as wayō (“Japanese style”). One of the more prominent sculptors who embraced this style was Jōchō (d. 1057). This exhibition presents works primarily from the second half of the Heian period. We invite you to enjoy the graceful, tranquil forms of these ancient sculptures.

Important Cultural Property
Seated Shakyamuni Buddha
By Keihan and others
Kōzen-ji Temple, Osaka

Since its establishment in 1889, the Kyoto National Museum has accumulated a diverse array of materials related to activities of collecting, storage, research, and exhibitions. These extensive archives not only document the history of the museum itself but also provide essential insight into the importance of museums within modern Japanese history. Since 2021, the Kyoto National Museum has undertaken the project of identifying and organizing “historical museum materials” from among its holdings. This exhibition introduces some of these materials as it looks back over the museum’s 130-year history. This exhibition is supported by Kakenhi Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research JP21H03778 from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

Collection Records of the Kyoto Museum
Kyoto National Museum

In the face of wars, climate change, infectious diseases, and other challenges, there is a growing movement to reuse and take care of material goods as a means of social sustainability. In times past when most textiles were made by hand, second-hand garments were in regular circulation, and damaged clothing was promptly repurposed for other uses. In one sense, this practice of reuse was driven by the recognized value of textiles as a commodity. However, there was another motivation for repurposing textiles, stemming from attachment to and reverence for the individuals who wore the garments. This exhibition will consider various textiles from the perspective of reuse.

Buddhist Banner Made from Kosode (Kimono) with Camellia
Kyoto National Museum

For over 400 years, the three provinces of Bizen, Bicchū, and Bingo—collectively known as Kibi—flourished as an advanced center for sword smithing. The region’s prosperity is rooted in the abundant iron resources of the Chugoku Mountains, as reflected in a poem from the Kokin wakashū (Collected Japanese Poems of Ancient and Modern Times): “In Kibi, where true gold flows [a reference to the iron used in swords], the sound of the Hosoda River in the mountains is clear.” This exhibition introduces a number of famous swords from the Kibi region, primarily from the collection of the Kyoto National Museum.

Important Cultural Property
Tachi (Slung Sword) Blade
Inscription: “Sanemitsu of [the] Osafune [School] in Bizen Province”
Kyoto National Museum

Ceramics are prized not only for their beauty but also for their uses as dishes and in other quotidian functions. East Asian ceramics have a particularly wide range of patterns, forms, colors, and applications. They can incorporate vastly different materials and techniques, resulting in wares as diverse as earthenware or porcelain, with distinguishing characteristics deriving from the types of clay, the glazes, the décor, and the firing techniques employed at the site of their production. This gallery features a variety of ceramics from Japan, China, and the Korean Peninsula, pieces exemplifying the distinctive qualities and assets of each kiln site.

Important Cultural Property
Decorative Nail Covers
Attributed to Nonomura Ninsei
Kyoto National Museum

This exhibition features works relating to the powerful aristocratic regent Fujiwara no Michinaga (966–1028) and his eldest daughter Empress Fujiwara no Shōshi (988–1074), which have survived from the Heian period (794–1185).
In 1007, the fourth year of the Kankō era, Michinaga buried a cylindrical gilt bronze sutra container (now a National Treasure) in the Kinpusen mountains of Yoshino, Nara. Shōshi later dedicated a sutra case plated in gold and silver (also a National Treasure) at the Nyohōdo Hall of Yokawa, Mount Hiei, in the year 1031.
This prominent father and daughter pair is closely associated with Murasaki Shikibu (c. 973–c. 1031), author of the literary classic The Tale of Genji, who served as a lady-in-waiting under Shōshi. At the time, it was popular to bury scriptures such as the Lotus Sutra in anticipation of the Bodhisattva Miroku (Maitreya)’s Buddhahood in the distant future.
This exhibition introduces objects excavated from sutra mounds dating from the eleventh and twelfth centuries, encapsulating the spirit of Heian-period prayers.

Important Cultural Property
Sutra Container
Excavated from Hanase Bessho Sutra Mound, Kyoto
Agency for Cultural Affairs

Engi-e are paintings that explore the legendary origins and miraculous events associated with specific temples and shrines. This exhibition presents engi-e handscrolls relating to Kyoto temples that were created in the Edo period (1615–1868). During this time, Buddhist sects underwent structural shifts due to the religious policies of the shogunate. The “benevolent rule” of the day promoted scholarship, so monks deepened their studies of religious doctrines, cultivated interests in religious and temple history, and compiled historical books and biographies of temple founders.
As industry and the economy developed in the Kansai region (Osaka and Kyoto) during the late seventeenth century, talented artists produced numerous handscrolls vividly depicting this new urban culture. For the people living during this peaceful era, these vibrant engi-e handscrolls brought the enduring history of temples to life.

Legends of Jūzen-ji Temple
By Yamamoto Soken
Jūzen-ji Temple, Kyoto

The historical Buddha Shakyamuni is said to have died and entered parinirvana, his “final nirvana,” on the fifteenth day of the second lunar month (March 15th by the Gregorian calendar). Japanese temples continue to hold the Nirvana Assembly (nehan-e) in the present; a painting of the Death of the Buddha typically hangs at this ceremony.
Many Death of the Buddha paintings are oversized—some are so large that they cannot be fully unrolled, even in grand temple halls. Why use such massive dimensions? Perhaps this gave the viewers a more immersive experience akin to a sort of virtual reality. During the Kamakura period (1185–1333), artists were increasingly incorporating new Chinese artistic styles into their Death of the Buddha paintings. These included realistic elements that must have been fascinating to contemporaneous viewers.
The Nirvana Assembly became widespread among many different sects, in part because it revolves around the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. The grand scale and realism of Death of the Buddha paintings such as these may have also contributed to the Nirvana Assembly’s prevalence in Japan.

Death of the Buddha
Kyoto National Museum

Since ancient times, the Zen school of Buddhism has played a leading role within Japan’s ink painting culture. Medieval Zen temples sent numerous monks to the Chinese mainland; the new styles of ink painting they discovered overseas greatly enriched Japanese art. In addition to the classic genres of landscape and bird-and-flower painting, the religious themes of Confucianism, Taoism, and most especially Zen Buddhism became increasingly prominent subjects in Japanese art. Within Zen temples, there was a great demand for figure paintings in ink, which utilized dynamic brushstrokes incorporating variations in line and shading to capture human likenesses. Representations of Zen practitioners, including depictions of the attainment of enlightenment and other Zen anecdotes, also enjoyed considerable popularity. This exhibition introduces various representations of figures associated with Zen Buddhism.

Important Cultural Property
Six Founding Masters of Zen
Inscription by Seikan Sudon
Myōshin-ji Temple, Kyoto

Maruyama Ōkyo (1733–1795) was born into a farming family in Anao village, Tanba province (present-day Kameoka, Kyoto). From a young age, Ōkyo had a strong interest in painting and is said to have become a pupil of the Kano school painter Ishida Yūtei in his mid-teens. He went on to study a wide range of artistic approaches, including Western painting techniques, ancient and modern Chinese painting, and sketching from life, which formed the foundation of his elegant and naturalistic style. Ōkyo’s distinctive works not only enjoyed great popularity during his lifetime—as reflected by the saying, “All paintings in Kyoto are by a single hand”—but also paved the way for the development of modern Japanese painting.

Important Cultural Property
Dragons and Clouds
By Maruyama Ōkyo

In the twenty-second year of the Wanli era (1594), the two painters Ding Yunpeng (1547–1628) and Sheng Maoye (dates unknown) depicted the Five Hundred Arhats, enlightened disciples of the Historical Buddha. They painted twenty-four scrolls, each featuring around twenty-one of the mythical sages. This type of dynamic collaboration between a Buddhist painter and landscape artist in the late Ming dynasty (1368–1644) is particularly rare; recent research has begun to shed light on the background of its creation.
Although this work was brought to Japan as a complete set during the Edo period (1615–1868), the scrolls were separated and scattered. Currently the location of fourteen scrolls has been confirmed, five of which belong to the collection of Kyoto National Museum. This exhibition will explore the enduring allure of this artistic collaboration through the display of eight scrolls.

Five Hundred Arhats
By Ding Yunpeng and Sheng Maoye
Kyoto National Museum

The Heian period (794–1185) was one of the most transformative times within the history of Japanese sculpture. Buddhist statues were carved primarily in the capital city of Kyoto, but they were also produced throughout the provinces. While some statues have been lost due to wars and natural disasters, a great number of Heian Buddhist sculptures have survived to this day. In the latter half of the Heian period, Buddhist sculptures with serene expressions gained popularity in accordance with the tastes of the imperial court and aristocracy. Round faces, reminiscent of a full moon, and gently lowered eyes give such statues a gentle air. This facial expression—distinctive to Japanese sculpture—became known as wayō (“Japanese style”). One of the more prominent sculptors who embraced this style was Jōchō (d. 1057). This exhibition presents works primarily from the second half of the Heian period. We invite you to enjoy the graceful, tranquil forms of these ancient sculptures.

Important Cultural Property
Seated Shakyamuni Buddha
By Keihan and others
Kōzen-ji Temple, Osaka

Since its establishment in 1889, the Kyoto National Museum has accumulated a diverse array of materials related to activities of collecting, storage, research, and exhibitions. These extensive archives not only document the history of the museum itself but also provide essential insight into the importance of museums within modern Japanese history. Since 2021, the Kyoto National Museum has undertaken the project of identifying and organizing “historical museum materials” from among its holdings. This exhibition introduces some of these materials as it looks back over the museum’s 130-year history. This exhibition is supported by Kakenhi Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research JP21H03778 from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

Collection Records of the Kyoto Museum
Kyoto National Museum

In the face of wars, climate change, infectious diseases, and other challenges, there is a growing movement to reuse and take care of material goods as a means of social sustainability. In times past when most textiles were made by hand, second-hand garments were in regular circulation, and damaged clothing was promptly repurposed for other uses. In one sense, this practice of reuse was driven by the recognized value of textiles as a commodity. However, there was another motivation for repurposing textiles, stemming from attachment to and reverence for the individuals who wore the garments. This exhibition will consider various textiles from the perspective of reuse.

Buddhist Banner Made from Kosode (Kimono) with Camellia
Kyoto National Museum

For over 400 years, the three provinces of Bizen, Bicchū, and Bingo—collectively known as Kibi—flourished as an advanced center for sword smithing. The region’s prosperity is rooted in the abundant iron resources of the Chugoku Mountains, as reflected in a poem from the Kokin wakashū (Collected Japanese Poems of Ancient and Modern Times): “In Kibi, where true gold flows [a reference to the iron used in swords], the sound of the Hosoda River in the mountains is clear.” This exhibition introduces a number of famous swords from the Kibi region, primarily from the collection of the Kyoto National Museum.

Important Cultural Property
Tachi (Slung Sword) Blade
Inscription: “Sanemitsu of [the] Osafune [School] in Bizen Province”
Kyoto National Museum

Ceramics are prized not only for their beauty but also for their uses as dishes and in other quotidian functions. East Asian ceramics have a particularly wide range of patterns, forms, colors, and applications. They can incorporate vastly different materials and techniques, resulting in wares as diverse as earthenware or porcelain, with distinguishing characteristics deriving from the types of clay, the glazes, the décor, and the firing techniques employed at the site of their production. This gallery features a variety of ceramics from Japan, China, and the Korean Peninsula, pieces exemplifying the distinctive qualities and assets of each kiln site.

Important Cultural Property
Decorative Nail Covers
Attributed to Nonomura Ninsei
Kyoto National Museum

This exhibition features works relating to the powerful aristocratic regent Fujiwara no Michinaga (966–1028) and his eldest daughter Empress Fujiwara no Shōshi (988–1074), which have survived from the Heian period (794–1185).
In 1007, the fourth year of the Kankō era, Michinaga buried a cylindrical gilt bronze sutra container (now a National Treasure) in the Kinpusen mountains of Yoshino, Nara. Shōshi later dedicated a sutra case plated in gold and silver (also a National Treasure) at the Nyohōdo Hall of Yokawa, Mount Hiei, in the year 1031.
This prominent father and daughter pair is closely associated with Murasaki Shikibu (c. 973–c. 1031), author of the literary classic The Tale of Genji, who served as a lady-in-waiting under Shōshi. At the time, it was popular to bury scriptures such as the Lotus Sutra in anticipation of the Bodhisattva Miroku (Maitreya)’s Buddhahood in the distant future.
This exhibition introduces objects excavated from sutra mounds dating from the eleventh and twelfth centuries, encapsulating the spirit of Heian-period prayers.

Important Cultural Property
Sutra Container
Excavated from Hanase Bessho Sutra Mound, Kyoto
Agency for Cultural Affairs

Engi-e are paintings that explore the legendary origins and miraculous events associated with specific temples and shrines. This exhibition presents engi-e handscrolls relating to Kyoto temples that were created in the Edo period (1615–1868). During this time, Buddhist sects underwent structural shifts due to the religious policies of the shogunate. The “benevolent rule” of the day promoted scholarship, so monks deepened their studies of religious doctrines, cultivated interests in religious and temple history, and compiled historical books and biographies of temple founders.
As industry and the economy developed in the Kansai region (Osaka and Kyoto) during the late seventeenth century, talented artists produced numerous handscrolls vividly depicting this new urban culture. For the people living during this peaceful era, these vibrant engi-e handscrolls brought the enduring history of temples to life.

Legends of Jūzen-ji Temple
By Yamamoto Soken
Jūzen-ji Temple, Kyoto

The historical Buddha Shakyamuni is said to have died and entered parinirvana, his “final nirvana,” on the fifteenth day of the second lunar month (March 15th by the Gregorian calendar). Japanese temples continue to hold the Nirvana Assembly (nehan-e) in the present; a painting of the Death of the Buddha typically hangs at this ceremony.
Many Death of the Buddha paintings are oversized—some are so large that they cannot be fully unrolled, even in grand temple halls. Why use such massive dimensions? Perhaps this gave the viewers a more immersive experience akin to a sort of virtual reality. During the Kamakura period (1185–1333), artists were increasingly incorporating new Chinese artistic styles into their Death of the Buddha paintings. These included realistic elements that must have been fascinating to contemporaneous viewers.
The Nirvana Assembly became widespread among many different sects, in part because it revolves around the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. The grand scale and realism of Death of the Buddha paintings such as these may have also contributed to the Nirvana Assembly’s prevalence in Japan.

Death of the Buddha
Kyoto National Museum

Since ancient times, the Zen school of Buddhism has played a leading role within Japan’s ink painting culture. Medieval Zen temples sent numerous monks to the Chinese mainland; the new styles of ink painting they discovered overseas greatly enriched Japanese art. In addition to the classic genres of landscape and bird-and-flower painting, the religious themes of Confucianism, Taoism, and most especially Zen Buddhism became increasingly prominent subjects in Japanese art. Within Zen temples, there was a great demand for figure paintings in ink, which utilized dynamic brushstrokes incorporating variations in line and shading to capture human likenesses. Representations of Zen practitioners, including depictions of the attainment of enlightenment and other Zen anecdotes, also enjoyed considerable popularity. This exhibition introduces various representations of figures associated with Zen Buddhism.

Important Cultural Property
Six Founding Masters of Zen
Inscription by Seikan Sudon
Myōshin-ji Temple, Kyoto

Maruyama Ōkyo (1733–1795) was born into a farming family in Anao village, Tanba province (present-day Kameoka, Kyoto). From a young age, Ōkyo had a strong interest in painting and is said to have become a pupil of the Kano school painter Ishida Yūtei in his mid-teens. He went on to study a wide range of artistic approaches, including Western painting techniques, ancient and modern Chinese painting, and sketching from life, which formed the foundation of his elegant and naturalistic style. Ōkyo’s distinctive works not only enjoyed great popularity during his lifetime—as reflected by the saying, “All paintings in Kyoto are by a single hand”—but also paved the way for the development of modern Japanese painting.

Important Cultural Property
Dragons and Clouds
By Maruyama Ōkyo

In the twenty-second year of the Wanli era (1594), the two painters Ding Yunpeng (1547–1628) and Sheng Maoye (dates unknown) depicted the Five Hundred Arhats, enlightened disciples of the Historical Buddha. They painted twenty-four scrolls, each featuring around twenty-one of the mythical sages. This type of dynamic collaboration between a Buddhist painter and landscape artist in the late Ming dynasty (1368–1644) is particularly rare; recent research has begun to shed light on the background of its creation.
Although this work was brought to Japan as a complete set during the Edo period (1615–1868), the scrolls were separated and scattered. Currently the location of fourteen scrolls has been confirmed, five of which belong to the collection of Kyoto National Museum. This exhibition will explore the enduring allure of this artistic collaboration through the display of eight scrolls.

Five Hundred Arhats
By Ding Yunpeng and Sheng Maoye
Kyoto National Museum

The Heian period (794–1185) was one of the most transformative times within the history of Japanese sculpture. Buddhist statues were carved primarily in the capital city of Kyoto, but they were also produced throughout the provinces. While some statues have been lost due to wars and natural disasters, a great number of Heian Buddhist sculptures have survived to this day. In the latter half of the Heian period, Buddhist sculptures with serene expressions gained popularity in accordance with the tastes of the imperial court and aristocracy. Round faces, reminiscent of a full moon, and gently lowered eyes give such statues a gentle air. This facial expression—distinctive to Japanese sculpture—became known as wayō (“Japanese style”). One of the more prominent sculptors who embraced this style was Jōchō (d. 1057). This exhibition presents works primarily from the second half of the Heian period. We invite you to enjoy the graceful, tranquil forms of these ancient sculptures.

Important Cultural Property
Seated Shakyamuni Buddha
By Keihan and others
Kōzen-ji Temple, Osaka

Since its establishment in 1889, the Kyoto National Museum has accumulated a diverse array of materials related to activities of collecting, storage, research, and exhibitions. These extensive archives not only document the history of the museum itself but also provide essential insight into the importance of museums within modern Japanese history. Since 2021, the Kyoto National Museum has undertaken the project of identifying and organizing “historical museum materials” from among its holdings. This exhibition introduces some of these materials as it looks back over the museum’s 130-year history. This exhibition is supported by Kakenhi Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research JP21H03778 from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

Collection Records of the Kyoto Museum
Kyoto National Museum

In the face of wars, climate change, infectious diseases, and other challenges, there is a growing movement to reuse and take care of material goods as a means of social sustainability. In times past when most textiles were made by hand, second-hand garments were in regular circulation, and damaged clothing was promptly repurposed for other uses. In one sense, this practice of reuse was driven by the recognized value of textiles as a commodity. However, there was another motivation for repurposing textiles, stemming from attachment to and reverence for the individuals who wore the garments. This exhibition will consider various textiles from the perspective of reuse.

Buddhist Banner Made from Kosode (Kimono) with Camellia
Kyoto National Museum

For over 400 years, the three provinces of Bizen, Bicchū, and Bingo—collectively known as Kibi—flourished as an advanced center for sword smithing. The region’s prosperity is rooted in the abundant iron resources of the Chugoku Mountains, as reflected in a poem from the Kokin wakashū (Collected Japanese Poems of Ancient and Modern Times): “In Kibi, where true gold flows [a reference to the iron used in swords], the sound of the Hosoda River in the mountains is clear.” This exhibition introduces a number of famous swords from the Kibi region, primarily from the collection of the Kyoto National Museum.

Important Cultural Property
Tachi (Slung Sword) Blade
Inscription: “Sanemitsu of [the] Osafune [School] in Bizen Province”
Kyoto National Museum

Ceramics are prized not only for their beauty but also for their uses as dishes and in other quotidian functions. East Asian ceramics have a particularly wide range of patterns, forms, colors, and applications. They can incorporate vastly different materials and techniques, resulting in wares as diverse as earthenware or porcelain, with distinguishing characteristics deriving from the types of clay, the glazes, the décor, and the firing techniques employed at the site of their production. This gallery features a variety of ceramics from Japan, China, and the Korean Peninsula, pieces exemplifying the distinctive qualities and assets of each kiln site.

Important Cultural Property
Decorative Nail Covers
Attributed to Nonomura Ninsei
Kyoto National Museum

This exhibition features works relating to the powerful aristocratic regent Fujiwara no Michinaga (966–1028) and his eldest daughter Empress Fujiwara no Shōshi (988–1074), which have survived from the Heian period (794–1185).
In 1007, the fourth year of the Kankō era, Michinaga buried a cylindrical gilt bronze sutra container (now a National Treasure) in the Kinpusen mountains of Yoshino, Nara. Shōshi later dedicated a sutra case plated in gold and silver (also a National Treasure) at the Nyohōdo Hall of Yokawa, Mount Hiei, in the year 1031.
This prominent father and daughter pair is closely associated with Murasaki Shikibu (c. 973–c. 1031), author of the literary classic The Tale of Genji, who served as a lady-in-waiting under Shōshi. At the time, it was popular to bury scriptures such as the Lotus Sutra in anticipation of the Bodhisattva Miroku (Maitreya)’s Buddhahood in the distant future.
This exhibition introduces objects excavated from sutra mounds dating from the eleventh and twelfth centuries, encapsulating the spirit of Heian-period prayers.

Important Cultural Property
Sutra Container
Excavated from Hanase Bessho Sutra Mound, Kyoto
Agency for Cultural Affairs

Engi-e are paintings that explore the legendary origins and miraculous events associated with specific temples and shrines. This exhibition presents engi-e handscrolls relating to Kyoto temples that were created in the Edo period (1615–1868). During this time, Buddhist sects underwent structural shifts due to the religious policies of the shogunate. The “benevolent rule” of the day promoted scholarship, so monks deepened their studies of religious doctrines, cultivated interests in religious and temple history, and compiled historical books and biographies of temple founders.
As industry and the economy developed in the Kansai region (Osaka and Kyoto) during the late seventeenth century, talented artists produced numerous handscrolls vividly depicting this new urban culture. For the people living during this peaceful era, these vibrant engi-e handscrolls brought the enduring history of temples to life.

Legends of Jūzen-ji Temple
By Yamamoto Soken
Jūzen-ji Temple, Kyoto

The historical Buddha Shakyamuni is said to have died and entered parinirvana, his “final nirvana,” on the fifteenth day of the second lunar month (March 15th by the Gregorian calendar). Japanese temples continue to hold the Nirvana Assembly (nehan-e) in the present; a painting of the Death of the Buddha typically hangs at this ceremony.
Many Death of the Buddha paintings are oversized—some are so large that they cannot be fully unrolled, even in grand temple halls. Why use such massive dimensions? Perhaps this gave the viewers a more immersive experience akin to a sort of virtual reality. During the Kamakura period (1185–1333), artists were increasingly incorporating new Chinese artistic styles into their Death of the Buddha paintings. These included realistic elements that must have been fascinating to contemporaneous viewers.
The Nirvana Assembly became widespread among many different sects, in part because it revolves around the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. The grand scale and realism of Death of the Buddha paintings such as these may have also contributed to the Nirvana Assembly’s prevalence in Japan.

Death of the Buddha
Kyoto National Museum

Since ancient times, the Zen school of Buddhism has played a leading role within Japan’s ink painting culture. Medieval Zen temples sent numerous monks to the Chinese mainland; the new styles of ink painting they discovered overseas greatly enriched Japanese art. In addition to the classic genres of landscape and bird-and-flower painting, the religious themes of Confucianism, Taoism, and most especially Zen Buddhism became increasingly prominent subjects in Japanese art. Within Zen temples, there was a great demand for figure paintings in ink, which utilized dynamic brushstrokes incorporating variations in line and shading to capture human likenesses. Representations of Zen practitioners, including depictions of the attainment of enlightenment and other Zen anecdotes, also enjoyed considerable popularity. This exhibition introduces various representations of figures associated with Zen Buddhism.

Important Cultural Property
Six Founding Masters of Zen
Inscription by Seikan Sudon
Myōshin-ji Temple, Kyoto

Maruyama Ōkyo (1733–1795) was born into a farming family in Anao village, Tanba province (present-day Kameoka, Kyoto). From a young age, Ōkyo had a strong interest in painting and is said to have become a pupil of the Kano school painter Ishida Yūtei in his mid-teens. He went on to study a wide range of artistic approaches, including Western painting techniques, ancient and modern Chinese painting, and sketching from life, which formed the foundation of his elegant and naturalistic style. Ōkyo’s distinctive works not only enjoyed great popularity during his lifetime—as reflected by the saying, “All paintings in Kyoto are by a single hand”—but also paved the way for the development of modern Japanese painting.

Important Cultural Property
Dragons and Clouds
By Maruyama Ōkyo

In the twenty-second year of the Wanli era (1594), the two painters Ding Yunpeng (1547–1628) and Sheng Maoye (dates unknown) depicted the Five Hundred Arhats, enlightened disciples of the Historical Buddha. They painted twenty-four scrolls, each featuring around twenty-one of the mythical sages. This type of dynamic collaboration between a Buddhist painter and landscape artist in the late Ming dynasty (1368–1644) is particularly rare; recent research has begun to shed light on the background of its creation.
Although this work was brought to Japan as a complete set during the Edo period (1615–1868), the scrolls were separated and scattered. Currently the location of fourteen scrolls has been confirmed, five of which belong to the collection of Kyoto National Museum. This exhibition will explore the enduring allure of this artistic collaboration through the display of eight scrolls.

Five Hundred Arhats
By Ding Yunpeng and Sheng Maoye
Kyoto National Museum

The Heian period (794–1185) was one of the most transformative times within the history of Japanese sculpture. Buddhist statues were carved primarily in the capital city of Kyoto, but they were also produced throughout the provinces. While some statues have been lost due to wars and natural disasters, a great number of Heian Buddhist sculptures have survived to this day. In the latter half of the Heian period, Buddhist sculptures with serene expressions gained popularity in accordance with the tastes of the imperial court and aristocracy. Round faces, reminiscent of a full moon, and gently lowered eyes give such statues a gentle air. This facial expression—distinctive to Japanese sculpture—became known as wayō (“Japanese style”). One of the more prominent sculptors who embraced this style was Jōchō (d. 1057). This exhibition presents works primarily from the second half of the Heian period. We invite you to enjoy the graceful, tranquil forms of these ancient sculptures.

Important Cultural Property
Seated Shakyamuni Buddha
By Keihan and others
Kōzen-ji Temple, Osaka

Since its establishment in 1889, the Kyoto National Museum has accumulated a diverse array of materials related to activities of collecting, storage, research, and exhibitions. These extensive archives not only document the history of the museum itself but also provide essential insight into the importance of museums within modern Japanese history. Since 2021, the Kyoto National Museum has undertaken the project of identifying and organizing “historical museum materials” from among its holdings. This exhibition introduces some of these materials as it looks back over the museum’s 130-year history. This exhibition is supported by Kakenhi Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research JP21H03778 from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

Collection Records of the Kyoto Museum
Kyoto National Museum

In the face of wars, climate change, infectious diseases, and other challenges, there is a growing movement to reuse and take care of material goods as a means of social sustainability. In times past when most textiles were made by hand, second-hand garments were in regular circulation, and damaged clothing was promptly repurposed for other uses. In one sense, this practice of reuse was driven by the recognized value of textiles as a commodity. However, there was another motivation for repurposing textiles, stemming from attachment to and reverence for the individuals who wore the garments. This exhibition will consider various textiles from the perspective of reuse.

Buddhist Banner Made from Kosode (Kimono) with Camellia
Kyoto National Museum

For over 400 years, the three provinces of Bizen, Bicchū, and Bingo—collectively known as Kibi—flourished as an advanced center for sword smithing. The region’s prosperity is rooted in the abundant iron resources of the Chugoku Mountains, as reflected in a poem from the Kokin wakashū (Collected Japanese Poems of Ancient and Modern Times): “In Kibi, where true gold flows [a reference to the iron used in swords], the sound of the Hosoda River in the mountains is clear.” This exhibition introduces a number of famous swords from the Kibi region, primarily from the collection of the Kyoto National Museum.

Important Cultural Property
Tachi (Slung Sword) Blade
Inscription: “Sanemitsu of [the] Osafune [School] in Bizen Province”
Kyoto National Museum

Ceramics are prized not only for their beauty but also for their uses as dishes and in other quotidian functions. East Asian ceramics have a particularly wide range of patterns, forms, colors, and applications. They can incorporate vastly different materials and techniques, resulting in wares as diverse as earthenware or porcelain, with distinguishing characteristics deriving from the types of clay, the glazes, the décor, and the firing techniques employed at the site of their production. This gallery features a variety of ceramics from Japan, China, and the Korean Peninsula, pieces exemplifying the distinctive qualities and assets of each kiln site.

Important Cultural Property
Decorative Nail Covers
Attributed to Nonomura Ninsei
Kyoto National Museum

This exhibition features works relating to the powerful aristocratic regent Fujiwara no Michinaga (966–1028) and his eldest daughter Empress Fujiwara no Shōshi (988–1074), which have survived from the Heian period (794–1185).
In 1007, the fourth year of the Kankō era, Michinaga buried a cylindrical gilt bronze sutra container (now a National Treasure) in the Kinpusen mountains of Yoshino, Nara. Shōshi later dedicated a sutra case plated in gold and silver (also a National Treasure) at the Nyohōdo Hall of Yokawa, Mount Hiei, in the year 1031.
This prominent father and daughter pair is closely associated with Murasaki Shikibu (c. 973–c. 1031), author of the literary classic The Tale of Genji, who served as a lady-in-waiting under Shōshi. At the time, it was popular to bury scriptures such as the Lotus Sutra in anticipation of the Bodhisattva Miroku (Maitreya)’s Buddhahood in the distant future.
This exhibition introduces objects excavated from sutra mounds dating from the eleventh and twelfth centuries, encapsulating the spirit of Heian-period prayers.

Important Cultural Property
Sutra Container
Excavated from Hanase Bessho Sutra Mound, Kyoto
Agency for Cultural Affairs

Engi-e are paintings that explore the legendary origins and miraculous events associated with specific temples and shrines. This exhibition presents engi-e handscrolls relating to Kyoto temples that were created in the Edo period (1615–1868). During this time, Buddhist sects underwent structural shifts due to the religious policies of the shogunate. The “benevolent rule” of the day promoted scholarship, so monks deepened their studies of religious doctrines, cultivated interests in religious and temple history, and compiled historical books and biographies of temple founders.
As industry and the economy developed in the Kansai region (Osaka and Kyoto) during the late seventeenth century, talented artists produced numerous handscrolls vividly depicting this new urban culture. For the people living during this peaceful era, these vibrant engi-e handscrolls brought the enduring history of temples to life.

Legends of Jūzen-ji Temple
By Yamamoto Soken
Jūzen-ji Temple, Kyoto

The historical Buddha Shakyamuni is said to have died and entered parinirvana, his “final nirvana,” on the fifteenth day of the second lunar month (March 15th by the Gregorian calendar). Japanese temples continue to hold the Nirvana Assembly (nehan-e) in the present; a painting of the Death of the Buddha typically hangs at this ceremony.
Many Death of the Buddha paintings are oversized—some are so large that they cannot be fully unrolled, even in grand temple halls. Why use such massive dimensions? Perhaps this gave the viewers a more immersive experience akin to a sort of virtual reality. During the Kamakura period (1185–1333), artists were increasingly incorporating new Chinese artistic styles into their Death of the Buddha paintings. These included realistic elements that must have been fascinating to contemporaneous viewers.
The Nirvana Assembly became widespread among many different sects, in part because it revolves around the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. The grand scale and realism of Death of the Buddha paintings such as these may have also contributed to the Nirvana Assembly’s prevalence in Japan.

Death of the Buddha
Kyoto National Museum

Since ancient times, the Zen school of Buddhism has played a leading role within Japan’s ink painting culture. Medieval Zen temples sent numerous monks to the Chinese mainland; the new styles of ink painting they discovered overseas greatly enriched Japanese art. In addition to the classic genres of landscape and bird-and-flower painting, the religious themes of Confucianism, Taoism, and most especially Zen Buddhism became increasingly prominent subjects in Japanese art. Within Zen temples, there was a great demand for figure paintings in ink, which utilized dynamic brushstrokes incorporating variations in line and shading to capture human likenesses. Representations of Zen practitioners, including depictions of the attainment of enlightenment and other Zen anecdotes, also enjoyed considerable popularity. This exhibition introduces various representations of figures associated with Zen Buddhism.

Important Cultural Property
Six Founding Masters of Zen
Inscription by Seikan Sudon
Myōshin-ji Temple, Kyoto

Maruyama Ōkyo (1733–1795) was born into a farming family in Anao village, Tanba province (present-day Kameoka, Kyoto). From a young age, Ōkyo had a strong interest in painting and is said to have become a pupil of the Kano school painter Ishida Yūtei in his mid-teens. He went on to study a wide range of artistic approaches, including Western painting techniques, ancient and modern Chinese painting, and sketching from life, which formed the foundation of his elegant and naturalistic style. Ōkyo’s distinctive works not only enjoyed great popularity during his lifetime—as reflected by the saying, “All paintings in Kyoto are by a single hand”—but also paved the way for the development of modern Japanese painting.

Important Cultural Property
Dragons and Clouds
By Maruyama Ōkyo

In the twenty-second year of the Wanli era (1594), the two painters Ding Yunpeng (1547–1628) and Sheng Maoye (dates unknown) depicted the Five Hundred Arhats, enlightened disciples of the Historical Buddha. They painted twenty-four scrolls, each featuring around twenty-one of the mythical sages. This type of dynamic collaboration between a Buddhist painter and landscape artist in the late Ming dynasty (1368–1644) is particularly rare; recent research has begun to shed light on the background of its creation.
Although this work was brought to Japan as a complete set during the Edo period (1615–1868), the scrolls were separated and scattered. Currently the location of fourteen scrolls has been confirmed, five of which belong to the collection of Kyoto National Museum. This exhibition will explore the enduring allure of this artistic collaboration through the display of eight scrolls.

Five Hundred Arhats
By Ding Yunpeng and Sheng Maoye
Kyoto National Museum

The Heian period (794–1185) was one of the most transformative times within the history of Japanese sculpture. Buddhist statues were carved primarily in the capital city of Kyoto, but they were also produced throughout the provinces. While some statues have been lost due to wars and natural disasters, a great number of Heian Buddhist sculptures have survived to this day. In the latter half of the Heian period, Buddhist sculptures with serene expressions gained popularity in accordance with the tastes of the imperial court and aristocracy. Round faces, reminiscent of a full moon, and gently lowered eyes give such statues a gentle air. This facial expression—distinctive to Japanese sculpture—became known as wayō (“Japanese style”). One of the more prominent sculptors who embraced this style was Jōchō (d. 1057). This exhibition presents works primarily from the second half of the Heian period. We invite you to enjoy the graceful, tranquil forms of these ancient sculptures.

Important Cultural Property
Seated Shakyamuni Buddha
By Keihan and others
Kōzen-ji Temple, Osaka

Since its establishment in 1889, the Kyoto National Museum has accumulated a diverse array of materials related to activities of collecting, storage, research, and exhibitions. These extensive archives not only document the history of the museum itself but also provide essential insight into the importance of museums within modern Japanese history. Since 2021, the Kyoto National Museum has undertaken the project of identifying and organizing “historical museum materials” from among its holdings. This exhibition introduces some of these materials as it looks back over the museum’s 130-year history. This exhibition is supported by Kakenhi Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research JP21H03778 from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

Collection Records of the Kyoto Museum
Kyoto National Museum

In the face of wars, climate change, infectious diseases, and other challenges, there is a growing movement to reuse and take care of material goods as a means of social sustainability. In times past when most textiles were made by hand, second-hand garments were in regular circulation, and damaged clothing was promptly repurposed for other uses. In one sense, this practice of reuse was driven by the recognized value of textiles as a commodity. However, there was another motivation for repurposing textiles, stemming from attachment to and reverence for the individuals who wore the garments. This exhibition will consider various textiles from the perspective of reuse.

Buddhist Banner Made from Kosode (Kimono) with Camellia
Kyoto National Museum

For over 400 years, the three provinces of Bizen, Bicchū, and Bingo—collectively known as Kibi—flourished as an advanced center for sword smithing. The region’s prosperity is rooted in the abundant iron resources of the Chugoku Mountains, as reflected in a poem from the Kokin wakashū (Collected Japanese Poems of Ancient and Modern Times): “In Kibi, where true gold flows [a reference to the iron used in swords], the sound of the Hosoda River in the mountains is clear.” This exhibition introduces a number of famous swords from the Kibi region, primarily from the collection of the Kyoto National Museum.

Important Cultural Property
Tachi (Slung Sword) Blade
Inscription: “Sanemitsu of [the] Osafune [School] in Bizen Province”
Kyoto National Museum

Ceramics are prized not only for their beauty but also for their uses as dishes and in other quotidian functions. East Asian ceramics have a particularly wide range of patterns, forms, colors, and applications. They can incorporate vastly different materials and techniques, resulting in wares as diverse as earthenware or porcelain, with distinguishing characteristics deriving from the types of clay, the glazes, the décor, and the firing techniques employed at the site of their production. This gallery features a variety of ceramics from Japan, China, and the Korean Peninsula, pieces exemplifying the distinctive qualities and assets of each kiln site.

Important Cultural Property
Decorative Nail Covers
Attributed to Nonomura Ninsei
Kyoto National Museum

This exhibition features works relating to the powerful aristocratic regent Fujiwara no Michinaga (966–1028) and his eldest daughter Empress Fujiwara no Shōshi (988–1074), which have survived from the Heian period (794–1185).
In 1007, the fourth year of the Kankō era, Michinaga buried a cylindrical gilt bronze sutra container (now a National Treasure) in the Kinpusen mountains of Yoshino, Nara. Shōshi later dedicated a sutra case plated in gold and silver (also a National Treasure) at the Nyohōdo Hall of Yokawa, Mount Hiei, in the year 1031.
This prominent father and daughter pair is closely associated with Murasaki Shikibu (c. 973–c. 1031), author of the literary classic The Tale of Genji, who served as a lady-in-waiting under Shōshi. At the time, it was popular to bury scriptures such as the Lotus Sutra in anticipation of the Bodhisattva Miroku (Maitreya)’s Buddhahood in the distant future.
This exhibition introduces objects excavated from sutra mounds dating from the eleventh and twelfth centuries, encapsulating the spirit of Heian-period prayers.

Important Cultural Property
Sutra Container
Excavated from Hanase Bessho Sutra Mound, Kyoto
Agency for Cultural Affairs

Engi-e are paintings that explore the legendary origins and miraculous events associated with specific temples and shrines. This exhibition presents engi-e handscrolls relating to Kyoto temples that were created in the Edo period (1615–1868). During this time, Buddhist sects underwent structural shifts due to the religious policies of the shogunate. The “benevolent rule” of the day promoted scholarship, so monks deepened their studies of religious doctrines, cultivated interests in religious and temple history, and compiled historical books and biographies of temple founders.
As industry and the economy developed in the Kansai region (Osaka and Kyoto) during the late seventeenth century, talented artists produced numerous handscrolls vividly depicting this new urban culture. For the people living during this peaceful era, these vibrant engi-e handscrolls brought the enduring history of temples to life.

Legends of Jūzen-ji Temple
By Yamamoto Soken
Jūzen-ji Temple, Kyoto

The historical Buddha Shakyamuni is said to have died and entered parinirvana, his “final nirvana,” on the fifteenth day of the second lunar month (March 15th by the Gregorian calendar). Japanese temples continue to hold the Nirvana Assembly (nehan-e) in the present; a painting of the Death of the Buddha typically hangs at this ceremony.
Many Death of the Buddha paintings are oversized—some are so large that they cannot be fully unrolled, even in grand temple halls. Why use such massive dimensions? Perhaps this gave the viewers a more immersive experience akin to a sort of virtual reality. During the Kamakura period (1185–1333), artists were increasingly incorporating new Chinese artistic styles into their Death of the Buddha paintings. These included realistic elements that must have been fascinating to contemporaneous viewers.
The Nirvana Assembly became widespread among many different sects, in part because it revolves around the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. The grand scale and realism of Death of the Buddha paintings such as these may have also contributed to the Nirvana Assembly’s prevalence in Japan.

Death of the Buddha
Kyoto National Museum

Since ancient times, the Zen school of Buddhism has played a leading role within Japan’s ink painting culture. Medieval Zen temples sent numerous monks to the Chinese mainland; the new styles of ink painting they discovered overseas greatly enriched Japanese art. In addition to the classic genres of landscape and bird-and-flower painting, the religious themes of Confucianism, Taoism, and most especially Zen Buddhism became increasingly prominent subjects in Japanese art. Within Zen temples, there was a great demand for figure paintings in ink, which utilized dynamic brushstrokes incorporating variations in line and shading to capture human likenesses. Representations of Zen practitioners, including depictions of the attainment of enlightenment and other Zen anecdotes, also enjoyed considerable popularity. This exhibition introduces various representations of figures associated with Zen Buddhism.

Important Cultural Property
Six Founding Masters of Zen
Inscription by Seikan Sudon
Myōshin-ji Temple, Kyoto

Maruyama Ōkyo (1733–1795) was born into a farming family in Anao village, Tanba province (present-day Kameoka, Kyoto). From a young age, Ōkyo had a strong interest in painting and is said to have become a pupil of the Kano school painter Ishida Yūtei in his mid-teens. He went on to study a wide range of artistic approaches, including Western painting techniques, ancient and modern Chinese painting, and sketching from life, which formed the foundation of his elegant and naturalistic style. Ōkyo’s distinctive works not only enjoyed great popularity during his lifetime—as reflected by the saying, “All paintings in Kyoto are by a single hand”—but also paved the way for the development of modern Japanese painting.

Important Cultural Property
Dragons and Clouds
By Maruyama Ōkyo

In the twenty-second year of the Wanli era (1594), the two painters Ding Yunpeng (1547–1628) and Sheng Maoye (dates unknown) depicted the Five Hundred Arhats, enlightened disciples of the Historical Buddha. They painted twenty-four scrolls, each featuring around twenty-one of the mythical sages. This type of dynamic collaboration between a Buddhist painter and landscape artist in the late Ming dynasty (1368–1644) is particularly rare; recent research has begun to shed light on the background of its creation.
Although this work was brought to Japan as a complete set during the Edo period (1615–1868), the scrolls were separated and scattered. Currently the location of fourteen scrolls has been confirmed, five of which belong to the collection of Kyoto National Museum. This exhibition will explore the enduring allure of this artistic collaboration through the display of eight scrolls.

Five Hundred Arhats
By Ding Yunpeng and Sheng Maoye
Kyoto National Museum

The Heian period (794–1185) was one of the most transformative times within the history of Japanese sculpture. Buddhist statues were carved primarily in the capital city of Kyoto, but they were also produced throughout the provinces. While some statues have been lost due to wars and natural disasters, a great number of Heian Buddhist sculptures have survived to this day. In the latter half of the Heian period, Buddhist sculptures with serene expressions gained popularity in accordance with the tastes of the imperial court and aristocracy. Round faces, reminiscent of a full moon, and gently lowered eyes give such statues a gentle air. This facial expression—distinctive to Japanese sculpture—became known as wayō (“Japanese style”). One of the more prominent sculptors who embraced this style was Jōchō (d. 1057). This exhibition presents works primarily from the second half of the Heian period. We invite you to enjoy the graceful, tranquil forms of these ancient sculptures.

Important Cultural Property
Seated Shakyamuni Buddha
By Keihan and others
Kōzen-ji Temple, Osaka

Since its establishment in 1889, the Kyoto National Museum has accumulated a diverse array of materials related to activities of collecting, storage, research, and exhibitions. These extensive archives not only document the history of the museum itself but also provide essential insight into the importance of museums within modern Japanese history. Since 2021, the Kyoto National Museum has undertaken the project of identifying and organizing “historical museum materials” from among its holdings. This exhibition introduces some of these materials as it looks back over the museum’s 130-year history. This exhibition is supported by Kakenhi Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research JP21H03778 from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

Collection Records of the Kyoto Museum
Kyoto National Museum

In the face of wars, climate change, infectious diseases, and other challenges, there is a growing movement to reuse and take care of material goods as a means of social sustainability. In times past when most textiles were made by hand, second-hand garments were in regular circulation, and damaged clothing was promptly repurposed for other uses. In one sense, this practice of reuse was driven by the recognized value of textiles as a commodity. However, there was another motivation for repurposing textiles, stemming from attachment to and reverence for the individuals who wore the garments. This exhibition will consider various textiles from the perspective of reuse.

Buddhist Banner Made from Kosode (Kimono) with Camellia
Kyoto National Museum

For over 400 years, the three provinces of Bizen, Bicchū, and Bingo—collectively known as Kibi—flourished as an advanced center for sword smithing. The region’s prosperity is rooted in the abundant iron resources of the Chugoku Mountains, as reflected in a poem from the Kokin wakashū (Collected Japanese Poems of Ancient and Modern Times): “In Kibi, where true gold flows [a reference to the iron used in swords], the sound of the Hosoda River in the mountains is clear.” This exhibition introduces a number of famous swords from the Kibi region, primarily from the collection of the Kyoto National Museum.

Important Cultural Property
Tachi (Slung Sword) Blade
Inscription: “Sanemitsu of [the] Osafune [School] in Bizen Province”
Kyoto National Museum

Ceramics are prized not only for their beauty but also for their uses as dishes and in other quotidian functions. East Asian ceramics have a particularly wide range of patterns, forms, colors, and applications. They can incorporate vastly different materials and techniques, resulting in wares as diverse as earthenware or porcelain, with distinguishing characteristics deriving from the types of clay, the glazes, the décor, and the firing techniques employed at the site of their production. This gallery features a variety of ceramics from Japan, China, and the Korean Peninsula, pieces exemplifying the distinctive qualities and assets of each kiln site.

Important Cultural Property
Decorative Nail Covers
Attributed to Nonomura Ninsei
Kyoto National Museum

This exhibition features works relating to the powerful aristocratic regent Fujiwara no Michinaga (966–1028) and his eldest daughter Empress Fujiwara no Shōshi (988–1074), which have survived from the Heian period (794–1185).
In 1007, the fourth year of the Kankō era, Michinaga buried a cylindrical gilt bronze sutra container (now a National Treasure) in the Kinpusen mountains of Yoshino, Nara. Shōshi later dedicated a sutra case plated in gold and silver (also a National Treasure) at the Nyohōdo Hall of Yokawa, Mount Hiei, in the year 1031.
This prominent father and daughter pair is closely associated with Murasaki Shikibu (c. 973–c. 1031), author of the literary classic The Tale of Genji, who served as a lady-in-waiting under Shōshi. At the time, it was popular to bury scriptures such as the Lotus Sutra in anticipation of the Bodhisattva Miroku (Maitreya)’s Buddhahood in the distant future.
This exhibition introduces objects excavated from sutra mounds dating from the eleventh and twelfth centuries, encapsulating the spirit of Heian-period prayers.

Important Cultural Property
Sutra Container
Excavated from Hanase Bessho Sutra Mound, Kyoto
Agency for Cultural Affairs

Engi-e are paintings that explore the legendary origins and miraculous events associated with specific temples and shrines. This exhibition presents engi-e handscrolls relating to Kyoto temples that were created in the Edo period (1615–1868). During this time, Buddhist sects underwent structural shifts due to the religious policies of the shogunate. The “benevolent rule” of the day promoted scholarship, so monks deepened their studies of religious doctrines, cultivated interests in religious and temple history, and compiled historical books and biographies of temple founders.
As industry and the economy developed in the Kansai region (Osaka and Kyoto) during the late seventeenth century, talented artists produced numerous handscrolls vividly depicting this new urban culture. For the people living during this peaceful era, these vibrant engi-e handscrolls brought the enduring history of temples to life.

Legends of Jūzen-ji Temple
By Yamamoto Soken
Jūzen-ji Temple, Kyoto

The historical Buddha Shakyamuni is said to have died and entered parinirvana, his “final nirvana,” on the fifteenth day of the second lunar month (March 15th by the Gregorian calendar). Japanese temples continue to hold the Nirvana Assembly (nehan-e) in the present; a painting of the Death of the Buddha typically hangs at this ceremony.
Many Death of the Buddha paintings are oversized—some are so large that they cannot be fully unrolled, even in grand temple halls. Why use such massive dimensions? Perhaps this gave the viewers a more immersive experience akin to a sort of virtual reality. During the Kamakura period (1185–1333), artists were increasingly incorporating new Chinese artistic styles into their Death of the Buddha paintings. These included realistic elements that must have been fascinating to contemporaneous viewers.
The Nirvana Assembly became widespread among many different sects, in part because it revolves around the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. The grand scale and realism of Death of the Buddha paintings such as these may have also contributed to the Nirvana Assembly’s prevalence in Japan.

Death of the Buddha
Kyoto National Museum

Since ancient times, the Zen school of Buddhism has played a leading role within Japan’s ink painting culture. Medieval Zen temples sent numerous monks to the Chinese mainland; the new styles of ink painting they discovered overseas greatly enriched Japanese art. In addition to the classic genres of landscape and bird-and-flower painting, the religious themes of Confucianism, Taoism, and most especially Zen Buddhism became increasingly prominent subjects in Japanese art. Within Zen temples, there was a great demand for figure paintings in ink, which utilized dynamic brushstrokes incorporating variations in line and shading to capture human likenesses. Representations of Zen practitioners, including depictions of the attainment of enlightenment and other Zen anecdotes, also enjoyed considerable popularity. This exhibition introduces various representations of figures associated with Zen Buddhism.

Important Cultural Property
Six Founding Masters of Zen
Inscription by Seikan Sudon
Myōshin-ji Temple, Kyoto

Maruyama Ōkyo (1733–1795) was born into a farming family in Anao village, Tanba province (present-day Kameoka, Kyoto). From a young age, Ōkyo had a strong interest in painting and is said to have become a pupil of the Kano school painter Ishida Yūtei in his mid-teens. He went on to study a wide range of artistic approaches, including Western painting techniques, ancient and modern Chinese painting, and sketching from life, which formed the foundation of his elegant and naturalistic style. Ōkyo’s distinctive works not only enjoyed great popularity during his lifetime—as reflected by the saying, “All paintings in Kyoto are by a single hand”—but also paved the way for the development of modern Japanese painting.

Important Cultural Property
Dragons and Clouds
By Maruyama Ōkyo

In the twenty-second year of the Wanli era (1594), the two painters Ding Yunpeng (1547–1628) and Sheng Maoye (dates unknown) depicted the Five Hundred Arhats, enlightened disciples of the Historical Buddha. They painted twenty-four scrolls, each featuring around twenty-one of the mythical sages. This type of dynamic collaboration between a Buddhist painter and landscape artist in the late Ming dynasty (1368–1644) is particularly rare; recent research has begun to shed light on the background of its creation.
Although this work was brought to Japan as a complete set during the Edo period (1615–1868), the scrolls were separated and scattered. Currently the location of fourteen scrolls has been confirmed, five of which belong to the collection of Kyoto National Museum. This exhibition will explore the enduring allure of this artistic collaboration through the display of eight scrolls.

Five Hundred Arhats
By Ding Yunpeng and Sheng Maoye
Kyoto National Museum

The Heian period (794–1185) was one of the most transformative times within the history of Japanese sculpture. Buddhist statues were carved primarily in the capital city of Kyoto, but they were also produced throughout the provinces. While some statues have been lost due to wars and natural disasters, a great number of Heian Buddhist sculptures have survived to this day. In the latter half of the Heian period, Buddhist sculptures with serene expressions gained popularity in accordance with the tastes of the imperial court and aristocracy. Round faces, reminiscent of a full moon, and gently lowered eyes give such statues a gentle air. This facial expression—distinctive to Japanese sculpture—became known as wayō (“Japanese style”). One of the more prominent sculptors who embraced this style was Jōchō (d. 1057). This exhibition presents works primarily from the second half of the Heian period. We invite you to enjoy the graceful, tranquil forms of these ancient sculptures.

Important Cultural Property
Seated Shakyamuni Buddha
By Keihan and others
Kōzen-ji Temple, Osaka

Since its establishment in 1889, the Kyoto National Museum has accumulated a diverse array of materials related to activities of collecting, storage, research, and exhibitions. These extensive archives not only document the history of the museum itself but also provide essential insight into the importance of museums within modern Japanese history. Since 2021, the Kyoto National Museum has undertaken the project of identifying and organizing “historical museum materials” from among its holdings. This exhibition introduces some of these materials as it looks back over the museum’s 130-year history. This exhibition is supported by Kakenhi Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research JP21H03778 from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

Collection Records of the Kyoto Museum
Kyoto National Museum

In the face of wars, climate change, infectious diseases, and other challenges, there is a growing movement to reuse and take care of material goods as a means of social sustainability. In times past when most textiles were made by hand, second-hand garments were in regular circulation, and damaged clothing was promptly repurposed for other uses. In one sense, this practice of reuse was driven by the recognized value of textiles as a commodity. However, there was another motivation for repurposing textiles, stemming from attachment to and reverence for the individuals who wore the garments. This exhibition will consider various textiles from the perspective of reuse.

Buddhist Banner Made from Kosode (Kimono) with Camellia
Kyoto National Museum

For over 400 years, the three provinces of Bizen, Bicchū, and Bingo—collectively known as Kibi—flourished as an advanced center for sword smithing. The region’s prosperity is rooted in the abundant iron resources of the Chugoku Mountains, as reflected in a poem from the Kokin wakashū (Collected Japanese Poems of Ancient and Modern Times): “In Kibi, where true gold flows [a reference to the iron used in swords], the sound of the Hosoda River in the mountains is clear.” This exhibition introduces a number of famous swords from the Kibi region, primarily from the collection of the Kyoto National Museum.

Important Cultural Property
Tachi (Slung Sword) Blade
Inscription: “Sanemitsu of [the] Osafune [School] in Bizen Province”
Kyoto National Museum

Ceramics are prized not only for their beauty but also for their uses as dishes and in other quotidian functions. East Asian ceramics have a particularly wide range of patterns, forms, colors, and applications. They can incorporate vastly different materials and techniques, resulting in wares as diverse as earthenware or porcelain, with distinguishing characteristics deriving from the types of clay, the glazes, the décor, and the firing techniques employed at the site of their production. This gallery features a variety of ceramics from Japan, China, and the Korean Peninsula, pieces exemplifying the distinctive qualities and assets of each kiln site.

Important Cultural Property
Decorative Nail Covers
Attributed to Nonomura Ninsei
Kyoto National Museum

This exhibition features works relating to the powerful aristocratic regent Fujiwara no Michinaga (966–1028) and his eldest daughter Empress Fujiwara no Shōshi (988–1074), which have survived from the Heian period (794–1185).
In 1007, the fourth year of the Kankō era, Michinaga buried a cylindrical gilt bronze sutra container (now a National Treasure) in the Kinpusen mountains of Yoshino, Nara. Shōshi later dedicated a sutra case plated in gold and silver (also a National Treasure) at the Nyohōdo Hall of Yokawa, Mount Hiei, in the year 1031.
This prominent father and daughter pair is closely associated with Murasaki Shikibu (c. 973–c. 1031), author of the literary classic The Tale of Genji, who served as a lady-in-waiting under Shōshi. At the time, it was popular to bury scriptures such as the Lotus Sutra in anticipation of the Bodhisattva Miroku (Maitreya)’s Buddhahood in the distant future.
This exhibition introduces objects excavated from sutra mounds dating from the eleventh and twelfth centuries, encapsulating the spirit of Heian-period prayers.

Important Cultural Property
Sutra Container
Excavated from Hanase Bessho Sutra Mound, Kyoto
Agency for Cultural Affairs

Engi-e are paintings that explore the legendary origins and miraculous events associated with specific temples and shrines. This exhibition presents engi-e handscrolls relating to Kyoto temples that were created in the Edo period (1615–1868). During this time, Buddhist sects underwent structural shifts due to the religious policies of the shogunate. The “benevolent rule” of the day promoted scholarship, so monks deepened their studies of religious doctrines, cultivated interests in religious and temple history, and compiled historical books and biographies of temple founders.
As industry and the economy developed in the Kansai region (Osaka and Kyoto) during the late seventeenth century, talented artists produced numerous handscrolls vividly depicting this new urban culture. For the people living during this peaceful era, these vibrant engi-e handscrolls brought the enduring history of temples to life.

Legends of Jūzen-ji Temple
By Yamamoto Soken
Jūzen-ji Temple, Kyoto

The historical Buddha Shakyamuni is said to have died and entered parinirvana, his “final nirvana,” on the fifteenth day of the second lunar month (March 15th by the Gregorian calendar). Japanese temples continue to hold the Nirvana Assembly (nehan-e) in the present; a painting of the Death of the Buddha typically hangs at this ceremony.
Many Death of the Buddha paintings are oversized—some are so large that they cannot be fully unrolled, even in grand temple halls. Why use such massive dimensions? Perhaps this gave the viewers a more immersive experience akin to a sort of virtual reality. During the Kamakura period (1185–1333), artists were increasingly incorporating new Chinese artistic styles into their Death of the Buddha paintings. These included realistic elements that must have been fascinating to contemporaneous viewers.
The Nirvana Assembly became widespread among many different sects, in part because it revolves around the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. The grand scale and realism of Death of the Buddha paintings such as these may have also contributed to the Nirvana Assembly’s prevalence in Japan.

Death of the Buddha
Kyoto National Museum

Since ancient times, the Zen school of Buddhism has played a leading role within Japan’s ink painting culture. Medieval Zen temples sent numerous monks to the Chinese mainland; the new styles of ink painting they discovered overseas greatly enriched Japanese art. In addition to the classic genres of landscape and bird-and-flower painting, the religious themes of Confucianism, Taoism, and most especially Zen Buddhism became increasingly prominent subjects in Japanese art. Within Zen temples, there was a great demand for figure paintings in ink, which utilized dynamic brushstrokes incorporating variations in line and shading to capture human likenesses. Representations of Zen practitioners, including depictions of the attainment of enlightenment and other Zen anecdotes, also enjoyed considerable popularity. This exhibition introduces various representations of figures associated with Zen Buddhism.

Important Cultural Property
Six Founding Masters of Zen
Inscription by Seikan Sudon
Myōshin-ji Temple, Kyoto

Maruyama Ōkyo (1733–1795) was born into a farming family in Anao village, Tanba province (present-day Kameoka, Kyoto). From a young age, Ōkyo had a strong interest in painting and is said to have become a pupil of the Kano school painter Ishida Yūtei in his mid-teens. He went on to study a wide range of artistic approaches, including Western painting techniques, ancient and modern Chinese painting, and sketching from life, which formed the foundation of his elegant and naturalistic style. Ōkyo’s distinctive works not only enjoyed great popularity during his lifetime—as reflected by the saying, “All paintings in Kyoto are by a single hand”—but also paved the way for the development of modern Japanese painting.

Important Cultural Property
Dragons and Clouds
By Maruyama Ōkyo

In the twenty-second year of the Wanli era (1594), the two painters Ding Yunpeng (1547–1628) and Sheng Maoye (dates unknown) depicted the Five Hundred Arhats, enlightened disciples of the Historical Buddha. They painted twenty-four scrolls, each featuring around twenty-one of the mythical sages. This type of dynamic collaboration between a Buddhist painter and landscape artist in the late Ming dynasty (1368–1644) is particularly rare; recent research has begun to shed light on the background of its creation.
Although this work was brought to Japan as a complete set during the Edo period (1615–1868), the scrolls were separated and scattered. Currently the location of fourteen scrolls has been confirmed, five of which belong to the collection of Kyoto National Museum. This exhibition will explore the enduring allure of this artistic collaboration through the display of eight scrolls.

Five Hundred Arhats
By Ding Yunpeng and Sheng Maoye
Kyoto National Museum

The Heian period (794–1185) was one of the most transformative times within the history of Japanese sculpture. Buddhist statues were carved primarily in the capital city of Kyoto, but they were also produced throughout the provinces. While some statues have been lost due to wars and natural disasters, a great number of Heian Buddhist sculptures have survived to this day. In the latter half of the Heian period, Buddhist sculptures with serene expressions gained popularity in accordance with the tastes of the imperial court and aristocracy. Round faces, reminiscent of a full moon, and gently lowered eyes give such statues a gentle air. This facial expression—distinctive to Japanese sculpture—became known as wayō (“Japanese style”). One of the more prominent sculptors who embraced this style was Jōchō (d. 1057). This exhibition presents works primarily from the second half of the Heian period. We invite you to enjoy the graceful, tranquil forms of these ancient sculptures.

Important Cultural Property
Seated Shakyamuni Buddha
By Keihan and others
Kōzen-ji Temple, Osaka

Since its establishment in 1889, the Kyoto National Museum has accumulated a diverse array of materials related to activities of collecting, storage, research, and exhibitions. These extensive archives not only document the history of the museum itself but also provide essential insight into the importance of museums within modern Japanese history. Since 2021, the Kyoto National Museum has undertaken the project of identifying and organizing “historical museum materials” from among its holdings. This exhibition introduces some of these materials as it looks back over the museum’s 130-year history. This exhibition is supported by Kakenhi Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research JP21H03778 from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

Collection Records of the Kyoto Museum
Kyoto National Museum

In the face of wars, climate change, infectious diseases, and other challenges, there is a growing movement to reuse and take care of material goods as a means of social sustainability. In times past when most textiles were made by hand, second-hand garments were in regular circulation, and damaged clothing was promptly repurposed for other uses. In one sense, this practice of reuse was driven by the recognized value of textiles as a commodity. However, there was another motivation for repurposing textiles, stemming from attachment to and reverence for the individuals who wore the garments. This exhibition will consider various textiles from the perspective of reuse.

Buddhist Banner Made from Kosode (Kimono) with Camellia
Kyoto National Museum

For over 400 years, the three provinces of Bizen, Bicchū, and Bingo—collectively known as Kibi—flourished as an advanced center for sword smithing. The region’s prosperity is rooted in the abundant iron resources of the Chugoku Mountains, as reflected in a poem from the Kokin wakashū (Collected Japanese Poems of Ancient and Modern Times): “In Kibi, where true gold flows [a reference to the iron used in swords], the sound of the Hosoda River in the mountains is clear.” This exhibition introduces a number of famous swords from the Kibi region, primarily from the collection of the Kyoto National Museum.

Important Cultural Property
Tachi (Slung Sword) Blade
Inscription: “Sanemitsu of [the] Osafune [School] in Bizen Province”
Kyoto National Museum

Ceramics are prized not only for their beauty but also for their uses as dishes and in other quotidian functions. East Asian ceramics have a particularly wide range of patterns, forms, colors, and applications. They can incorporate vastly different materials and techniques, resulting in wares as diverse as earthenware or porcelain, with distinguishing characteristics deriving from the types of clay, the glazes, the décor, and the firing techniques employed at the site of their production. This gallery features a variety of ceramics from Japan, China, and the Korean Peninsula, pieces exemplifying the distinctive qualities and assets of each kiln site.

Important Cultural Property
Decorative Nail Covers
Attributed to Nonomura Ninsei
Kyoto National Museum

This exhibition features works relating to the powerful aristocratic regent Fujiwara no Michinaga (966–1028) and his eldest daughter Empress Fujiwara no Shōshi (988–1074), which have survived from the Heian period (794–1185).
In 1007, the fourth year of the Kankō era, Michinaga buried a cylindrical gilt bronze sutra container (now a National Treasure) in the Kinpusen mountains of Yoshino, Nara. Shōshi later dedicated a sutra case plated in gold and silver (also a National Treasure) at the Nyohōdo Hall of Yokawa, Mount Hiei, in the year 1031.
This prominent father and daughter pair is closely associated with Murasaki Shikibu (c. 973–c. 1031), author of the literary classic The Tale of Genji, who served as a lady-in-waiting under Shōshi. At the time, it was popular to bury scriptures such as the Lotus Sutra in anticipation of the Bodhisattva Miroku (Maitreya)’s Buddhahood in the distant future.
This exhibition introduces objects excavated from sutra mounds dating from the eleventh and twelfth centuries, encapsulating the spirit of Heian-period prayers.

Important Cultural Property
Sutra Container
Excavated from Hanase Bessho Sutra Mound, Kyoto
Agency for Cultural Affairs

Engi-e are paintings that explore the legendary origins and miraculous events associated with specific temples and shrines. This exhibition presents engi-e handscrolls relating to Kyoto temples that were created in the Edo period (1615–1868). During this time, Buddhist sects underwent structural shifts due to the religious policies of the shogunate. The “benevolent rule” of the day promoted scholarship, so monks deepened their studies of religious doctrines, cultivated interests in religious and temple history, and compiled historical books and biographies of temple founders.
As industry and the economy developed in the Kansai region (Osaka and Kyoto) during the late seventeenth century, talented artists produced numerous handscrolls vividly depicting this new urban culture. For the people living during this peaceful era, these vibrant engi-e handscrolls brought the enduring history of temples to life.

Legends of Jūzen-ji Temple
By Yamamoto Soken
Jūzen-ji Temple, Kyoto

The historical Buddha Shakyamuni is said to have died and entered parinirvana, his “final nirvana,” on the fifteenth day of the second lunar month (March 15th by the Gregorian calendar). Japanese temples continue to hold the Nirvana Assembly (nehan-e) in the present; a painting of the Death of the Buddha typically hangs at this ceremony.
Many Death of the Buddha paintings are oversized—some are so large that they cannot be fully unrolled, even in grand temple halls. Why use such massive dimensions? Perhaps this gave the viewers a more immersive experience akin to a sort of virtual reality. During the Kamakura period (1185–1333), artists were increasingly incorporating new Chinese artistic styles into their Death of the Buddha paintings. These included realistic elements that must have been fascinating to contemporaneous viewers.
The Nirvana Assembly became widespread among many different sects, in part because it revolves around the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. The grand scale and realism of Death of the Buddha paintings such as these may have also contributed to the Nirvana Assembly’s prevalence in Japan.

Death of the Buddha
Kyoto National Museum

Since ancient times, the Zen school of Buddhism has played a leading role within Japan’s ink painting culture. Medieval Zen temples sent numerous monks to the Chinese mainland; the new styles of ink painting they discovered overseas greatly enriched Japanese art. In addition to the classic genres of landscape and bird-and-flower painting, the religious themes of Confucianism, Taoism, and most especially Zen Buddhism became increasingly prominent subjects in Japanese art. Within Zen temples, there was a great demand for figure paintings in ink, which utilized dynamic brushstrokes incorporating variations in line and shading to capture human likenesses. Representations of Zen practitioners, including depictions of the attainment of enlightenment and other Zen anecdotes, also enjoyed considerable popularity. This exhibition introduces various representations of figures associated with Zen Buddhism.

Important Cultural Property
Six Founding Masters of Zen
Inscription by Seikan Sudon
Myōshin-ji Temple, Kyoto

Maruyama Ōkyo (1733–1795) was born into a farming family in Anao village, Tanba province (present-day Kameoka, Kyoto). From a young age, Ōkyo had a strong interest in painting and is said to have become a pupil of the Kano school painter Ishida Yūtei in his mid-teens. He went on to study a wide range of artistic approaches, including Western painting techniques, ancient and modern Chinese painting, and sketching from life, which formed the foundation of his elegant and naturalistic style. Ōkyo’s distinctive works not only enjoyed great popularity during his lifetime—as reflected by the saying, “All paintings in Kyoto are by a single hand”—but also paved the way for the development of modern Japanese painting.

Important Cultural Property
Dragons and Clouds
By Maruyama Ōkyo

In the twenty-second year of the Wanli era (1594), the two painters Ding Yunpeng (1547–1628) and Sheng Maoye (dates unknown) depicted the Five Hundred Arhats, enlightened disciples of the Historical Buddha. They painted twenty-four scrolls, each featuring around twenty-one of the mythical sages. This type of dynamic collaboration between a Buddhist painter and landscape artist in the late Ming dynasty (1368–1644) is particularly rare; recent research has begun to shed light on the background of its creation.
Although this work was brought to Japan as a complete set during the Edo period (1615–1868), the scrolls were separated and scattered. Currently the location of fourteen scrolls has been confirmed, five of which belong to the collection of Kyoto National Museum. This exhibition will explore the enduring allure of this artistic collaboration through the display of eight scrolls.

Five Hundred Arhats
By Ding Yunpeng and Sheng Maoye
Kyoto National Museum

The Heian period (794–1185) was one of the most transformative times within the history of Japanese sculpture. Buddhist statues were carved primarily in the capital city of Kyoto, but they were also produced throughout the provinces. While some statues have been lost due to wars and natural disasters, a great number of Heian Buddhist sculptures have survived to this day. In the latter half of the Heian period, Buddhist sculptures with serene expressions gained popularity in accordance with the tastes of the imperial court and aristocracy. Round faces, reminiscent of a full moon, and gently lowered eyes give such statues a gentle air. This facial expression—distinctive to Japanese sculpture—became known as wayō (“Japanese style”). One of the more prominent sculptors who embraced this style was Jōchō (d. 1057). This exhibition presents works primarily from the second half of the Heian period. We invite you to enjoy the graceful, tranquil forms of these ancient sculptures.

Important Cultural Property
Seated Shakyamuni Buddha
By Keihan and others
Kōzen-ji Temple, Osaka

Since its establishment in 1889, the Kyoto National Museum has accumulated a diverse array of materials related to activities of collecting, storage, research, and exhibitions. These extensive archives not only document the history of the museum itself but also provide essential insight into the importance of museums within modern Japanese history. Since 2021, the Kyoto National Museum has undertaken the project of identifying and organizing “historical museum materials” from among its holdings. This exhibition introduces some of these materials as it looks back over the museum’s 130-year history. This exhibition is supported by Kakenhi Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research JP21H03778 from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

Collection Records of the Kyoto Museum
Kyoto National Museum

In the face of wars, climate change, infectious diseases, and other challenges, there is a growing movement to reuse and take care of material goods as a means of social sustainability. In times past when most textiles were made by hand, second-hand garments were in regular circulation, and damaged clothing was promptly repurposed for other uses. In one sense, this practice of reuse was driven by the recognized value of textiles as a commodity. However, there was another motivation for repurposing textiles, stemming from attachment to and reverence for the individuals who wore the garments. This exhibition will consider various textiles from the perspective of reuse.

Buddhist Banner Made from Kosode (Kimono) with Camellia
Kyoto National Museum

For over 400 years, the three provinces of Bizen, Bicchū, and Bingo—collectively known as Kibi—flourished as an advanced center for sword smithing. The region’s prosperity is rooted in the abundant iron resources of the Chugoku Mountains, as reflected in a poem from the Kokin wakashū (Collected Japanese Poems of Ancient and Modern Times): “In Kibi, where true gold flows [a reference to the iron used in swords], the sound of the Hosoda River in the mountains is clear.” This exhibition introduces a number of famous swords from the Kibi region, primarily from the collection of the Kyoto National Museum.

Important Cultural Property
Tachi (Slung Sword) Blade
Inscription: “Sanemitsu of [the] Osafune [School] in Bizen Province”
Kyoto National Museum

Ceramics are prized not only for their beauty but also for their uses as dishes and in other quotidian functions. East Asian ceramics have a particularly wide range of patterns, forms, colors, and applications. They can incorporate vastly different materials and techniques, resulting in wares as diverse as earthenware or porcelain, with distinguishing characteristics deriving from the types of clay, the glazes, the décor, and the firing techniques employed at the site of their production. This gallery features a variety of ceramics from Japan, China, and the Korean Peninsula, pieces exemplifying the distinctive qualities and assets of each kiln site.

Important Cultural Property
Decorative Nail Covers
Attributed to Nonomura Ninsei
Kyoto National Museum

This exhibition features works relating to the powerful aristocratic regent Fujiwara no Michinaga (966–1028) and his eldest daughter Empress Fujiwara no Shōshi (988–1074), which have survived from the Heian period (794–1185).
In 1007, the fourth year of the Kankō era, Michinaga buried a cylindrical gilt bronze sutra container (now a National Treasure) in the Kinpusen mountains of Yoshino, Nara. Shōshi later dedicated a sutra case plated in gold and silver (also a National Treasure) at the Nyohōdo Hall of Yokawa, Mount Hiei, in the year 1031.
This prominent father and daughter pair is closely associated with Murasaki Shikibu (c. 973–c. 1031), author of the literary classic The Tale of Genji, who served as a lady-in-waiting under Shōshi. At the time, it was popular to bury scriptures such as the Lotus Sutra in anticipation of the Bodhisattva Miroku (Maitreya)’s Buddhahood in the distant future.
This exhibition introduces objects excavated from sutra mounds dating from the eleventh and twelfth centuries, encapsulating the spirit of Heian-period prayers.

Important Cultural Property
Sutra Container
Excavated from Hanase Bessho Sutra Mound, Kyoto
Agency for Cultural Affairs

Engi-e are paintings that explore the legendary origins and miraculous events associated with specific temples and shrines. This exhibition presents engi-e handscrolls relating to Kyoto temples that were created in the Edo period (1615–1868). During this time, Buddhist sects underwent structural shifts due to the religious policies of the shogunate. The “benevolent rule” of the day promoted scholarship, so monks deepened their studies of religious doctrines, cultivated interests in religious and temple history, and compiled historical books and biographies of temple founders.
As industry and the economy developed in the Kansai region (Osaka and Kyoto) during the late seventeenth century, talented artists produced numerous handscrolls vividly depicting this new urban culture. For the people living during this peaceful era, these vibrant engi-e handscrolls brought the enduring history of temples to life.

Legends of Jūzen-ji Temple
By Yamamoto Soken
Jūzen-ji Temple, Kyoto

The historical Buddha Shakyamuni is said to have died and entered parinirvana, his “final nirvana,” on the fifteenth day of the second lunar month (March 15th by the Gregorian calendar). Japanese temples continue to hold the Nirvana Assembly (nehan-e) in the present; a painting of the Death of the Buddha typically hangs at this ceremony.
Many Death of the Buddha paintings are oversized—some are so large that they cannot be fully unrolled, even in grand temple halls. Why use such massive dimensions? Perhaps this gave the viewers a more immersive experience akin to a sort of virtual reality. During the Kamakura period (1185–1333), artists were increasingly incorporating new Chinese artistic styles into their Death of the Buddha paintings. These included realistic elements that must have been fascinating to contemporaneous viewers.
The Nirvana Assembly became widespread among many different sects, in part because it revolves around the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. The grand scale and realism of Death of the Buddha paintings such as these may have also contributed to the Nirvana Assembly’s prevalence in Japan.

Death of the Buddha
Kyoto National Museum

Since ancient times, the Zen school of Buddhism has played a leading role within Japan’s ink painting culture. Medieval Zen temples sent numerous monks to the Chinese mainland; the new styles of ink painting they discovered overseas greatly enriched Japanese art. In addition to the classic genres of landscape and bird-and-flower painting, the religious themes of Confucianism, Taoism, and most especially Zen Buddhism became increasingly prominent subjects in Japanese art. Within Zen temples, there was a great demand for figure paintings in ink, which utilized dynamic brushstrokes incorporating variations in line and shading to capture human likenesses. Representations of Zen practitioners, including depictions of the attainment of enlightenment and other Zen anecdotes, also enjoyed considerable popularity. This exhibition introduces various representations of figures associated with Zen Buddhism.

Important Cultural Property
Six Founding Masters of Zen
Inscription by Seikan Sudon
Myōshin-ji Temple, Kyoto

Maruyama Ōkyo (1733–1795) was born into a farming family in Anao village, Tanba province (present-day Kameoka, Kyoto). From a young age, Ōkyo had a strong interest in painting and is said to have become a pupil of the Kano school painter Ishida Yūtei in his mid-teens. He went on to study a wide range of artistic approaches, including Western painting techniques, ancient and modern Chinese painting, and sketching from life, which formed the foundation of his elegant and naturalistic style. Ōkyo’s distinctive works not only enjoyed great popularity during his lifetime—as reflected by the saying, “All paintings in Kyoto are by a single hand”—but also paved the way for the development of modern Japanese painting.

Important Cultural Property
Dragons and Clouds
By Maruyama Ōkyo

In the twenty-second year of the Wanli era (1594), the two painters Ding Yunpeng (1547–1628) and Sheng Maoye (dates unknown) depicted the Five Hundred Arhats, enlightened disciples of the Historical Buddha. They painted twenty-four scrolls, each featuring around twenty-one of the mythical sages. This type of dynamic collaboration between a Buddhist painter and landscape artist in the late Ming dynasty (1368–1644) is particularly rare; recent research has begun to shed light on the background of its creation.
Although this work was brought to Japan as a complete set during the Edo period (1615–1868), the scrolls were separated and scattered. Currently the location of fourteen scrolls has been confirmed, five of which belong to the collection of Kyoto National Museum. This exhibition will explore the enduring allure of this artistic collaboration through the display of eight scrolls.

Five Hundred Arhats
By Ding Yunpeng and Sheng Maoye
Kyoto National Museum

The Heian period (794–1185) was one of the most transformative times within the history of Japanese sculpture. Buddhist statues were carved primarily in the capital city of Kyoto, but they were also produced throughout the provinces. While some statues have been lost due to wars and natural disasters, a great number of Heian Buddhist sculptures have survived to this day. In the latter half of the Heian period, Buddhist sculptures with serene expressions gained popularity in accordance with the tastes of the imperial court and aristocracy. Round faces, reminiscent of a full moon, and gently lowered eyes give such statues a gentle air. This facial expression—distinctive to Japanese sculpture—became known as wayō (“Japanese style”). One of the more prominent sculptors who embraced this style was Jōchō (d. 1057). This exhibition presents works primarily from the second half of the Heian period. We invite you to enjoy the graceful, tranquil forms of these ancient sculptures.

Important Cultural Property
Seated Shakyamuni Buddha
By Keihan and others
Kōzen-ji Temple, Osaka

Since its establishment in 1889, the Kyoto National Museum has accumulated a diverse array of materials related to activities of collecting, storage, research, and exhibitions. These extensive archives not only document the history of the museum itself but also provide essential insight into the importance of museums within modern Japanese history. Since 2021, the Kyoto National Museum has undertaken the project of identifying and organizing “historical museum materials” from among its holdings. This exhibition introduces some of these materials as it looks back over the museum’s 130-year history. This exhibition is supported by Kakenhi Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research JP21H03778 from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

Collection Records of the Kyoto Museum
Kyoto National Museum

In the face of wars, climate change, infectious diseases, and other challenges, there is a growing movement to reuse and take care of material goods as a means of social sustainability. In times past when most textiles were made by hand, second-hand garments were in regular circulation, and damaged clothing was promptly repurposed for other uses. In one sense, this practice of reuse was driven by the recognized value of textiles as a commodity. However, there was another motivation for repurposing textiles, stemming from attachment to and reverence for the individuals who wore the garments. This exhibition will consider various textiles from the perspective of reuse.

Buddhist Banner Made from Kosode (Kimono) with Camellia
Kyoto National Museum

For over 400 years, the three provinces of Bizen, Bicchū, and Bingo—collectively known as Kibi—flourished as an advanced center for sword smithing. The region’s prosperity is rooted in the abundant iron resources of the Chugoku Mountains, as reflected in a poem from the Kokin wakashū (Collected Japanese Poems of Ancient and Modern Times): “In Kibi, where true gold flows [a reference to the iron used in swords], the sound of the Hosoda River in the mountains is clear.” This exhibition introduces a number of famous swords from the Kibi region, primarily from the collection of the Kyoto National Museum.

Important Cultural Property
Tachi (Slung Sword) Blade
Inscription: “Sanemitsu of [the] Osafune [School] in Bizen Province”
Kyoto National Museum

Ceramics are prized not only for their beauty but also for their uses as dishes and in other quotidian functions. East Asian ceramics have a particularly wide range of patterns, forms, colors, and applications. They can incorporate vastly different materials and techniques, resulting in wares as diverse as earthenware or porcelain, with distinguishing characteristics deriving from the types of clay, the glazes, the décor, and the firing techniques employed at the site of their production. This gallery features a variety of ceramics from Japan, China, and the Korean Peninsula, pieces exemplifying the distinctive qualities and assets of each kiln site.

Important Cultural Property
Decorative Nail Covers
Attributed to Nonomura Ninsei
Kyoto National Museum

This exhibition features works relating to the powerful aristocratic regent Fujiwara no Michinaga (966–1028) and his eldest daughter Empress Fujiwara no Shōshi (988–1074), which have survived from the Heian period (794–1185).
In 1007, the fourth year of the Kankō era, Michinaga buried a cylindrical gilt bronze sutra container (now a National Treasure) in the Kinpusen mountains of Yoshino, Nara. Shōshi later dedicated a sutra case plated in gold and silver (also a National Treasure) at the Nyohōdo Hall of Yokawa, Mount Hiei, in the year 1031.
This prominent father and daughter pair is closely associated with Murasaki Shikibu (c. 973–c. 1031), author of the literary classic The Tale of Genji, who served as a lady-in-waiting under Shōshi. At the time, it was popular to bury scriptures such as the Lotus Sutra in anticipation of the Bodhisattva Miroku (Maitreya)’s Buddhahood in the distant future.
This exhibition introduces objects excavated from sutra mounds dating from the eleventh and twelfth centuries, encapsulating the spirit of Heian-period prayers.

Important Cultural Property
Sutra Container
Excavated from Hanase Bessho Sutra Mound, Kyoto
Agency for Cultural Affairs

Engi-e are paintings that explore the legendary origins and miraculous events associated with specific temples and shrines. This exhibition presents engi-e handscrolls relating to Kyoto temples that were created in the Edo period (1615–1868). During this time, Buddhist sects underwent structural shifts due to the religious policies of the shogunate. The “benevolent rule” of the day promoted scholarship, so monks deepened their studies of religious doctrines, cultivated interests in religious and temple history, and compiled historical books and biographies of temple founders.
As industry and the economy developed in the Kansai region (Osaka and Kyoto) during the late seventeenth century, talented artists produced numerous handscrolls vividly depicting this new urban culture. For the people living during this peaceful era, these vibrant engi-e handscrolls brought the enduring history of temples to life.

Legends of Jūzen-ji Temple
By Yamamoto Soken
Jūzen-ji Temple, Kyoto

The historical Buddha Shakyamuni is said to have died and entered parinirvana, his “final nirvana,” on the fifteenth day of the second lunar month (March 15th by the Gregorian calendar). Japanese temples continue to hold the Nirvana Assembly (nehan-e) in the present; a painting of the Death of the Buddha typically hangs at this ceremony.
Many Death of the Buddha paintings are oversized—some are so large that they cannot be fully unrolled, even in grand temple halls. Why use such massive dimensions? Perhaps this gave the viewers a more immersive experience akin to a sort of virtual reality. During the Kamakura period (1185–1333), artists were increasingly incorporating new Chinese artistic styles into their Death of the Buddha paintings. These included realistic elements that must have been fascinating to contemporaneous viewers.
The Nirvana Assembly became widespread among many different sects, in part because it revolves around the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. The grand scale and realism of Death of the Buddha paintings such as these may have also contributed to the Nirvana Assembly’s prevalence in Japan.

Death of the Buddha
Kyoto National Museum

Since ancient times, the Zen school of Buddhism has played a leading role within Japan’s ink painting culture. Medieval Zen temples sent numerous monks to the Chinese mainland; the new styles of ink painting they discovered overseas greatly enriched Japanese art. In addition to the classic genres of landscape and bird-and-flower painting, the religious themes of Confucianism, Taoism, and most especially Zen Buddhism became increasingly prominent subjects in Japanese art. Within Zen temples, there was a great demand for figure paintings in ink, which utilized dynamic brushstrokes incorporating variations in line and shading to capture human likenesses. Representations of Zen practitioners, including depictions of the attainment of enlightenment and other Zen anecdotes, also enjoyed considerable popularity. This exhibition introduces various representations of figures associated with Zen Buddhism.

Important Cultural Property
Six Founding Masters of Zen
Inscription by Seikan Sudon
Myōshin-ji Temple, Kyoto

Maruyama Ōkyo (1733–1795) was born into a farming family in Anao village, Tanba province (present-day Kameoka, Kyoto). From a young age, Ōkyo had a strong interest in painting and is said to have become a pupil of the Kano school painter Ishida Yūtei in his mid-teens. He went on to study a wide range of artistic approaches, including Western painting techniques, ancient and modern Chinese painting, and sketching from life, which formed the foundation of his elegant and naturalistic style. Ōkyo’s distinctive works not only enjoyed great popularity during his lifetime—as reflected by the saying, “All paintings in Kyoto are by a single hand”—but also paved the way for the development of modern Japanese painting.

Important Cultural Property
Dragons and Clouds
By Maruyama Ōkyo

In the twenty-second year of the Wanli era (1594), the two painters Ding Yunpeng (1547–1628) and Sheng Maoye (dates unknown) depicted the Five Hundred Arhats, enlightened disciples of the Historical Buddha. They painted twenty-four scrolls, each featuring around twenty-one of the mythical sages. This type of dynamic collaboration between a Buddhist painter and landscape artist in the late Ming dynasty (1368–1644) is particularly rare; recent research has begun to shed light on the background of its creation.
Although this work was brought to Japan as a complete set during the Edo period (1615–1868), the scrolls were separated and scattered. Currently the location of fourteen scrolls has been confirmed, five of which belong to the collection of Kyoto National Museum. This exhibition will explore the enduring allure of this artistic collaboration through the display of eight scrolls.

Five Hundred Arhats
By Ding Yunpeng and Sheng Maoye
Kyoto National Museum

The Heian period (794–1185) was one of the most transformative times within the history of Japanese sculpture. Buddhist statues were carved primarily in the capital city of Kyoto, but they were also produced throughout the provinces. While some statues have been lost due to wars and natural disasters, a great number of Heian Buddhist sculptures have survived to this day. In the latter half of the Heian period, Buddhist sculptures with serene expressions gained popularity in accordance with the tastes of the imperial court and aristocracy. Round faces, reminiscent of a full moon, and gently lowered eyes give such statues a gentle air. This facial expression—distinctive to Japanese sculpture—became known as wayō (“Japanese style”). One of the more prominent sculptors who embraced this style was Jōchō (d. 1057). This exhibition presents works primarily from the second half of the Heian period. We invite you to enjoy the graceful, tranquil forms of these ancient sculptures.

Important Cultural Property
Seated Shakyamuni Buddha
By Keihan and others
Kōzen-ji Temple, Osaka

Since its establishment in 1889, the Kyoto National Museum has accumulated a diverse array of materials related to activities of collecting, storage, research, and exhibitions. These extensive archives not only document the history of the museum itself but also provide essential insight into the importance of museums within modern Japanese history. Since 2021, the Kyoto National Museum has undertaken the project of identifying and organizing “historical museum materials” from among its holdings. This exhibition introduces some of these materials as it looks back over the museum’s 130-year history. This exhibition is supported by Kakenhi Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research JP21H03778 from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

Collection Records of the Kyoto Museum
Kyoto National Museum

In the face of wars, climate change, infectious diseases, and other challenges, there is a growing movement to reuse and take care of material goods as a means of social sustainability. In times past when most textiles were made by hand, second-hand garments were in regular circulation, and damaged clothing was promptly repurposed for other uses. In one sense, this practice of reuse was driven by the recognized value of textiles as a commodity. However, there was another motivation for repurposing textiles, stemming from attachment to and reverence for the individuals who wore the garments. This exhibition will consider various textiles from the perspective of reuse.

Buddhist Banner Made from Kosode (Kimono) with Camellia
Kyoto National Museum

For over 400 years, the three provinces of Bizen, Bicchū, and Bingo—collectively known as Kibi—flourished as an advanced center for sword smithing. The region’s prosperity is rooted in the abundant iron resources of the Chugoku Mountains, as reflected in a poem from the Kokin wakashū (Collected Japanese Poems of Ancient and Modern Times): “In Kibi, where true gold flows [a reference to the iron used in swords], the sound of the Hosoda River in the mountains is clear.” This exhibition introduces a number of famous swords from the Kibi region, primarily from the collection of the Kyoto National Museum.

Important Cultural Property
Tachi (Slung Sword) Blade
Inscription: “Sanemitsu of [the] Osafune [School] in Bizen Province”
Kyoto National Museum

Ceramics are prized not only for their beauty but also for their uses as dishes and in other quotidian functions. East Asian ceramics have a particularly wide range of patterns, forms, colors, and applications. They can incorporate vastly different materials and techniques, resulting in wares as diverse as earthenware or porcelain, with distinguishing characteristics deriving from the types of clay, the glazes, the décor, and the firing techniques employed at the site of their production. This gallery features a variety of ceramics from Japan, China, and the Korean Peninsula, pieces exemplifying the distinctive qualities and assets of each kiln site.

Important Cultural Property
Decorative Nail Covers
Attributed to Nonomura Ninsei
Kyoto National Museum

This exhibition features works relating to the powerful aristocratic regent Fujiwara no Michinaga (966–1028) and his eldest daughter Empress Fujiwara no Shōshi (988–1074), which have survived from the Heian period (794–1185).
In 1007, the fourth year of the Kankō era, Michinaga buried a cylindrical gilt bronze sutra container (now a National Treasure) in the Kinpusen mountains of Yoshino, Nara. Shōshi later dedicated a sutra case plated in gold and silver (also a National Treasure) at the Nyohōdo Hall of Yokawa, Mount Hiei, in the year 1031.
This prominent father and daughter pair is closely associated with Murasaki Shikibu (c. 973–c. 1031), author of the literary classic The Tale of Genji, who served as a lady-in-waiting under Shōshi. At the time, it was popular to bury scriptures such as the Lotus Sutra in anticipation of the Bodhisattva Miroku (Maitreya)’s Buddhahood in the distant future.
This exhibition introduces objects excavated from sutra mounds dating from the eleventh and twelfth centuries, encapsulating the spirit of Heian-period prayers.

Important Cultural Property
Sutra Container
Excavated from Hanase Bessho Sutra Mound, Kyoto
Agency for Cultural Affairs

Engi-e are paintings that explore the legendary origins and miraculous events associated with specific temples and shrines. This exhibition presents engi-e handscrolls relating to Kyoto temples that were created in the Edo period (1615–1868). During this time, Buddhist sects underwent structural shifts due to the religious policies of the shogunate. The “benevolent rule” of the day promoted scholarship, so monks deepened their studies of religious doctrines, cultivated interests in religious and temple history, and compiled historical books and biographies of temple founders.
As industry and the economy developed in the Kansai region (Osaka and Kyoto) during the late seventeenth century, talented artists produced numerous handscrolls vividly depicting this new urban culture. For the people living during this peaceful era, these vibrant engi-e handscrolls brought the enduring history of temples to life.

Legends of Jūzen-ji Temple
By Yamamoto Soken
Jūzen-ji Temple, Kyoto

The historical Buddha Shakyamuni is said to have died and entered parinirvana, his “final nirvana,” on the fifteenth day of the second lunar month (March 15th by the Gregorian calendar). Japanese temples continue to hold the Nirvana Assembly (nehan-e) in the present; a painting of the Death of the Buddha typically hangs at this ceremony.
Many Death of the Buddha paintings are oversized—some are so large that they cannot be fully unrolled, even in grand temple halls. Why use such massive dimensions? Perhaps this gave the viewers a more immersive experience akin to a sort of virtual reality. During the Kamakura period (1185–1333), artists were increasingly incorporating new Chinese artistic styles into their Death of the Buddha paintings. These included realistic elements that must have been fascinating to contemporaneous viewers.
The Nirvana Assembly became widespread among many different sects, in part because it revolves around the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. The grand scale and realism of Death of the Buddha paintings such as these may have also contributed to the Nirvana Assembly’s prevalence in Japan.

Death of the Buddha
Kyoto National Museum

Since ancient times, the Zen school of Buddhism has played a leading role within Japan’s ink painting culture. Medieval Zen temples sent numerous monks to the Chinese mainland; the new styles of ink painting they discovered overseas greatly enriched Japanese art. In addition to the classic genres of landscape and bird-and-flower painting, the religious themes of Confucianism, Taoism, and most especially Zen Buddhism became increasingly prominent subjects in Japanese art. Within Zen temples, there was a great demand for figure paintings in ink, which utilized dynamic brushstrokes incorporating variations in line and shading to capture human likenesses. Representations of Zen practitioners, including depictions of the attainment of enlightenment and other Zen anecdotes, also enjoyed considerable popularity. This exhibition introduces various representations of figures associated with Zen Buddhism.

Important Cultural Property
Six Founding Masters of Zen
Inscription by Seikan Sudon
Myōshin-ji Temple, Kyoto

Maruyama Ōkyo (1733–1795) was born into a farming family in Anao village, Tanba province (present-day Kameoka, Kyoto). From a young age, Ōkyo had a strong interest in painting and is said to have become a pupil of the Kano school painter Ishida Yūtei in his mid-teens. He went on to study a wide range of artistic approaches, including Western painting techniques, ancient and modern Chinese painting, and sketching from life, which formed the foundation of his elegant and naturalistic style. Ōkyo’s distinctive works not only enjoyed great popularity during his lifetime—as reflected by the saying, “All paintings in Kyoto are by a single hand”—but also paved the way for the development of modern Japanese painting.

Important Cultural Property
Dragons and Clouds
By Maruyama Ōkyo

In the twenty-second year of the Wanli era (1594), the two painters Ding Yunpeng (1547–1628) and Sheng Maoye (dates unknown) depicted the Five Hundred Arhats, enlightened disciples of the Historical Buddha. They painted twenty-four scrolls, each featuring around twenty-one of the mythical sages. This type of dynamic collaboration between a Buddhist painter and landscape artist in the late Ming dynasty (1368–1644) is particularly rare; recent research has begun to shed light on the background of its creation.
Although this work was brought to Japan as a complete set during the Edo period (1615–1868), the scrolls were separated and scattered. Currently the location of fourteen scrolls has been confirmed, five of which belong to the collection of Kyoto National Museum. This exhibition will explore the enduring allure of this artistic collaboration through the display of eight scrolls.

Five Hundred Arhats
By Ding Yunpeng and Sheng Maoye
Kyoto National Museum

The Heian period (794–1185) was one of the most transformative times within the history of Japanese sculpture. Buddhist statues were carved primarily in the capital city of Kyoto, but they were also produced throughout the provinces. While some statues have been lost due to wars and natural disasters, a great number of Heian Buddhist sculptures have survived to this day. In the latter half of the Heian period, Buddhist sculptures with serene expressions gained popularity in accordance with the tastes of the imperial court and aristocracy. Round faces, reminiscent of a full moon, and gently lowered eyes give such statues a gentle air. This facial expression—distinctive to Japanese sculpture—became known as wayō (“Japanese style”). One of the more prominent sculptors who embraced this style was Jōchō (d. 1057). This exhibition presents works primarily from the second half of the Heian period. We invite you to enjoy the graceful, tranquil forms of these ancient sculptures.

Important Cultural Property
Seated Shakyamuni Buddha
By Keihan and others
Kōzen-ji Temple, Osaka

Since its establishment in 1889, the Kyoto National Museum has accumulated a diverse array of materials related to activities of collecting, storage, research, and exhibitions. These extensive archives not only document the history of the museum itself but also provide essential insight into the importance of museums within modern Japanese history. Since 2021, the Kyoto National Museum has undertaken the project of identifying and organizing “historical museum materials” from among its holdings. This exhibition introduces some of these materials as it looks back over the museum’s 130-year history. This exhibition is supported by Kakenhi Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research JP21H03778 from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

Collection Records of the Kyoto Museum
Kyoto National Museum

In the face of wars, climate change, infectious diseases, and other challenges, there is a growing movement to reuse and take care of material goods as a means of social sustainability. In times past when most textiles were made by hand, second-hand garments were in regular circulation, and damaged clothing was promptly repurposed for other uses. In one sense, this practice of reuse was driven by the recognized value of textiles as a commodity. However, there was another motivation for repurposing textiles, stemming from attachment to and reverence for the individuals who wore the garments. This exhibition will consider various textiles from the perspective of reuse.

Buddhist Banner Made from Kosode (Kimono) with Camellia
Kyoto National Museum

For over 400 years, the three provinces of Bizen, Bicchū, and Bingo—collectively known as Kibi—flourished as an advanced center for sword smithing. The region’s prosperity is rooted in the abundant iron resources of the Chugoku Mountains, as reflected in a poem from the Kokin wakashū (Collected Japanese Poems of Ancient and Modern Times): “In Kibi, where true gold flows [a reference to the iron used in swords], the sound of the Hosoda River in the mountains is clear.” This exhibition introduces a number of famous swords from the Kibi region, primarily from the collection of the Kyoto National Museum.

Important Cultural Property
Tachi (Slung Sword) Blade
Inscription: “Sanemitsu of [the] Osafune [School] in Bizen Province”
Kyoto National Museum

Ceramics are prized not only for their beauty but also for their uses as dishes and in other quotidian functions. East Asian ceramics have a particularly wide range of patterns, forms, colors, and applications. They can incorporate vastly different materials and techniques, resulting in wares as diverse as earthenware or porcelain, with distinguishing characteristics deriving from the types of clay, the glazes, the décor, and the firing techniques employed at the site of their production. This gallery features a variety of ceramics from Japan, China, and the Korean Peninsula, pieces exemplifying the distinctive qualities and assets of each kiln site.

Important Cultural Property
Decorative Nail Covers
Attributed to Nonomura Ninsei
Kyoto National Museum

This exhibition features works relating to the powerful aristocratic regent Fujiwara no Michinaga (966–1028) and his eldest daughter Empress Fujiwara no Shōshi (988–1074), which have survived from the Heian period (794–1185).
In 1007, the fourth year of the Kankō era, Michinaga buried a cylindrical gilt bronze sutra container (now a National Treasure) in the Kinpusen mountains of Yoshino, Nara. Shōshi later dedicated a sutra case plated in gold and silver (also a National Treasure) at the Nyohōdo Hall of Yokawa, Mount Hiei, in the year 1031.
This prominent father and daughter pair is closely associated with Murasaki Shikibu (c. 973–c. 1031), author of the literary classic The Tale of Genji, who served as a lady-in-waiting under Shōshi. At the time, it was popular to bury scriptures such as the Lotus Sutra in anticipation of the Bodhisattva Miroku (Maitreya)’s Buddhahood in the distant future.
This exhibition introduces objects excavated from sutra mounds dating from the eleventh and twelfth centuries, encapsulating the spirit of Heian-period prayers.

Important Cultural Property
Sutra Container
Excavated from Hanase Bessho Sutra Mound, Kyoto
Agency for Cultural Affairs

Engi-e are paintings that explore the legendary origins and miraculous events associated with specific temples and shrines. This exhibition presents engi-e handscrolls relating to Kyoto temples that were created in the Edo period (1615–1868). During this time, Buddhist sects underwent structural shifts due to the religious policies of the shogunate. The “benevolent rule” of the day promoted scholarship, so monks deepened their studies of religious doctrines, cultivated interests in religious and temple history, and compiled historical books and biographies of temple founders.
As industry and the economy developed in the Kansai region (Osaka and Kyoto) during the late seventeenth century, talented artists produced numerous handscrolls vividly depicting this new urban culture. For the people living during this peaceful era, these vibrant engi-e handscrolls brought the enduring history of temples to life.

Legends of Jūzen-ji Temple
By Yamamoto Soken
Jūzen-ji Temple, Kyoto

The historical Buddha Shakyamuni is said to have died and entered parinirvana, his “final nirvana,” on the fifteenth day of the second lunar month (March 15th by the Gregorian calendar). Japanese temples continue to hold the Nirvana Assembly (nehan-e) in the present; a painting of the Death of the Buddha typically hangs at this ceremony.
Many Death of the Buddha paintings are oversized—some are so large that they cannot be fully unrolled, even in grand temple halls. Why use such massive dimensions? Perhaps this gave the viewers a more immersive experience akin to a sort of virtual reality. During the Kamakura period (1185–1333), artists were increasingly incorporating new Chinese artistic styles into their Death of the Buddha paintings. These included realistic elements that must have been fascinating to contemporaneous viewers.
The Nirvana Assembly became widespread among many different sects, in part because it revolves around the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. The grand scale and realism of Death of the Buddha paintings such as these may have also contributed to the Nirvana Assembly’s prevalence in Japan.

Death of the Buddha
Kyoto National Museum

Since ancient times, the Zen school of Buddhism has played a leading role within Japan’s ink painting culture. Medieval Zen temples sent numerous monks to the Chinese mainland; the new styles of ink painting they discovered overseas greatly enriched Japanese art. In addition to the classic genres of landscape and bird-and-flower painting, the religious themes of Confucianism, Taoism, and most especially Zen Buddhism became increasingly prominent subjects in Japanese art. Within Zen temples, there was a great demand for figure paintings in ink, which utilized dynamic brushstrokes incorporating variations in line and shading to capture human likenesses. Representations of Zen practitioners, including depictions of the attainment of enlightenment and other Zen anecdotes, also enjoyed considerable popularity. This exhibition introduces various representations of figures associated with Zen Buddhism.

Important Cultural Property
Six Founding Masters of Zen
Inscription by Seikan Sudon
Myōshin-ji Temple, Kyoto

Maruyama Ōkyo (1733–1795) was born into a farming family in Anao village, Tanba province (present-day Kameoka, Kyoto). From a young age, Ōkyo had a strong interest in painting and is said to have become a pupil of the Kano school painter Ishida Yūtei in his mid-teens. He went on to study a wide range of artistic approaches, including Western painting techniques, ancient and modern Chinese painting, and sketching from life, which formed the foundation of his elegant and naturalistic style. Ōkyo’s distinctive works not only enjoyed great popularity during his lifetime—as reflected by the saying, “All paintings in Kyoto are by a single hand”—but also paved the way for the development of modern Japanese painting.

Important Cultural Property
Dragons and Clouds
By Maruyama Ōkyo

In the twenty-second year of the Wanli era (1594), the two painters Ding Yunpeng (1547–1628) and Sheng Maoye (dates unknown) depicted the Five Hundred Arhats, enlightened disciples of the Historical Buddha. They painted twenty-four scrolls, each featuring around twenty-one of the mythical sages. This type of dynamic collaboration between a Buddhist painter and landscape artist in the late Ming dynasty (1368–1644) is particularly rare; recent research has begun to shed light on the background of its creation.
Although this work was brought to Japan as a complete set during the Edo period (1615–1868), the scrolls were separated and scattered. Currently the location of fourteen scrolls has been confirmed, five of which belong to the collection of Kyoto National Museum. This exhibition will explore the enduring allure of this artistic collaboration through the display of eight scrolls.

Five Hundred Arhats
By Ding Yunpeng and Sheng Maoye
Kyoto National Museum

The Heian period (794–1185) was one of the most transformative times within the history of Japanese sculpture. Buddhist statues were carved primarily in the capital city of Kyoto, but they were also produced throughout the provinces. While some statues have been lost due to wars and natural disasters, a great number of Heian Buddhist sculptures have survived to this day. In the latter half of the Heian period, Buddhist sculptures with serene expressions gained popularity in accordance with the tastes of the imperial court and aristocracy. Round faces, reminiscent of a full moon, and gently lowered eyes give such statues a gentle air. This facial expression—distinctive to Japanese sculpture—became known as wayō (“Japanese style”). One of the more prominent sculptors who embraced this style was Jōchō (d. 1057). This exhibition presents works primarily from the second half of the Heian period. We invite you to enjoy the graceful, tranquil forms of these ancient sculptures.

Important Cultural Property
Seated Shakyamuni Buddha
By Keihan and others
Kōzen-ji Temple, Osaka

Since its establishment in 1889, the Kyoto National Museum has accumulated a diverse array of materials related to activities of collecting, storage, research, and exhibitions. These extensive archives not only document the history of the museum itself but also provide essential insight into the importance of museums within modern Japanese history. Since 2021, the Kyoto National Museum has undertaken the project of identifying and organizing “historical museum materials” from among its holdings. This exhibition introduces some of these materials as it looks back over the museum’s 130-year history. This exhibition is supported by Kakenhi Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research JP21H03778 from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

Collection Records of the Kyoto Museum
Kyoto National Museum

In the face of wars, climate change, infectious diseases, and other challenges, there is a growing movement to reuse and take care of material goods as a means of social sustainability. In times past when most textiles were made by hand, second-hand garments were in regular circulation, and damaged clothing was promptly repurposed for other uses. In one sense, this practice of reuse was driven by the recognized value of textiles as a commodity. However, there was another motivation for repurposing textiles, stemming from attachment to and reverence for the individuals who wore the garments. This exhibition will consider various textiles from the perspective of reuse.

Buddhist Banner Made from Kosode (Kimono) with Camellia
Kyoto National Museum

For over 400 years, the three provinces of Bizen, Bicchū, and Bingo—collectively known as Kibi—flourished as an advanced center for sword smithing. The region’s prosperity is rooted in the abundant iron resources of the Chugoku Mountains, as reflected in a poem from the Kokin wakashū (Collected Japanese Poems of Ancient and Modern Times): “In Kibi, where true gold flows [a reference to the iron used in swords], the sound of the Hosoda River in the mountains is clear.” This exhibition introduces a number of famous swords from the Kibi region, primarily from the collection of the Kyoto National Museum.

Important Cultural Property
Tachi (Slung Sword) Blade
Inscription: “Sanemitsu of [the] Osafune [School] in Bizen Province”
Kyoto National Museum

Engi-e are paintings that explore the legendary origins and miraculous events associated with specific temples and shrines. This exhibition presents engi-e handscrolls relating to Kyoto temples that were created in the Edo period (1615–1868). During this time, Buddhist sects underwent structural shifts due to the religious policies of the shogunate. The “benevolent rule” of the day promoted scholarship, so monks deepened their studies of religious doctrines, cultivated interests in religious and temple history, and compiled historical books and biographies of temple founders.
As industry and the economy developed in the Kansai region (Osaka and Kyoto) during the late seventeenth century, talented artists produced numerous handscrolls vividly depicting this new urban culture. For the people living during this peaceful era, these vibrant engi-e handscrolls brought the enduring history of temples to life.

Legends of Jūzen-ji Temple
By Yamamoto Soken
Jūzen-ji Temple, Kyoto

The historical Buddha Shakyamuni is said to have died and entered parinirvana, his “final nirvana,” on the fifteenth day of the second lunar month (March 15th by the Gregorian calendar). Japanese temples continue to hold the Nirvana Assembly (nehan-e) in the present; a painting of the Death of the Buddha typically hangs at this ceremony.
Many Death of the Buddha paintings are oversized—some are so large that they cannot be fully unrolled, even in grand temple halls. Why use such massive dimensions? Perhaps this gave the viewers a more immersive experience akin to a sort of virtual reality. During the Kamakura period (1185–1333), artists were increasingly incorporating new Chinese artistic styles into their Death of the Buddha paintings. These included realistic elements that must have been fascinating to contemporaneous viewers.
The Nirvana Assembly became widespread among many different sects, in part because it revolves around the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. The grand scale and realism of Death of the Buddha paintings such as these may have also contributed to the Nirvana Assembly’s prevalence in Japan.

Death of the Buddha
Kyoto National Museum

Since ancient times, the Zen school of Buddhism has played a leading role within Japan’s ink painting culture. Medieval Zen temples sent numerous monks to the Chinese mainland; the new styles of ink painting they discovered overseas greatly enriched Japanese art. In addition to the classic genres of landscape and bird-and-flower painting, the religious themes of Confucianism, Taoism, and most especially Zen Buddhism became increasingly prominent subjects in Japanese art. Within Zen temples, there was a great demand for figure paintings in ink, which utilized dynamic brushstrokes incorporating variations in line and shading to capture human likenesses. Representations of Zen practitioners, including depictions of the attainment of enlightenment and other Zen anecdotes, also enjoyed considerable popularity. This exhibition introduces various representations of figures associated with Zen Buddhism.

Important Cultural Property
Six Founding Masters of Zen
Inscription by Seikan Sudon
Myōshin-ji Temple, Kyoto

Maruyama Ōkyo (1733–1795) was born into a farming family in Anao village, Tanba province (present-day Kameoka, Kyoto). From a young age, Ōkyo had a strong interest in painting and is said to have become a pupil of the Kano school painter Ishida Yūtei in his mid-teens. He went on to study a wide range of artistic approaches, including Western painting techniques, ancient and modern Chinese painting, and sketching from life, which formed the foundation of his elegant and naturalistic style. Ōkyo’s distinctive works not only enjoyed great popularity during his lifetime—as reflected by the saying, “All paintings in Kyoto are by a single hand”—but also paved the way for the development of modern Japanese painting.

Important Cultural Property
Dragons and Clouds
By Maruyama Ōkyo

In the twenty-second year of the Wanli era (1594), the two painters Ding Yunpeng (1547–1628) and Sheng Maoye (dates unknown) depicted the Five Hundred Arhats, enlightened disciples of the Historical Buddha. They painted twenty-four scrolls, each featuring around twenty-one of the mythical sages. This type of dynamic collaboration between a Buddhist painter and landscape artist in the late Ming dynasty (1368–1644) is particularly rare; recent research has begun to shed light on the background of its creation.
Although this work was brought to Japan as a complete set during the Edo period (1615–1868), the scrolls were separated and scattered. Currently the location of fourteen scrolls has been confirmed, five of which belong to the collection of Kyoto National Museum. This exhibition will explore the enduring allure of this artistic collaboration through the display of eight scrolls.

Five Hundred Arhats
By Ding Yunpeng and Sheng Maoye
Kyoto National Museum

The Heian period (794–1185) was one of the most transformative times within the history of Japanese sculpture. Buddhist statues were carved primarily in the capital city of Kyoto, but they were also produced throughout the provinces. While some statues have been lost due to wars and natural disasters, a great number of Heian Buddhist sculptures have survived to this day. In the latter half of the Heian period, Buddhist sculptures with serene expressions gained popularity in accordance with the tastes of the imperial court and aristocracy. Round faces, reminiscent of a full moon, and gently lowered eyes give such statues a gentle air. This facial expression—distinctive to Japanese sculpture—became known as wayō (“Japanese style”). One of the more prominent sculptors who embraced this style was Jōchō (d. 1057). This exhibition presents works primarily from the second half of the Heian period. We invite you to enjoy the graceful, tranquil forms of these ancient sculptures.

Important Cultural Property
Seated Shakyamuni Buddha
By Keihan and others
Kōzen-ji Temple, Osaka

For over 400 years, the three provinces of Bizen, Bicchū, and Bingo—collectively known as Kibi—flourished as an advanced center for sword smithing. The region’s prosperity is rooted in the abundant iron resources of the Chugoku Mountains, as reflected in a poem from the Kokin wakashū (Collected Japanese Poems of Ancient and Modern Times): “In Kibi, where true gold flows [a reference to the iron used in swords], the sound of the Hosoda River in the mountains is clear.” This exhibition introduces a number of famous swords from the Kibi region, primarily from the collection of the Kyoto National Museum.

Important Cultural Property
Tachi (Slung Sword) Blade
Inscription: “Sanemitsu of [the] Osafune [School] in Bizen Province”
Kyoto National Museum

Engi-e are paintings that explore the legendary origins and miraculous events associated with specific temples and shrines. This exhibition presents engi-e handscrolls relating to Kyoto temples that were created in the Edo period (1615–1868). During this time, Buddhist sects underwent structural shifts due to the religious policies of the shogunate. The “benevolent rule” of the day promoted scholarship, so monks deepened their studies of religious doctrines, cultivated interests in religious and temple history, and compiled historical books and biographies of temple founders.
As industry and the economy developed in the Kansai region (Osaka and Kyoto) during the late seventeenth century, talented artists produced numerous handscrolls vividly depicting this new urban culture. For the people living during this peaceful era, these vibrant engi-e handscrolls brought the enduring history of temples to life.

Legends of Jūzen-ji Temple
By Yamamoto Soken
Jūzen-ji Temple, Kyoto

The historical Buddha Shakyamuni is said to have died and entered parinirvana, his “final nirvana,” on the fifteenth day of the second lunar month (March 15th by the Gregorian calendar). Japanese temples continue to hold the Nirvana Assembly (nehan-e) in the present; a painting of the Death of the Buddha typically hangs at this ceremony.
Many Death of the Buddha paintings are oversized—some are so large that they cannot be fully unrolled, even in grand temple halls. Why use such massive dimensions? Perhaps this gave the viewers a more immersive experience akin to a sort of virtual reality. During the Kamakura period (1185–1333), artists were increasingly incorporating new Chinese artistic styles into their Death of the Buddha paintings. These included realistic elements that must have been fascinating to contemporaneous viewers.
The Nirvana Assembly became widespread among many different sects, in part because it revolves around the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. The grand scale and realism of Death of the Buddha paintings such as these may have also contributed to the Nirvana Assembly’s prevalence in Japan.

Death of the Buddha
Kyoto National Museum

Since ancient times, the Zen school of Buddhism has played a leading role within Japan’s ink painting culture. Medieval Zen temples sent numerous monks to the Chinese mainland; the new styles of ink painting they discovered overseas greatly enriched Japanese art. In addition to the classic genres of landscape and bird-and-flower painting, the religious themes of Confucianism, Taoism, and most especially Zen Buddhism became increasingly prominent subjects in Japanese art. Within Zen temples, there was a great demand for figure paintings in ink, which utilized dynamic brushstrokes incorporating variations in line and shading to capture human likenesses. Representations of Zen practitioners, including depictions of the attainment of enlightenment and other Zen anecdotes, also enjoyed considerable popularity. This exhibition introduces various representations of figures associated with Zen Buddhism.

Important Cultural Property
Six Founding Masters of Zen
Inscription by Seikan Sudon
Myōshin-ji Temple, Kyoto

Maruyama Ōkyo (1733–1795) was born into a farming family in Anao village, Tanba province (present-day Kameoka, Kyoto). From a young age, Ōkyo had a strong interest in painting and is said to have become a pupil of the Kano school painter Ishida Yūtei in his mid-teens. He went on to study a wide range of artistic approaches, including Western painting techniques, ancient and modern Chinese painting, and sketching from life, which formed the foundation of his elegant and naturalistic style. Ōkyo’s distinctive works not only enjoyed great popularity during his lifetime—as reflected by the saying, “All paintings in Kyoto are by a single hand”—but also paved the way for the development of modern Japanese painting.

Important Cultural Property
Dragons and Clouds
By Maruyama Ōkyo

In the twenty-second year of the Wanli era (1594), the two painters Ding Yunpeng (1547–1628) and Sheng Maoye (dates unknown) depicted the Five Hundred Arhats, enlightened disciples of the Historical Buddha. They painted twenty-four scrolls, each featuring around twenty-one of the mythical sages. This type of dynamic collaboration between a Buddhist painter and landscape artist in the late Ming dynasty (1368–1644) is particularly rare; recent research has begun to shed light on the background of its creation.
Although this work was brought to Japan as a complete set during the Edo period (1615–1868), the scrolls were separated and scattered. Currently the location of fourteen scrolls has been confirmed, five of which belong to the collection of Kyoto National Museum. This exhibition will explore the enduring allure of this artistic collaboration through the display of eight scrolls.

Five Hundred Arhats
By Ding Yunpeng and Sheng Maoye
Kyoto National Museum

The Heian period (794–1185) was one of the most transformative times within the history of Japanese sculpture. Buddhist statues were carved primarily in the capital city of Kyoto, but they were also produced throughout the provinces. While some statues have been lost due to wars and natural disasters, a great number of Heian Buddhist sculptures have survived to this day. In the latter half of the Heian period, Buddhist sculptures with serene expressions gained popularity in accordance with the tastes of the imperial court and aristocracy. Round faces, reminiscent of a full moon, and gently lowered eyes give such statues a gentle air. This facial expression—distinctive to Japanese sculpture—became known as wayō (“Japanese style”). One of the more prominent sculptors who embraced this style was Jōchō (d. 1057). This exhibition presents works primarily from the second half of the Heian period. We invite you to enjoy the graceful, tranquil forms of these ancient sculptures.

Important Cultural Property
Seated Shakyamuni Buddha
By Keihan and others
Kōzen-ji Temple, Osaka

For over 400 years, the three provinces of Bizen, Bicchū, and Bingo—collectively known as Kibi—flourished as an advanced center for sword smithing. The region’s prosperity is rooted in the abundant iron resources of the Chugoku Mountains, as reflected in a poem from the Kokin wakashū (Collected Japanese Poems of Ancient and Modern Times): “In Kibi, where true gold flows [a reference to the iron used in swords], the sound of the Hosoda River in the mountains is clear.” This exhibition introduces a number of famous swords from the Kibi region, primarily from the collection of the Kyoto National Museum.