Special Exhibition
Kitano Tenjin: Shinto God of Scholarship

The Shinto shrine of Kitano Tenmangū, located in northwestern Kyoto, is the headquarters of the many Tenmangū and Tenjin shrines found across Japan. These are dedicated to Tenjin, the deified incarnation of the erudite Heian-period aristocrat Sugawara no Michizane (845–903), who is worshiped as the Shinto God of scholarship, the arts, and warfare.
In 2027, Kitano Tenmangū is hosting the Hanmantōsai, a festival in which thousands of lanterns are lit to commemorate the 1125th anniversary of Michizane’s death. To mark this occasion, the Kyoto National Museum is organizing a special exhibition showcasing treasures related to Tenjin worship from shrines across Japan. At the heart are 17 National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties preserved over centuries in Kitano Tenmangū Shrine.
For this milestone exhibition, the National Treasure Illustrated Legends of the Kitano Tenjin Shrine (Kitano Tenjin engi emaki), Jōkyū version, is being exhibited in full for the first time in history, with every scene on display at some time during the exhibition. Other slightly later versions of the Illustrated Legends of the Kitano Tenjin Shrine—including the Kōan, Mitsunobu, and Mitsuoki versions, all designated Important Cultural Properties—will also be on view, depicting scenes of the origin of the Kitano deity and shrine.
The exhibition also features works recently uncovered through joint research by the Kyoto National Museum and the Kitano Cultural Research Institute, as well as masterpieces passed down in Tenmangū and Tenjin shrines and temples across Japan. Through these objects, the exhibition sheds light on the diverse and previously underexplored dimensions of Tenjin veneration, revealing the significant role it has played in shaping Japanese culture.

National Treasure
Illustrated Legends of Kitano Tenmangū Shrine (Jōkyū version), Volume 6
Kitano Tenmangū Shrine, Kyoto