Past Exhibitions
- Feature Exhibition: Aquarium at the Kyoto National Museum: What Kind of Fish Can You Find? III. Legendary Sea Life
- July 25, 2017 - September 3, 2017
This summer, the galleries of the Kyoto National Museum will transform into an artistic aquarium! Organized together with the Kyoto Aquarium, this is the museum’s first exhibition oriented specifically towards young people. How have human beings interacted with fish? How have we imagined underwater life? From familiar fish to legendary sea creatures, this exhibition provides an opportunity to explore a wide variety of aquatic life. Bring your family and come see all the fish living at the Kyoto National Museum.
III. Legendary Sea Life
We human beings cannot live under water, so the sea has always been somewhat of a mystery to us. People have come up with all sorts of stories as they imagined this unknown world of the sea. In Japan, the origin legend of Yamasachihiko and the fairy tale of Urashima Tarō are both miraculous stories in which young men are invited to visit lavish underwater palaces. In this exhibition, you will also find examples of fantastical sea life, such as enormous tortoises, dragons, mermaids, kappa (a river-dwelling water sprite), and other imaginary creatures that you would never find in a real aquarium!
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