Special Exhibition Commemorating the 1,200th Anniversary of Jingoji Temple’s Founding
Jingoji: The Dawn of Shingon Buddhism
Japanese Archaeology and Special Exhibition (Heiseikan) Special Exhibition Galleries July 17, 2024 (Wed)-September 8, 2024 (Sun)
Located in the Takao area in the northern suburb of Kyoto City, Jingoji Temple traces its origins to Takaosanji Temple, which was founded by the court official Wake no Kiyomaro (733–799). The temple was the first place in Japan where the monk Kūkai (774–835) practiced Shingon Buddhism after he returned from Tang China. This exhibition commemorates the 1,200th anniversary of the founding of Jingoji, which officially became an esoteric Buddhist temple in 824, and the 1,250th anniversary of the birth of Kūkai.
The exhibition presents invaluable cultural properties passed down at Jingoji Temple, including treasures associated with Kūkai. Major highlights in the lineup include Buddha Yakushi, a national treasure and masterpiece of sculpture from the early Heian period, and the Mandala of the Two Worlds (Takao Mandala), another national treasure that recently underwent conservation work for the first time in 230 years.