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Schedule

 

Spring | March-May 2023

Name Clay Figurine (Dogū) Shaped Like a Water Sprite
Creation Excavation Found in Itoigawa City, Niigata
Period Jōmon period, 3000–2000 BC
Name Tea Bowl
Creation Excavation Karatsu ware, Seto-Karatsu type
Period Edo period, 17th century
Name The Shiguwen Stele
Creation Excavation China
Period Warring States period, 5th-4th century BC
Acquisition Gift of Mr. Takashima Kikujiro
Designation National Treasure
Name The Bodhisattva Fugen
Period Heian period, 12th century
Name Birds and Flowers
Creation Excavation By Itsuzan Mokuin
Period Edo period, 1764 (Hōreki 14)
Name Maha Lakshmi
Creation Excavation By the Jaipur school
Period First half of the 19th century
Acquisition Acquired through exchange with the French School of the Far East
Regular Exhibitions

The regular exhibitions consist of our own collection and works that have been trustfully on deposit. The objects on display are changed depending on the material and condition. Amongst all the exhibits, especially painting, calligraphy, textile and lacquerware are sensitive to the extent that they have to be changed every 4 to 8 weeks.

 
Special Exhibitions

Special exhibitions are large-scale exhibitions with fixed themes, which are held about 5 times a year. Depending on the theme, we gather exhibits from all over Japan, and from all over the world at the Tokyo National Museum.

 
Museum Garden

A large garden on the north side of Honkan adds seasonal color to the Tokyo National Museum, rich in flowers of each season. The five historic teahouses within the garden can be booked for tea ceremonies and other events, such as Haiku gatherings.

10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

*Please note that the area may be closed or restricted due to bad weather or maintenance.
*The teahouses cannot be entered.

Cherry Blossom Viewing at the Tokyo National Museum

Cherry blossoms can only be seen for a few days each year and are a well-known symbol of spring in Japan. The annual event "Cherry Blossom Viewing at the Tokyo National Museum" features famous works of art celebrating cherry blossoms.

 

Summer | June-August 2023

Name Above and Beneath the Bridge
Creation Excavation By Kitagawa Utamaro
Period Edo period, 18th century

 

Designation Important Cultural Property
Name Reliquary in the Shape of a Flaming Jewel
Period Kamakura period, 13th–14th century
Designation Important Cultural Property
Name Nuihaku (Noh costume), Lily and courtly carriage design on brown ground
Period Azuchi-Momoyama period, 16th century

 

Name Altar Cloth, Flowering plant design in needle-looped embroidery on a stitched multicolor damask ground
Period China, Ming dynasty, 16th century
Designation Important Cultural Property
Name Lotus Pond and Waterfowl
Creation Excavation Attributed to Gu Deqian, China
Period Southern Song dynasty, 13th century
Name Relief of Apsaras
Creation Excavation From Bayon Temple, Cambodia
Period Angkor period, 12th–13th century
Regular Exhibitions

The regular exhibitions consist of our own collection and works that have been trustfully on deposit. The objects on display are changed depending on the material and condition. Amongst all the exhibits, especially painting, calligraphy, textile and lacquerware are sensitive to the extent that they have to be changed every 4 to 8 weeks.

 
Special Exhibitions

Special exhibitions are large-scale exhibitions with fixed themes, which are held about 5 times a year. Depending on the theme, we gather exhibits from all over Japan, and from all over the world at the Tokyo National Museum.

 
Museum Garden

A large garden on the north side of Honkan adds seasonal color to the Tokyo National Museum, rich in flowers of each season. The five historic teahouses within the garden can be booked for tea ceremonies and other events, such as Haiku gatherings.

10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

*Please note that the area may be closed or restricted due to bad weather or maintenance.
*The teahouses cannot be entered.

Museum Garden SummerMuseum Garden Summer

 

Autumn | September-November 2023

Designation Important Cultural Property
Name The Deva Bishamonten
Creation Excavation Previously kept at Nakagawa Temple, Nara
Period Heian period, ca. 1162
Acquisition Gift of Mr. Kawabata Ryūshi
Designation National Treasure
Name Tachi Sword, Known as “Okanehira”
Creation Excavation By Kanehira
Period Heian period, 12th century
Designation Important Cultural Property
Name Kosode (Garment with small wrist openings), Autumn grass design on white twill ground
Creation Excavation Hand-painted by Ogata Korin
Period Edo period, 18th century
Name Jar, With indigo spots
Creation Excavation China
Period High-Tang dynasty, 8th century
Acquisition Gift of Dr. Yokogawa Tamisuke
Designation Important Cultural Property
Name Maiko Girl
Creation Excavation By Kuroda Seiki
Period 1893 (Meiji 26)
Name Clear Moon in Autumn
Creation Excavation By Nagano Sōfū
Period Taishō era, 1926
Acquisition Gift of Mrs. Sasanuma Chiyoko
Regular Exhibitions

The regular exhibitions consist of our own collection and works that have been trustfully on deposit. The objects on display are changed depending on the material and condition. Amongst all the exhibits, especially painting, calligraphy, textile and lacquerware are sensitive to the extent that they have to be changed every 4 to 8 weeks.

 
Special Exhibitions

Special exhibitions are large-scale exhibitions with fixed themes, which are held about 5 times a year. Depending on the theme, we gather exhibits from all over Japan, and from all over the world at the Tokyo National Museum.

 
Museum Garden

A large garden on the north side of Honkan adds seasonal color to the Tokyo National Museum, rich in flowers of each season. The five historic teahouses within the garden can be booked for tea ceremonies and other events, such as Haiku gatherings.

10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

*Please note that the area may be closed or restricted due to bad weather or maintenance.
*The teahouses cannot be entered.

Journey through Asia at the Tokyo National Museum

We will hold a special autumn fest, "Journey through Asia at the Tokyo National Museum," which was very popular last year, again this year! This fest features various fun events related to Asia, in addition to the regular exhibitions showcasing must-see artworks from East Asia. The beauty of East Asian art will be presented to the fullest.

 

Winter | December 2023-February 2024

 

Name Pine on a Mountain Peak
Creation Excavation By Ikkyū Sōjun
Period Muromachi period, 15th century
Designation Important Cultural Property
Name Armor (Dōmaru) with “Eurasian Jay” Lacing, Red at the Top
Creation Excavation Passed down by the Akita Clan
Period Muromachi period, 15th century
Acquisition Gift of Mr. Akita Kazusue
Designation Important Cultural Property
Name Jar for Tea Leaves with the Moon and Plum Blossoms
Creation Excavation Studio of Ninsei
Period Edo period, 17th century
Designation Important Cultural Property
Name Writing Box with a Courtly Carriage
Period Edo period, 17th century

Designation Important Cultural Property
Name Pendent Ornaments, With gilt bronze decoration
Period Asuka period, 7th century

Designation Important Cultural Property
Name Map of Japan (Medium Scale): Kantō
Creation Excavation By Inō Tadataka
Period Edo period, 19th century
Regular Exhibitions

The regular exhibitions consist of our own collection and works that have been trustfully on deposit. The objects on display are changed depending on the material and condition. Amongst all the exhibits, especially painting, calligraphy, textile and lacquerware are sensitive to the extent that they have to be changed every 4 to 8 weeks.

 
 
Special Exhibitions

Special exhibitions are large-scale exhibitions with fixed themes, which are held about 5 times a year. Depending on the theme, we gather exhibits from all over Japan, and from all over the world at the Tokyo National Museum.

 
Museum Garden

A large garden on the north side of Honkan adds seasonal color to the Tokyo National Museum, rich in flowers of each season. The five historic teahouses within the garden can be booked for tea ceremonies and other events, such as Haiku gatherings.

10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

*Please note that the area may be closed or restricted due to bad weather or maintenance.
*The teahouses cannot be entered.

New Year's Celebration at the Tokyo National Museum

To celebrate the New Year, we will hold a thematic exhibition featuring works of art with tiger motifs, display selected masterpieces, and more. Have a wonderful start to the New Year at the Tokyo National Museum!

 

Special Exhibitions

Special Exhibition: Tōfuku-ji

Famous for its springtime greenery and autumn foliage, Tōfuku-ji is one of Kyoto’s most prominent Zen temples. It was established at the behest of Regent Kujō Michiie—the most powerful official at the imperial court—and was inspired by the great temples of Tōdaiji and Kōfukuji in Nara. Tōfuku-ji’s buildings are collectively referred to as “the façade of Tōfuku-ji” for their massive, imposing scale.

This exhibition is the first ever to comprehensively introduce Tōfuku-ji’s temple treasures. These include The Five Hundred Arhats, a monumental work by the “painter-saint” Minchō, which will be displayed for the first time since conservation. Also included are countless examples of invaluable cultural heritage that survived the devastating Ōnin War as well as exquisite Buddhist sculptures, paintings, and works of calligraphy that mirror the grand scale of Tōfuku-ji’s buildings.

Tracing the history of Tōfuku-ji from its early years and exploring the Zen culture that flourished through exchange with mainland Asia, this exhibition presents in depth the significance of Tōfuku-ji in Japanese culture.

  重要文化財 五百羅漢図
Ancient Mexico: Maya, Aztec, and Teotihuacan
Among the thirty-five World Heritage sites in Mexico, the ruins of ancient cities are especially popular. For over 3,000 years, from the 15th century BC until the Spanish conquest in the 16th century AD, unique civilizations adapted to and flourished in Mexico’s diverse environments. This exhibition focuses on three major civilizations — the Maya, Aztec, and Teotihuacan — while presenting ancient treasures from leading Mexican museums together with findings from the latest excavations. The exhibition delves into the mystery and allure of these civilizations by examining ancient peoples’ prayers to gods and nature, and their unique worldviews and aesthetics.
 
Mask, Diadem, and Necklace of the Red Queen, Maya civilization, late 7th century; found at Temple 13, Palenque; Palenque Site Museum, Alberto Ruz Lhuillier
Tadanori Yoko'o: 100 Takes on Hanshan and Shide

For some time, the contemporary artist Tadanori Yoko’o has been working on a series based on Hanshan and Shide, a traditional subject matter in East Asian painting. This series includes over one-hundred paintings that Yoko’o created specifically for this exhibition, which will displayed for the very first time. Hanshan and Shide were Zen poet-monks who allegedly lived during China’s Tang dynasty (618–907). They have been celebrated in both China and Japan for their erratic behavior and apparent madness — considered by some a sign of spiritual enlightenment.

Yoko’o continued to work on the series during the coronavirus pandemic, created over one-hundred painting based on Hanshan and Shide in an atelier secluded from the mundane world, echoing these legendary figures’ transcendent lives. This series traverses various realms, weaving a dazzling tale that truly transcends space and time. The largest series in Yoko’o’s career, it poses countless questions to its viewers, like a mirror that shows a different reflection every time.

 
Tadanori Yoko'o; Hanshan and Shide 12.1.2022;  2022
Celebrating the Completion of Conservation Work on Jōruriji Temple’s Amida Statues
Buddhist Sculptures from Minami Yamashiro in Kyoto

Minami Yamashiro is an area in the southernmost part of Kyoto Prefecture with the Kizu River flowing through its center. It was briefly home to the capital of Japan during the Nara period (710–794), and a distinctive Buddhist culture with large temples and deep ties to the nobility developed in the area. During the Heian period, the creation of nine Amida sculptures based on the nine stages of transmigration became popular, and the sculptures at Jōruriji, also known as Kutaiji, are the only extant sculptures of this kind today. The area is also known for distinctive sandalwood sculptures from Kaijūsenji Temple, which overlooks the ruins of the former capital from the mountains, and the large main image of Zenjōji Temple, which was founded by a monk of Tōdaiji Temple.

This exhibition commemorates the completion of the conservation of the nine Amida sculptures of Jōruriji, and explores the history and culture of Minami Yamashiro through it Buddhist sculptures.

 
One of the Nine Amida Sculptures, Heian period, 11th–12th century; owned by Jōruriji Temple (National Treasure)
image from the Nara National Museum
Yamato-e: Traditions of Beauty from the Imperial Court

The Yamato-e genre of painting was established in the early Heian period and remained popular while undergoing dramatic changes throughout time. While often viewed as an orthodox genre, artists of different eras frequently incorporated the latest painting trends in their Yamato-e paintings. In fact, their constant innovations can be considered to be a major characteristic of the genre.

This exhibition introduces a selection of outstanding Yamato-e paintings from the Heian to the Muromachi period. These works were created over a period of over a thousand years, and even though they inherited the traditional Yamato-e aesthetics of the imperial court, they were also highly innovative. The collection of paintings exhibited in this exhibition can be considered a textbook of Japanese art, and provides a comprehensive overview of the magnificent development of the genre of Yamato-e.

 
Part of the Hamamatsu Screens; Muromachi period, 15th–16th century (Important Cultural Property)