‘Buddhist Art of the Tendai School’ exhibit gets under way at Kyoto National Museum

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A special exhibition commemorating the 1200th anniversary of the passing of Saicho (Dengyo Daishi), the founder of Japan’s Tendai school of Buddhism, has opened at the Kyoto National Museum in Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto.

The “Buddhist Art of the Tendai School” exhibit (organized by The Yomiuri Shimbun and other institutions) features 130 assets — including 23 government-designated national treasures and 72 important cultural properties — gathered from Enryaku-ji temple, the school’s headquarters on Mt. Hiei (Otsu, Shiga Pref.), and other Tendai temples located in various parts of Japan.

Commemorating the 1200th Anniversary of Saichō’s Death
Buddhist Art of the Tendai School

April (Tue) 12 – May 22 (Sun), 2022

Kyoto National Museum
(Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto)

*See outline below for more info

Among the assets on display are: The “Prince Shotoku and the High Priests of Tendai Buddhism” series (national treasure, 11th century) — including a portrait painting of Saicho — owned by Ichijo-ji temple in Kasai, Hyogo Pref.; The “Hie Sanno Portable Shrine* (Juge-gu shrine)” (important cultural property, 17th-19th century) from the Hiyoshi Taisha shrine in Otsu; and the standing statue of “Yakushi Nyorai (Bhaisajyaguru)” (important cultural property, 11th century) belonging to Hokai-ji temple (Daigo School of the Shingon Sect) in Kyoto.

*Hie Sanno Portable Shrine

     – One of seven mikoshi (portable shrines) kept at the Hiyoshi Taisha shrine in Otsu

     – Monkeys in the decorative metal fittings are regarded as sacred beasts

    – Main unit weighs about 2 tons

     – Used as a votive object in the Hiyoshi Taisha Sanno Festival every April

      – Designated by the Japanese government as an important cultural property in 1966

The special exhibition is held in association with the Tsumugu Project, a joint effort of the Cultural Affairs Agency, Imperial Household Agency and national daily The Yomiuri Shimbun to help preserve Japan’s artistic treasures.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun and other sources)

From the Kyoto National Museum website:

2021 marks the 1200th anniversary of the death of Dengyo Daishi Saicho (767–822), founder of Japan’s Tendai school of Buddhism. Saicho was moved by the Lotus Sutra’s egalitarian teaching that “the path to enlightenment is open for anybody,” a doctrine that formed the basis of Tendai Buddhism’s propagation across Japan. Saicho established Enryakuji temple on Mt. Hiei, an area overlooking Lake Biwa to the east and Kyoto to the west. The temple produced many eminent priests whose diverse teachings would have a major impact on Japanese culture.

On this occasion, the special exhibition “Buddhist Art of the Tendai School” will be held at the Tokyo National Museum, the Kyushu National Museum, and the Kyoto National Museum over three periods between October 2021 and May 2022. The exhibition traces the history of the Tendai school in Japan, from its founding at Enryakuji temple to the construction of Toeizan Kan-ei-ji temple and the establishment of strong ties with the shogunal government during the Edo period (1603–1868). While taking advantage of the regional characteristics of each venue, the exhibition will present treasures passed down throughout Japan and cultural properties that exemplify the concept of universal salvation expressed in the Lotus Sutra.