March 17-May 17
As a major attraction of the "Festival of India in Japan 2014-15," this exhibition brings to Japan around 80 Indian Buddhist artworks from the Indian Museum, Kolkata, which was founded in 1814 and is the oldest general museum in India.
Seven aspects of Buddhist statues are being covered: the conceptual underpinnings of the statues, the life of Gautama Buddha, the visual concepts of Buddha, variations of Bodhisattvas and other gods, the use of pagodas, Vajrayana (Buddhist tantra) and the written teachings of sutras. The first known Buddhist statues date back to the first century, and the highlight of this exhibition is the section on Gandhara Buddhist texts and statues, which — as the oldest extant Buddhist artifacts — reveal influences from Greece and Rome.
Tokyo National Museum; 13-9 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo. Ueno Stn. 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. (Fri. till 8 p.m., from April 4, Sat., Sun., holidays till 6 p.m.). ¥1,400. Closed Mon. 03-5777-8600; www.tnm.jp