The statue of Yakushi Nyorai, the principal image of Kyoto's Daigoji Temple and a national treasure, is on public show in Tokyo for the first time in 36 years, along with other art works from the temple.
"Treasures from Daigoji Temple," which opened Tuesday at the Tokyo National Museum, is a rare opportunity to see 110 of the temple's treasures, which include 11 national treasures and 73 important cultural assets.
The 176-cm-tall statue is normally enshrined in the main hall of the famed temple, which was founded in 874 by Buddhist monk Seiho in what is now Kyoto's Fushimi Ward. Daigoji enjoyed patronage from many power-holders of the day, including the emperors Daigo, Suzaku and Murakami, and consequently acquired a vast collection of more than 100,000 treasures.
The exhibition also includes Buddhist statues, paintings, craft works, folding screens, Buddhist sutras, a handwritten document by the famous priest Kukai (ninth century) and calligraphy by the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi (16th century).