NEWSWORTHY
Ike no Taiga: The 'true view' travel painter
"The Genius of Ike no Taiga: Carefree Traveler, Legendary Painter," at Kyoto National Museum, is magisterial. Edo Period (1603-1868) Kyoto teemed with big name painters, but Taiga (1723-1776) was superlative. Taiga began the practice of calligraphy when a child, and was pseudo-certified in 1729 as ...
A few ways to go the whole dog in 2018
Cats may have surpassed dogs as pets in Japan for the first time in more than 20 years, but that hasn't stopped the nation preparing for the year of the dog with canine events and all manner of engimono lucky charms to see you ...
What makes a National Treasure?
Together, Japan's National Treasures provide a cacophonous ode to the nation and its heritage for its historical, cultural, geographical and stylistic dissonances. Yet, this is the first time in 41 years that 210 such works (or sets) have been displayed en masse. On their own, ...
Early birds do more than catch worms
In the battle of Zodiac animals vs. all the others, it's the rooster who performs the victory dance.
Every hero has a few human flaws
Ryoma Sakamoto (1835-1867), among Japan's most beloved heroes, came of age when U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry's Black Ships arrived demanding trade relations and ending the country's closed-door foreign policy. The old Japan ruled by the feudal Tokugawa shogunate was giving way to the modern ...
Sakamoto Ryoma: Japan's Favorite Hero
Oct. 15-Nov. 27 Sakamoto Ryoma, undoubtedly one of Japan's most influential and revered historical figures, played an essential role in the overthrow of the Edo Period (1603-1868) feudal shogunate, and helped pave the way toward the establishment of the Meiji government. A popular swordsman, politician and ...
Hakuin's picture of Zen Buddhism
Zen, traced to the ancient teachings of the Buddha Shakyamuni, took root in China via India around 1,500 years ago through the first Zen patriarch, Bodhidharma. Spread there by the priest Linji Yixuan (Rinzai Gigen, died 867), it was transmitted to Japan in the ...
Kyoto's Rinpa school is moving in many ways
At this moment, the Kyoto National Museum is showcasing some extraordinarily breathtaking work. Three sets of "Wind God" and "Thunder God" screens by three major Rinpa (also known as Rimpa) artists are being displayed together in the same location for the first time in ...
Where Buddhism and Shintoism meet
Works from the Tendai Buddhist Gakuenji temple in Shimane Prefecture form the feature exhibition of Kyoto National Museum's New Year's show. Tradition tells that the priest Chishun established Gakuenji around the time of the Empress Suiko (554-628) though centuries passed before it was first ...
Kyoto's top treasures, all under one roof
Kyoto is at its most brilliant and beautiful in autumn, with its World Heritage scenery colored in red and golden leaves. This year, it's also a time when visitors have the rare opportunity to learn about the essence of Kyoto culture at the Kyoto ...
'Masterpieces of Kosan-ji Temple'
The Kyoto National Museum recently opened its new Heisei Chishinkan wing with the special exhibition "Kyoto: Splendors of the Ancient Capital," and it is now continuing the celebration with "Masterpieces of Kosan-ji Temple" in its main Meiji Kotokan building. Though full of national treasures, the ...
'Kyoto: Splendors of the Ancient Capital'
After five years of construction, the Kyoto National Museum is ready to open a new wing, the Heisei Chishinkan, on Sept. 13 2014. To celebrate, the museum is bringing together 400 historical works related to Kyoto, including around 50 National Treasures and 110 Important ...
