National treasure “Bird-and-flower painting” is specially released at Kyoto Zen Buddhist temple

2022.03.24

The national treasure Jukoin main hall barrier painting “Kachozu”, which has returned home for the first time in five and a half years from the Kyoto National Museum, will be displayed at Daitokuji Temple from September 3, 2022 (Sat) to March 26, 2023 (Sun). It will be open to the public.

Daitokuji was a place related to Sengoku daimyo such as Nobunaga Oda and Hideyoshi Toyotomi, and at that time, Sen no Rikyu, who served the Sengoku warlord, and the Kano school represented by Eitoku Kano, one of the important figures in the history of Japanese art, were active. It is at the forefront of culture and has had a great influence on Japanese culture.

Daitokuji Tatchu Jukoin is known as Sen no Rikyu’s Bodhisattva Temple, and is also the graveyard of the tea ceremony San-Senke (Omotesenke, Urasenke, Mushakojisenke) that follows the tradition of Rikyu. It is a special place for those who like the tea ceremony.

Jukoin was founded in 1566 by the warlord Miyoshi Yoshitsugu to mourn the bodhi of his adoptive father, Chokei. Rikyu made Jukoin his own family temple because his founder, Soukei Emimine, was a teacher of Sen no Rikyu meditation.

【Special public overview】

Period: September 3, 2022 (Sat) – March 26, 2023 (Sun)
Time: Scheduled from 9:00 to 16:00 (final reception)
Admission fee: 2,000 yen (junior high school students are accompanied by parents, elementary school students and younger are not allowed to see)
Public format: Group visit by dividing time and number of people (tour format) Reservation priority (at Kyoto Spring Autumn HP or telephone reception)
Special release: [National Treasure] Eitoku Kano / Matsuei Brush Main Hall Barrier Painting
[Important Goods] Main Hall, Tea Room “Hidden Seats” “Masu Floor Seats”
[Place of Scenic Beauty] Garden “Hyakka no Niwa”
Shoin (Hiroshi Senju brush painting “waterfall”)

Returning home for the first time in five and a half years from the Kyoto National Museum!

Eitoku Kano / Matsuei brush barrier painting "Bird-and-flower painting"

The barrier paintings at the main hall of Jukoin were drawn by Eitoku Kano (4th generation of the Kano school) and his father, Matsue (3rd generation of the Kano school), a genius painter from the Momoyama period. In particular, Eitoku was assigned to Muranaka, who was 24 years old at the time and had the central function of the main hall, and drew his masterpiece “Bird-and-flower painting”.

Eitoku Kano, a genius, is still one of the most important figures in Japanese painting even today, but Eitoku’s Azuchi Castle, Jurakudai, and Osaka Castle all have few existing works due to fire and destruction, and remain on this scale. The only thing is the barrier painting “Kachozu” by Jukoin.

In 1979, “Mona Lisa” came to Japan and was exhibited. At that time, Eitoku’s “Bird-and-flower painting” was exhibited in France as a salute. It is truly a masterpiece that represents Japanese art.

[Important Cultural Property] Two tea rooms, "Kansei-seat" and "Masu-floor seat", which are related to the San-Senke tea ceremony

The two tea rooms, “Kakukaku-seat” and “Masu-doko-seat,” which are both important cultural properties, convey the relationship between Jukoin and the San-Senke tea ceremony most clearly. The quiet seat was built by the donation of Omotesenke 7th Nyoshinsai at the time of the 150th anniversary of Sen no Rikyu, and it is recorded that the morning tea was held here.

Inspired by Rikyu’s spirit, the lights are extremely restricted and the setting is simple and tense. It is as narrow as 3 tatami mats, and the floor pillars are made of straight red pine bark.

On the other hand, the quiet seats and the Masu floor seats that are adjacent to each other across the Mizuya are a little wider than 4 and a half tatami mats, and the half tatami mats are between the stepping floors.

[Important Cultural Property] Shoin Hiroshi Senju "Waterfall"

At the Jukoin Shoin, which was defeated in 2013, the barrier painting “Taki” by Hiroshi Senju, a world-renowned Japanese painter, whose works were exhibited at the Tokyo International Airport Terminal 2 and the summit of APEC JAPAN 2010.

[Important Cultural Property] Hiroshi Senju's "Taki"

Hiroshi Senju
Born in Japan. A painter living in New York. He is known worldwide for his works of sublime and huge scale waterfalls and cliffs. He creates works that combine minimalist expression rooted in Abstract Expressionism with ancient Japanese painting techniques.
From 2007 to 2013, he was the president of Kyoto University of the Arts, and is currently a professor at Kyoto University of the Arts, director of the Koyodo Museum of Art, a member of the Van Crief & Arpels School of the Arts (Recall) Masters Committee, and a consultant to the Tokugawa Museum.

New

New

Featured articles

Hiroshima

Art

Simose Art Museum: “Ambient, Environment, Circumstances – The Topography of Contemporary Art”Interview Part II: Ryosuke Yoshimura, Kisei Takahashi, Mario Cristiani, and Stefano Pesce

Opened in 2023 in Otake City, Hiroshima Prefecture, the Simose Art Museum sits on the shores of the Seto Inland Sea, facing the sacred island of Itsukushima. Designed by globally acclaimed architect Shigeru Ban, the museum rose to international prominence when it was awarded the Versailles Prize in December 2024 as the ‘World’s Most Beautiful Museum,’ drawing significant global attention.

To commemorate this achievement, the museum launched its first-ever contemporary art exhibition, Ambient, Environment, Circumstances – The Topography of Contemporary Art, which runs from April 26 to July 21, 2025. Within just ten days of opening, the exhibition surpassed 10,000 visitors—a record-breaking turnout for the museum.

Featuring works by emerging artists born between 1980 and 2000, primarily from across Asia, this special exhibition marks a bold new chapter for the museum as it ventures into contemporary territory.

Following our previous interview, HYAKKEI continues its coverage with insights from Ryosuke Yoshimura, Representative Director of Simose Art Museum; Kisei Takahashi, Board Director of the museum; Mario Cristiani, co-founder of Italy’s leading gallery Galleria Continua; and Stefano Pesce, Advisor of the Mark Tobey Committee CMT.

Hiroshima

Art

Simose Art Museum: “Ambient, Environment, Circumstances – The Topography of Contemporary Art”Interview Part I: Chief Curator Keita Saito

Opened in 2023 in Otake City, Hiroshima Prefecture, the Simose Art Museum sits on the shores of the Seto Inland Sea, facing the sacred island of Itsukushima. Designed by globally acclaimed architect Shigeru Ban, the museum rose to international prominence when it was awarded the Versailles Prize in December 2024 as the ‘World’s Most Beautiful Museum,’ drawing significant global attention.

To commemorate this achievement, the museum launched its first-ever contemporary art exhibition, Ambient, Environment, Circumstances – The Topography of Contemporary Art, which runs from April 26 to July 21, 2025. Within just ten days of opening, the exhibition surpassed 10,000 visitors—a record-breaking turnout for the museum.

Featuring works by emerging artists born between 1980 and 2000, primarily from across Asia, this special exhibition marks a bold new chapter for the museum as it ventures into contemporary territory.

HYAKKEI visited the exhibition shortly after its opening and sat down with Chief Curator and artist Keita Saito for an in-depth interview. “I wanted this project to challenge the current condition of the Japanese art world,” Saito noted.

Tokyo

Art

Event

Special Exhibition “Daikakuji Temple, Former Saga Gosho – New Currents: Paintings Related to the Gosho” will be held at night to commemorate the 1,150th anniversary of the temple’s founding.

Due to the popularity of the exhibition “Daikakuji Temple, Former Saga Palace: New Flowers and Paintings Related to the Palace,” which will be held at the Heiseikan of the Tokyo National Museum from Tuesday, January 21, 2025, the museum will be open at night. In addition, from Tuesday, February 18, a limited-edition novelty gift will be distributed to visitors who purchase exhibition merchandise for 4,000 yen or more, including tax.

Shiga

Travel

Event

Culture

[KYUKAMURA OHMI-HACHIMAN]Tour of Lake Biwa’s famous landmarks ‘Enjoying “Biwa Ichi” by bus – around Lake Biwa’ tour.

The resort hotel ‘KYUKAMURA OHMI-HACHIMAN’, located on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture, in Omi Hachiman City, known for its Omi merchants and Azuchi Castle, is inviting participants to join the ‘Biwaichi’ bus tour, which immerses them in the historical romance of Shiga Prefecture, which has flourished as a key transport hub since ancient times, close to Kyoto and Nara.
To ensure that visitors can enjoy Omi in an easy-to-understand way, Mr Yoshiyuki Onuma, Senior Researcher at the National Institute for Historical Resource Development, will accompany them throughout the tour and provide explanations.

Pick Up

Pick Up