Special Exhibitions & Feature Exhibitions
Special Exhibition The 1400th Memorial for Prince Shōtoku
HŌRYŪJI
Prince Shōtoku and Treasures of Early Buddhist Faith in Japan
In the year 2021 (Reiwa 3), we mark the 1,400th anniversary of Prince Shōtoku’s passing. The exhibition “Hōryūji: Prince Shōtoku and Treasures of Early Buddhist Faith in Japan” commemorates this important occasion. We enter his world and the constellation of beliefs surrounding him, where portraits, relics, and material traces of Prince Shōtoku are gathered together with other important temple treasures and works displaying the great heights that Buddhist culture reached in the Asuka period (592–710) and beyond. Some of the works to be exhibited are drawn from the treasures that Hōryūji Temple donated to the Emperor in 1878 (Meiji 11), now under the stewardship of Tokyo National Museum. The return of these treasures to Nara for the exhibition is a precious opportunity indeed.
We experience something of Prince Shōtoku’s life and legacy through the material culture of his age and in the visual traditions of Shōtoku faith and hagiography. As we look back towards the fount of Japanese culture and Buddhism in Japan, Prince Shōtoku continues to offer new insights into our ideals, even at a distance of 1,400 years.
Seated Prince Shōtoku
(Hōryūji Temple, Nara)
Duration
Tuesday, April 27th–Sunday, June 20th, 2021 (Reiwa 3)
The Museum is closed on Mondays (except for May 3rd).
Place
The New East Wing and West Wing, Nara National Museum
Hours
9:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
*On Saturdays, hours are extended to 7:00 P.M
*Last entry is 30 minutes before the museum closes.
Admission
Those with tickets purchased in advance will be prioritized for admission.
You are encouraged to purchase Advance Timed-Entry Tickets.
| Advance Tickets | Same-day Tickets | |
|---|---|---|
| General Admission | ¥1,800 | ¥2,000 |
| High School/College Students | ¥1,200 | ¥1,400 |
| Elementary/Junior High Students | ¥300 | ¥500 |
- Advance Timed-Entry Tickets go on sale at 10:00 A.M. on February 26, 2021.
- They can be purchased only through Lawson Ticket (L-Code: Tues., April 27 to Mon, May 23: 57100 | Tues., May 25 to Sun., June 20: 57200) at Lawson stores and at Ministop stores, by telephone (Automated service: 0570-000-034), or the website (https://l-tike.com/horyuji2021/) up to the day before your anticipated visit. Once you have purchased your Advance Timed-Entry Ticket, the date and time cannot be changed and there are no refunds. The number of tickets for both periods of the exhibition is limited; advance ticket sales will end when these have sold out. For details and further information, please visit the exhibition’s official site.
Organizers
Nara National Museum, Hōryūji Temple, The Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) Nara Station, NHK Enterprises Kinki, INC. Osaka Branch Office, Agency for Cultural Affairs.
Special Cooperation
Cannon, East Japan Railway Company (JR East), Japan Tobacco Inc., Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd., Meiji Holdings Co., Ltd.
Sponsors
SHIMIZU CORPORATION, Takashimaya, Co., Ltd., Takenaka Corporation, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Mitsubishi Corporation.
Support
UCHIDA YOKO Co., Ltd., NISSHA Co., Ltd., Non-Destructive Inspection Co., Ltd., Nara Prefecture, Nippon Kodo Co., Ltd., Bukkyo Bijutsu Kyōkai (Buddhist Art Foundation)
