Calender
Feature Exhibition
Feature Exhibition
Kasuga Wakamiya Onmatsuri : Art and Devotion
The Kasuga Wakamiya On-Matsuri is an annual festival during which offerings representing various performing arts traditions are presented to the Wakamiya deity at the o-tabisho, a sacred venue constructed to serve as the deity’s temporary abode for the festival’s duration. For twenty-four hours, the deity is feted with music and dance. On-Matsuri is especially renowned for the furyūgyōretsu, the elegant procession of the ritual’s participants conveying the deity to its temporary abode, along with the varieties of sacred dance and music that it encompasses like dengaku (field music), bugaku (elegant court dance), and sarugaku (the precursor of noh drama). The Heian-period origins of On-Matsuri are evidenced by records tracing back to Hōen 2 (1136). Its traditions have been protected and carried on through the generations, and this year marks its 889th observance.
Each year, the Nara National Museum hosts a Feature Exhibition introducing the On-Matsuri festival, its history, rituals, and the arts associated with the Kasuga faith. Along with the exquisitely crafted sacred treasures, this year’s exhibition also features the results of recent restorations of cultural properties. Through numerous artworks related to the Kasuga faith, we are eager to present glimpses into the beautiful and sacred world of On-Matsuri, which includes the entire Yamato region.
(Kasuga Taisha, Nara)
Dates
Saturday, December 7th, 2024 to Monday, January 13th, 2025
The museum is closed on Mondays and the holidays at the end and beginning of the year (Saturday, December 28th to Wednesday, January 1st), but it will be open on January 13th.
Venue
The East Wing of the Nara National Museum
Hours
9:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Last entry is thirty minutes before closing.
*On the day of the Kasuga Wakamiya On-Matsuri O-Watari (December 17th), the museum is open until 7:00 p.m.
Admission
| General Admission | 700 JPY |
| University Students | 350 JPY |
- Free of charge entry to disabled certificate holders and an accompanying caretaker (upon presenting the certificate).
- High School Students and below; those under the age of 18; those 70 and above: free
- Free of charge entry to all guests on the day of the Kasuga Wakamiya On-Matsuri O-Watari (December 17th).
- For those bringing along with them a guest who is a high school student or under and/or under the age of 18, please enjoy a 100 yen discount on general admission and 50 yen discount on university students admission.
- Admission includes entry to the Feature Exhibition “Gigaku Masks from Tōdaiji Temple by Kasuga no Hitomaro and Kieishi,” Thematic Exhibition from the Permanent Collection “Newly Conserved Cultural Properties,” Exhibitions from the Permanent Collection “Masterpieces of Buddhist Sculpture” and “Chinese Ancient Ritual Bronzes.”
Organizers:
Nara National Museum, Kasuga Taisha, Bukkyo Bijutsu Kyōkai (Buddhist Art Foundation)
Through Corporate Partnership with:
DMG MORI Co., Ltd.