75th Annual Shoso-in Exhibit Opens in Nara, Showcasing 8th Century Treasures

The Yomiuri Shimbun

18:00 JST, October 28, 2023

NARA — The 75th Annual Exhibition of Shoso-in Treasures opened Saturday at the Nara National Museum in Nara City, featuring precious items that have been preserved for centuries at the Shoso-in repository. Visitors on the day took in 59 selected treasures from the repository, which houses items of the Tenpyo culture that flourished during the Nara period (710-784).

The 59 items at the exhibit include a “Bronze Mirror with Floral Design in Mother-of-Pearl and Amber on the Back” and a “Quilted Nine-Panel Kesa in Mottled Colors,” a robe listed first in the “Kokka Chinpo Cho,” which records items cherished by the eighth-century Emperor Shomu.

On the opening day, a document bearing the handwritten signature of Roben, the first head monk of Todaiji temple, drew many visitors, as this year marks the 1,250th anniversary of his death.

The exhibition, which is open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (until 8 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Nov. 3), will run through Nov. 13. An advanced reservation must be made online.

For more information, see https://shosoin-ten.jp/en/ 

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