Princess Akiko of Mikasa Appreciates Exhibition about Shoso-in Imperial Treasures in Osaka

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:50 JST, July 29, 2025

OSAKA — Princess Akiko of Mikasa viewed an exhibition displaying the splendor of the Shoso-in Imperial treasures at the Osaka Museum of History in Osaka on Monday.

Princess Akiko spent about an hour appreciating artistic ultra-high-resolution 3D images of the treasures projected onto a screen at “Shosoin THE SHOW – Japanese Imperial Treasures / Experience the history and the miracle!” after being received by a group including Takehiko Iida, head of the Office of the Shosoin Treasure House at the Imperial Household Agency, and Takayuki Tanaka, president of The Yomiuri Shimbun Osaka. She also observed faithfully reconstructed replicas of some of the treasures, including that of the five-stringed biwa lute of red sandalwood with mother-of-pearl inlay.

According to Iida, who guided Princess Akiko, when she visited a corner where visitors could smell the recreated scent of Ojukuko, also known as Ranjatai, — a piece of incense wood said to be the finest in the world — she said it was soft and befitting the name of Ojukuko, which literally means “ripe yellow incense.”

Organized by The Yomiuri Shimbun and others, the exhibition will run through Aug. 24.