Taito City Culture Guide Book, Relaxing at the Tokyo National Museum

Treasures and history of Horyuji Temple are in harmony with the modern space.

Entrance hall full of natural light

Gallery of Horyuji Treasures
The stone pavement and basin reflect shadows of surrounding weeping willows and red and white Japanese plum blossoms, creating a relaxing atmosphere.

The Gallery of Horyuji Treasures opened in 1964 as a building (Horyuji Homotsukan) storing more than 300 treasures offered to the Imperial Family from Horyuji Temple. At that time, since the gallery was built in order to store and preserve cultural properties, it was open to the public once in a week. However, there were many requests to extend the open day, so it was rebuilt as a building aimed at preserving and displaying the cultural properties, and opened to the public in 1999. The present gallery, designed by Yoshio Taniguchi, is a very modern building. It was awarded the Grand Prize of AIJ (Architectural Institute of Japan) in 2001. The entrance hall is a bright open space full of natural light, and the exhibition rooms are surrounded by stone walls that cut off outside light in order to preserve the cultural properties. Those create tow contrasting spaces.

Dragon-head Pitcher, National Treasure / the 7th century (Asuka Period or Tang Period)

Reproduction of "Kanjo-ban," National Treasure
A ritual decoration used as a canopy or attached to a pillar of a Buddhist hall

Gallery of Horyuji Treasures (drawing: Xu Ziyan)

Gallery of Horyuji Treasures (drawing: Ziyan Xu)

Room 2, Gilt Bronze Buddhist Statues

Room 2, Lady Maya and Three Heavenly Beings, Important Cultural Property / the 7th century (Asuka Period)

"Shokko Kinjoku Zangetsu," a fragment of banner / the 7th century (Asuka Period)

Room 6, Painting, Calligraphy, Textiles
Items preserved in the gallery include "Shotoku Taishi E-den," or illustrated biography of Prince Shotoku, (by Kouzukeno Hokkyo Tajimabo), documents, including the National Treasure "Horyuji Kenmotsucho," or record of the Imperial bequest to Horyuji Temple, and the National Treasure "Saiji Hoke-kyo" sutra, and books, including biographies of Prince Shotoku, temple records and the Important Cultural Property "Kokon Mokurokusho," or record of Horyuji Temple and biography of Prince Shotoku.