National Treasure “Daigo-ji Documents and Sacred Texts” Expands to 94,192 Items, with the Commemorative Exhibition “Prayers in 100,000 Items” at the Reihokan Through December 6

On October 16, 2026, Japan Women’s University announced that its survey of every item in the National Treasure “Daigo-ji Documents and Sacred Texts,” handed down at Daigo-ji in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto, has borne fruit and that the National Treasure designation will be expanded. In an additional designation based on a report by the Council for Cultural Affairs, 24,788 documents and, as “tsuketari” (appended items), 711 boxes for documents and sacred texts are newly added to the National Treasure, bringing the total to 94,192 items. At the Daigo-ji Reihokan, the commemorative autumn special exhibition “National Treasure: Prayers in 100,000 Items — Kan’ei Culture and Daigo-ji” runs until Sunday, December 6.

What becomes a National Treasure? Boxes 559 to 815 added to a body of materials from the Heian period to modern times

The “Daigo-ji Documents and Sacred Texts” are a vast collection of documents, books and sacred texts handed down at Daigo-ji. Materials spanning a long period, from the Heian era to modern times, have been continuously preserved. Daigo-ji is a Shingon esoteric Buddhist temple founded in 874 (Jogan 16) by Shobo (Rigen Daishi).

According to the announcement, 69,378 items in boxes 1 to 558 were designated a National Treasure in 2013. Following deliberation and a vote at its Subdivision on Cultural Properties on March 26, 2026, the Council for Cultural Affairs recommended integrating the Important Cultural Properties into this National Treasure and adding boxes 559 to 815 of tangible cultural properties. The 711 boxes for documents and sacred texts are also designated as “tsuketari.” Japan Women’s University says it will be one of the largest bodies of materials by item count among National Treasures.

A survey begun in the Taisho era is complete, with about 100 students taking part

Surveying and cataloging the Daigo-ji Documents and Sacred Texts has continued since the Taisho era. At Japan Women’s University, Makoto Nagamura (now professor emeritus), who joined the faculty in 1990, began building a database of the materials with research funding from Daigo-ji. From fiscal 2013 to fiscal 2024, commissioned by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the university led the survey of every item and the compilation of the catalog.

About 100 students and graduates took part in the survey. The catalog was completed in March 2024, and the full picture of the Daigo-ji Documents and Sacred Texts became clear for the first time. The Agency for Cultural Affairs’ confirmation survey, carried out in parallel, has also been completed, establishing a body of materials totaling 94,192 items. The research foundation is now carried on by Professor Masako Fujii of the Department of History and Culture in the Faculty of Letters.

Highlights of the special exhibition “Prayers in 100,000 Items”: Sotatsu’s “Scattered Fans” and the Yakushi Triad

The Daigo-ji Reihokan’s autumn special exhibition opened on Saturday, October 17. It is held in three spaces at the Reihokan: the Main Building, the Main Building Artist Space and the Heiseikan. The Main Building presents the National Treasure vermilion-seal letters of Tokugawa Hidetada and Tokugawa Iemitsu, letters of Kasuga no Tsubone and the “Kan’ei Hibiki” (Kan’ei daily records), together with two myogo (sacred name) inscriptions by Emperor Go-Mizunoo. The National Treasure “Avatamsaka Sutra” (Nara period), attributed to Kukai, is also on display.

The Heiseikan presents Tawaraya Sotatsu’s Important Cultural Properties “Reeds and Ducks” and “Scattered Fans,” the National Treasure “Register of Shugendo Offices at Branch Temples in the Provinces” and boxes for the Daigo-ji Documents and Sacred Texts (boxes 157 and 723). Visitors can also see the National Treasure seated Yakushi Nyorai with the Nikko Bosatsu and Gakko Bosatsu (the Yakushi Triad, Heian period). The Main Building Artist Space gathers the National Treasure former four inner pillars of the Five-Story Pagoda (Heian period), along with components, models and copies related to the pagoda.

Admission, hours and access

Visiting hours are 9:00–17:00, with entry until 30 minutes before closing. A ticket for any one of the Sanbo-in, the Garan (temple grounds) or the Reihokan costs ¥600 for adults and ¥400 for junior high and high school students, and is free for elementary school children and younger. There are also combined tickets for all three (adults ¥1,500, junior high and high school students ¥1,000) and for any two (adults ¥1,000, junior high and high school students ¥700).

Buddhist services will be held in the Heiseikan from 14:00 on Saturday, October 24 and from 13:00 on Sunday, October 25. During and around the services, the area around the National Treasure Yakushi Triad cannot be viewed. The services can be watched with a Reihokan ticket. The exhibition may be canceled or its dates changed without notice because of temple events and the like.

The address is 22 Daigo Higashioji-cho, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto. It is about a 10-minute walk from Exit 2 of Daigo Station on the Kyoto Municipal Subway Tozai Line, or by Keihan Bus, get off at “Daigoji” or “Daigoji-mae.” Kyoto’s autumn nighttime visits and light-ups are introduced in our guide to nighttime visits and light-ups in Kyoto.

Editor’s perspective

Under the title “Prayers in 100,000 Items,” the exhibition brings together vermilion-seal letters and correspondence from the Kan’ei period, Emperor Go-Mizunoo’s myogo inscriptions, Sotatsu’s paintings and even Buddhist sculptures from the Heian period. The long work of examining some 100,000 items one by one and compiling them into a catalog has taken visible form through the National Treasure designation and the exhibition. Until the same date, December 6, the Tokyo National Museum is also holding the special exhibition “Daitoku-ji: The Unrivaled Zen Temple of Japan,” which brings together treasures of Daitoku-ji in Kyoto.

Overview

Name: Daigo-ji Reihokan Autumn Special Exhibition, “Commemorating the Completion of the National Treasure Designation of the Daigo-ji Documents and Sacred Texts — National Treasure: Prayers in 100,000 Items — Kan’ei Culture and Daigo-ji”
Dates: Saturday, October 17 – Sunday, December 6, 2026
Hours: 9:00–17:00 (entry until 30 minutes before closing)
Venue: Daigo-ji Reihokan (Main Building, Main Building Artist Space, Heiseikan)
Address: 22 Daigo Higashioji-cho, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto
Admission: Single-site ticket (Reihokan): adults ¥600, junior high and high school students ¥400, elementary school children and younger free (separate fees for the Sanbo-in and Garan; combined tickets available)
Official website: https://www.daigoji.or.jp/exhibition/2026_autumn.html
*Information as of October 21, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

*Top image: “Register of Shugendo Offices at Branch Temples in the Provinces,” box 593 of the “Daigo-ji Documents and Sacred Texts” (Photo courtesy of Daigo-ji) (from Japan Women’s University’s press release)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on an announcement by Japan Women’s University (October 16, 2026) and information on Daigo-ji’s official website.

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team