Daitokuji 700th Anniversary Exhibition Under Way at the Tokyo National Museum: 14 National Treasures, with the Sanmon Gate’s Principal Image and Rikyu Statue Shown for the First Time

The special exhibition “Daitokuji: Japan’s Unrivaled Zen Temple,” commemorating the 700th anniversary of the temple’s founding, is being held at the Heiseikan of the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno, Tokyo. It runs from Wednesday, October 14 to Sunday, December 6, 2026, with almost all works changed between the first and second periods. Organized by the museum, Daitokuji (the head temple) and others, it presents 14 National Treasures and 69 Important Cultural Properties from treasures handed down at Daitokuji, its sub-temples and temples of the Daitokuji school. According to the organizers, this is the first exhibition bringing Daitokuji’s treasures together in 41 years, and the first ever in Tokyo.

Highlights of the Daitokuji exhibition

The venue features a re-creation of the Sanmon gate, which is normally closed to the public. The principal image enshrined in the Sanmon, the “Seated Shaka Nyorai,” and the “Standing Statue of Sen no Rikyu” are shown publicly for the first time.

The exhibition is divided into a first period (October 14 – November 8) and a second period (November 10 – December 6), and the official website describes it as an “almost complete change.” For example, the National Treasure “Guanyin, Monkeys and Crane” by Muqi is shown in the first period, and the Important Cultural Property “Dragon and Tiger,” attributed to Muqi, in the second. To see both, you need to visit twice during the exhibition.

Main works (National Treasures, Important Cultural Properties and others)

The main works and their display periods listed on the official website are as follows (designations, titles and collections as given on the official website).

• National Treasure “Kizaemon Ido” Oido-type tea bowl, Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea, Joseon dynasty, 16th century, Kohoan, Kyoto (shown throughout)

• National Treasure “Guanyin, Monkeys and Crane” by Muqi, China, Southern Song dynasty, 13th century, Daitokuji (first period)

• National Treasure “Kandoku Shinsen Bo” by Shuho Myocho, Nanboku-cho period, 14th century, Shinjuan, Kyoto (scrolled to a different section halfway through)

• Important Cultural Property “Dragon and Tiger,” attributed to Muqi, China, Southern Song dynasty, 1269 (Xianchun 5), Daitokuji (second period)

• Important Cultural Property “Carved Red Lacquer Tray with Camellias and Long-Tailed Birds,” incised inscription “Made by Zhang Cheng,” China, Yuan dynasty, 14th century, Korin-in, Kyoto (shown throughout)

• Important Cultural Property “Portrait of Ikkyu Sojun,” with the subject’s own inscription, commissioned by the Zen practitioner Soben, Muromachi period, 15th century, Shuon-an, Kyoto (first period)

• Important Cultural Property “Portrait of Emperor Go-Daigo,” Kamakura–Nanboku-cho period, 14th century, Daitokuji (first period)

• “Portrait of Oda Nobunaga” by Kano Eitoku, Azuchi-Momoyama period, 1584 (Tensho 12), Daitokuji (second period)

• “Portrait of Toyotomi Hideyoshi,” Edo period, 17th century, Daitokuji (shown throughout)

• “Seated Shaka Nyorai with Standing Kasho and Anan”: the Seated Shaka Nyorai by Inkei, Muromachi period, 1404 (Oei 11); the Standing Kasho and Anan, Kamakura period, 13th–14th century. Daitokuji, enshrined in the Sanmon gate (shown throughout; the Seated Shaka Nyorai is shown publicly for the first time)

• “Standing Statue of Sen no Rikyu”: head from 1840 (Tenpo 11), body by Tanaka Jokei, 1869 (Meiji 2). Daitokuji, enshrined in the Sanmon gate (shown throughout; first public showing)

Among the portraits are Emperor Go-Daigo, who was deeply devoted to Daito Kokushi; Oda Nobunaga, whose funeral was held at Daitokuji; and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who left many traces within Daitokuji. The full list of works can be checked in the list of exhibits on the official website.

The history of Zen and the tea ceremony behind the exhibition

According to the exhibition’s official website, Daitokuji is located in Murasakino, Kyoto, and carries on the Zen style of its founder, Shuho Myocho (Daito Kokushi). Since its founding in 1326, it has produced eminent monks and drawn the faith of emperors, warlords of the Sengoku period and tea masters such as Sen no Rikyu. Emperor Go-Daigo is said to have praised Daitokuji as “Japan’s unrivaled Zen temple” (Honcho Muso no Zen’en), and these words gave the exhibition its name.

According to Daitokuji’s official website, the temple was devastated in the Onin War, and Ikkyu Sojun restored its buildings. In the Momoyama period, Toyotomi Hideyoshi held Oda Nobunaga’s funeral there and built Sokenin to pray for his repose. This prompted a succession of sub-temples founded by Sengoku warlords, and today there are two branch temples and 20 sub-temples.

The website also touches on the relationship between the Sanmon gate and Rikyu. The second story of the Sanmon was added by Sen no Rikyu and named “Kinmokaku.” Enshrining a statue of Rikyu there is said to have angered Hideyoshi and been one cause of Rikyu’s forced suicide. The “Standing Statue of Sen no Rikyu” shown publicly for the first time in this exhibition is the statue currently enshrined in this Sanmon.

Tickets, and how to avoid crowds

Admission is 2,300 yen for adults, 1,300 yen for university students and 900 yen for high school students. Junior high school students and younger, and people with disabilities plus one caregiver, are admitted free. Advance ticket sales ended on Tuesday, October 13. No advance reservation is required, and the exhibition ticket also gives access to the TNM Collection exhibitions (regular exhibitions) on the day of the visit only.

The official website recommends buying tickets online, as the wait to buy tickets at the Main Gate ticket office can exceed 30 minutes when crowded. The museum is open until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays and on Sunday, November 1, Monday, November 2 and Sunday, November 22.

The museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesday, November 24, but open on Monday, November 2, Monday, November 23 (national holiday) and Monday, November 30. On November 30, only the Daitokuji exhibition is open, and the TNM Collection exhibitions cannot be seen.

There are reciprocal discounts with exhibitions including the National Museum of Western Art’s “Tate Turner exhibition” and the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum’s “What a Wonderful World: Masterworks from the Musée d’Orsay.” Showing a ticket stub or similar from the partner exhibition at the Main Gate ticket office gives 100 yen off the Daitokuji exhibition (not combinable with other discounts). In the museum’s Honkan, the separately ticketed special exhibition “Utagawa Hiroshige: Edo’s Best Angles” is also being held.

During the exhibition, “ZEN NIGHT TOKYO” (organized by the Tokyo National Museum, Nikkei Inc. and VIE) is also held in the museum’s garden in the evenings. It runs from 17:30 to 19:30, extended to 21:00 or 21:30 depending on the day. In addition to admission tickets bundled with a Daitokuji exhibition ticket, there are admission tickets for those who already hold a Daitokuji exhibition ticket. “VIE presents ZEN NIGHT KAMAKURA” at Kencho-ji in Kamakura is introduced in a separate article.

Editor’s perspective

The exhibition centers on the relationship between the art handed down by a Zen temple and the tea ceremony. From Kohoan’s National Treasure “Kizaemon Ido” tea bowl to Zen monks’ calligraphy, Chinese paintings, portraits and lacquerware, visitors can trace it all in a single venue. Omotesenke Fushin’an, Urasenke Konnichian and Mushakojisenke Kankyuan are listed among the cooperating organizations.

However, since almost all works change between the first and second periods, it is not possible to see everything in one visit. Check the display periods of the works you want to see in the list of exhibits before deciding when to go. The re-created Sanmon display is easier to appreciate if you know the history of Rikyu and the Sanmon handed down by Daitokuji, which conveys the meaning of the place where the “Standing Statue of Sen no Rikyu” has stood. Japanese art exhibitions this autumn and winter where you can see National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties are summarized in our [2026–2027] guide to Japanese art exhibitions.

Overview

Name: Special Exhibition Commemorating the 700th Anniversary of the Founding: “Daitokuji: Japan’s Unrivaled Zen Temple”
Dates: Wednesday, October 14 – Sunday, December 6, 2026 (first period: Wednesday, October 14 – Sunday, November 8; second period: Tuesday, November 10 – Sunday, December 6)
Hours: 9:30–17:00 (until 20:00 every Friday and Saturday and on Sunday, November 1, Monday, November 2 and Sunday, November 22; last admission 30 minutes before closing)
Closed: Mondays and Tuesday, November 24 (open on Monday, November 2, Monday, November 23 (national holiday) and Monday, November 30; on November 30 only the Daitokuji exhibition is open)
Venue: Tokyo National Museum, Heiseikan Special Exhibition Galleries
Address: 13-9 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Admission: Adults 2,300 yen, university students 1,300 yen, high school students 900 yen (free for junior high school students and younger, and people with disabilities plus one caregiver; students of Campus Members schools 1,100 yen for same-day tickets; no advance reservation required)
Organizers: Tokyo National Museum; Daitokuji (head temple); NHK; NHK Promotions; Nikkei Inc.
Official website: https://daitokuji2026.exhn.jp/
*Information as of October 19, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

*Top image: Daitokuji, Kyoto (photo: Hiro2006, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on information on the official websites of the organizers, including the Tokyo National Museum, and of Daitokuji (as of October 19, 2026).

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team