The 78th Annual Exhibition of Shosoin Treasures Ran Until November 9 at the Nara National Museum; Treasures on Display, Including the Lacquered Ewer, and the Timed-Entry Ticket System

The Nara National Museum held the 78th Annual Exhibition of Shosoin Treasures in its East and West Wings from Saturday, October 24 to Monday, November 9, 2026. The exhibition presented treasures of the Shosoin, centered on items cherished by Emperor Shomu, including the Persian-style Lacquered Ewer (Shikkohei) and the red-stained, engraved ivory go stones known as Kogebachiru no Kishi. The museum was open every day during the exhibition. Viewing generally required a timed-entry ticket purchased in advance.

Highlights of the 78th exhibition

According to the official exhibition website, the Lacquered Ewer is a treasure recorded in the Kokka Chinpo-cho (Record of the Nation’s Rare Treasures). A pitcher of a type originating in Persia to the west, made with East Asian lacquer techniques, it is regarded as a symbol of exchange between East and West. Also on display are the White Glass Ewer (Hakururi no Hei), said to have been made in the region around Iran, and the Square Mirror with Birds, Beasts and Flowers (Chojukahai no Hokyo), cast with a grape-vine arabesque pattern of Western origin.

According to the Imperial Household Agency, the Silver Heidatsu Lidded Box No. 2 will be displayed together with the go stones said to have been stored in it, the Kogebachiru no Kishi and Kongebachiru no Kishi (red- and indigo-stained engraved ivory go stones). Also on display is the Box with Mitsuda-e Painting No. 14, used to present incense at the ceremony consecrating the Great Buddha of Todaiji in 752 (Tenpyo Shoho 4). The Kokka Chinpo-cho itself, in which the silver heidatsu box is recorded, is not shown this time.

Also on display is Koryu, a mammal mummy identified as a Japanese marten. The Imperial Household Agency cites items whose study has advanced through recent research, such as the leather shoes with raised toes known as Kutsu No. 5, which use a rush mat (imushiro) as the core of the insole. Among the drawings and documents is the Floor Plan of Halls, which shows the layout of Todaiji’s lecture hall, monks’ quarters, refectory and other buildings. Volume 9 of the Shosoin Komonjo Seishu (Main Collection of Ancient Shosoin Documents) is also shown, including the Ukyo Keicho, a basic register related to taxation in the western half of the capital in 733 (Tenpyo 5).

Main treasures on display (as listed officially)

The main treasures listed by repository on the official exhibition website are as follows.

• North Repository: Kogebachiru no Kishi (red-stained engraved ivory go stones), Shikkohei (Lacquered Ewer)

• Middle Repository: Bonmokyo (Brahma Net Sutra), Hakururi no Hei (White Glass Ewer), Mitsuda-e box

• South Repository: Gigaku mask of Suikoo (Drunken Barbarian King), Chojukahai no Hokyo (square mirror with birds, beasts and flowers), Imushiro (rush mat), Kondo Ban (gilt bronze banner), Koryu

The Imperial Household Agency’s notice also lists the Silver Heidatsu Lidded Box No. 2, the Kongebachiru no Kishi, the Floor Plan of Halls, Kutsu No. 5 and Volume 9 of the Shosoin Komonjo Seishu. The number of items on display differs depending on the source: the official exhibition website gives “60 items (11 shown for the first time),” while the Imperial Household Agency’s notice gives “67 items (12 treasures shown for the first time).” Neither specifies individually which treasures are being shown for the first time.

The Shosoin exhibition marks 80 years since its first edition

According to the official website, the Shosoin treasures, centered on items cherished by Emperor Shomu, number 9,000 and include crafts as well as documents that convey how people lived. They have been strictly managed through systems such as the imperial seal (chokufu). The first exhibition was held in 1946 (Showa 21), and this year marks 80 years since then. During that time, the exhibition was held in Tokyo three times.

As part of initiatives marking the 100th year of the Showa era, the Imperial Household Agency has put up a poster, “From the Log Storehouse to the New Repository,” on the notice board in front of the Shosoin Shoso (129 Zoshicho, Nara City). Using photos taken just before the move and other materials, it introduces the Showa-era event in which the treasures left the Shoso for the first time and were moved to a new repository of steel-framed reinforced concrete. It can be seen daily from 10:00 to 16:00 from October 24 to November 9.

How to buy timed-entry tickets, and prices

Viewing generally requires a timed-entry ticket reserved in advance. Prices are 2,000 yen for adults, 1,500 yen for high school and university students and 500 yen for elementary and junior high school students. The Late Discount applies to entry slots from 16:00 on Mondays to Thursdays and from 17:00 on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays, at 1,500 yen for adults and 1,000 yen for high school and university students; elementary and junior high school students are admitted free.

Sales began at 10:00 on Friday, September 4. Tickets are available from Lawson Ticket, the exhibition’s online ticket service, the Bijutsuten Navi ticket app and CN Playguide. They can be purchased until the start time of each slot, and sales end when the planned number is reached. Up to eight tickets can be bought at a time, there are no group tickets, and tickets cannot be changed, canceled or refunded after purchase.

Same-day tickets are sold at a special counter on the museum grounds only when timed slots have availability (issuing fee of 200 yen per ticket). Holders of a disability certificate or Mirairo ID and one caregiver, as well as preschool children, are admitted free and do not need a timed-entry ticket (proof required). Visitors aged 70 and over also need a regular timed-entry ticket.

How to avoid crowds

The official website expects crowds from the morning until around 15:00. Entry is limited to the time slot you reserved, but visitors are not required to leave at the end of the slot. Since crowds are expected right after each slot opens, the website recommends entering a little later.

Opening hours are 8:00 to 18:00, until 20:00 on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays (last entry 60 minutes before closing). To avoid the expected busy hours, choosing a Late Discount slot in the evening is one option. Long umbrellas must be left in the umbrella stand before entering, and visitors are asked to refrain from using strollers. Re-entry to the exhibition galleries is not allowed, and there is no visitor parking.

The audio guide costs 700 yen per device at the venue. The Japanese version is narrated by voice actor Aoi Yuki, with special commentary by Shusaku Mimoto, a senior researcher at the Nara National Museum. The Nara Buddhist Sculpture Hall is closed for renovation, and the Ancient Chinese Bronzes Gallery is open free of charge. In Kyoto, the Kyoto National Museum is also holding The Tale of Genji: The Radiance of the Court, and autumn exhibitions in the Kansai region are summarized in our guide to exhibitions in Kyoto, Osaka, Nara and Hyogo.

Overview

Name: The 78th Annual Exhibition of Shosoin Treasures
Dates: Saturday, October 24 – Monday, November 9, 2026
Hours: 8:00–18:00 (until 20:00 on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays; last entry 60 minutes before closing)
Closed: Open every day during the exhibition
Venue: Nara National Museum, East and West Wings
Address: 50 Noboriojicho, Nara City (in Nara Park)
Admission: Timed-entry tickets: adults 2,000 yen, high school and university students 1,500 yen, elementary and junior high school students 500 yen (Late Discount: adults 1,500 yen, high school and university students 1,000 yen, elementary and junior high school students free). Free for holders of a disability certificate or Mirairo ID and one caregiver, and for preschool children
Organizer: Nara National Museum
Special cooperation: The Yomiuri Shimbun
Official website: https://shosoin-ten.jp/
*Information as of October 19, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

*Top image: Visual for the 78th Annual Exhibition of Shosoin Treasures (photo courtesy of the Office of the Shosoin Treasure House, Imperial Household Agency) (from a press release by AAPC Japan Co., Ltd.)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on an announcement by the Imperial Household Agency (July 14, 2026) and information on the official Shosoin exhibition website of the organizer, the Nara National Museum.

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team