Exhibition ‘Myōshinji’ Opened

On January 20, the exhibition titled ‘Myōshinji’ opened at the Tokyo National Museum (until March 1), which showcased paintings, calligraphy and other works associated with Myōshinji temple, the headquarters of the Myōshinji branch of the Rinzai Zen School. The exhibition commemorated the 650th anniversary of the passing of Zen Master Kanzan Egen (Musō Daishi), who was welcomed as the temple’s founding priest. It consisted of eight chapters: Chapter 1 ‘Rinzai Zen’; Chapter 2 ‘Myōshinji no kaisō (The Founding of Myōshinji)’; Chapter 3 ‘Myōshinji no chūkō (The Revival of Myōshinji)’; Chapter 4 ‘Zen no kūkan I (The Space of Zen I)’; Chapter 5 ‘Onki no fūkei (The Landscape of Semicentennial Memorial Service)’; Chapter 6 ‘Myōshinji to daidannotsu (Myōshinji and Its Major Patrons); Chapter 7 ‘Kinsei no zenfū (The Zen Style of the Pre-Modern Period)’; and Chapter 8 ‘Zen no kūkan II (The Space of Zen II)’. It traced the history of the temple from its founding in 1337 (Kenmu 4) through to the Edo period, featuring 220 items including calligraphy and paintings by eminent monks, portraits and screen paintings from the temple’s sub-temples. It offered a comprehensive overview of the transition of Zen culture over more than six and a half centuries. The exhibition subsequently toured to the Kyoto National Museum (March 24 – May 10). (Japanese)