Jotenkaku Museum

Jotenkaku Museum

承天閣美術館

EXHIBITION

current feature exhibition

current feature exhibition Chinso image

Chinso
Part 1

March 17 (Sunday) - May 12 (Sunday), 2024

As a representation of the inheritance of a Zen master's teachings, with Bodhidharma as the first generation, his portrait and robes would be passed down to his disciples. Such portraits are called "chinso." This exhibition includes many chinso portraits which are being shown to the public for the first time. They convey the Buddhist teachings that have been passed on to the present day. View the work of Zen monks who trained at the Shokoku-ji head temple and its branch temples.

learn more

The next exhibition

Next Exhibition Chinso image

Chinso
Part 2

May 26 (Sun) – July 21 (Sun), 2024

ABOUT

5 National Treasures,
145 Important Cultural Properties

ー Housing many outstanding cultural assets by Ito Jakuchu, Maruyama Okyo, Hasegawa Tohaku, among others

Shokoku-ji (official name: Mannenzan Shokoku Jotenzenji) is the head temple of the Shokoku-ji school of the Rinzai sect. It was founded in the third year of the Meitoku era (1392) by Muso Soseki and built by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the third shogun of the Muromachi bakufu. Ranked second in the Kyoto Gozan (the five great Zen temples of Kyoto), Shokoku-ji nurtured many artist-monks who went on to establish the foundations of Japanese ink painting such as Josetsu, Shubun, and Sesshu, as well as leading Zen priests of Gozan literature such as Zekkai Chushin and Osen Keisan. The temple continues to occupy a central place in Kyoto both geographically and culturally. With a history of more than 600 years, many cultural assets have been handed down from the past, especially calligraphy, paintings, and tea ceremony utensils from the medieval and early modern periods.

ABOUT

5 National Treasures, 145 Important Cultural Properties
The museum was founded in April of Showa 59 (1984) as part of the activities in commemoration of the 600th anniversary of the founding of Shokoku-ji, with the aim of the preservation, display, restoration, research, and dissemination of Zen culture, having been entrusted with artworks from the major temples of Shokoku-ji, Rokuon-ji (Kinkaku), and Jisho-ji (Ginkaku), as well as other minor temples. At present, we house many outstanding cultural assets including 5 National Treasures and 145 Important Cultural Properties and organize a variety of exhibitions.

On display in the first exhibition hall is a reconstruction of “Sekka-tei” from the Rokuon-ji temple grounds, which is said to have been built by Kanamori Sowa, while the second exhibition hall features part of the Important Cultural Property “Rokuon-ji Ojoin Shohekiga,” an ink-painting masterpiece from the brush of Ito Jakuchu, a legendary figure in the world of modern Kyoto painting. We look forward to your visit to the museum where you can enjoy viewing these works up close in a quiet space within the grounds of an ancient temple.

ABOUT

ACCESS

ADDRESS

Imadegawa-dori, Karasuma Higashi-iru Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-0898 Japan
Contact
075-241-0423 (Japanese only)

Google Map

ACCESS

By train

Subway Karasuma Line:Get off at Imadegawa Station.

By bus

City Bus:Get off at Karasuma Imadegawa Stop.

No.51 No.59 No.201 No.203 No.102

City Bus:Get off at Doshisha-mae Stop.

No.59 No.201 No.203

From Kinkaku-ji

City Bus:Get on at Kinkakuji-michi Stop.Get off at Karasuma Imadegawa Stop.

No.59 No.102

City Bus:Get on at Kinkakuji-michi Stop.Get off at Doshisha-mae Stop.

No.59

From Ginkaku-ji

City Bus:Get on at Ginkakuji-michi Stop.Get off at Karasuma Imadegawa Stop.

No.102

City Bus:Get one at Ginkakuji-michi Stop.Get off at Doshisha-mae Stop.

No.203

PARKING

There is no private parking lot in the prefecture of Shokoku-ji.
If you park in the parishioners and adherents’ parking lot on the compound, please follow the instructions of the security guard.
Please refrain from parking for long periods of time or for purposes other than visiting Shokoku-ji Temple and Jotenkaku Museum.
We recommend using public parking lot or using public transportation.

VISIT

Hours
10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
  • enter by 4:30 p.m.
Admission
General800 yen
Seniors (over 65) and University students600 yen
High school and Middle School students300 yen
Elementary School students 200 yen
  • For groups of 20 or more, there is a ¥100 discount on the admission fee.
  • Admission is free for the disabled (must have certification) and one caretaker.
  • Admission fee may change depending on the exhibition.
  • This building is barrier-free.