Newly opened Todaiji Museum in Nara to show off the treasures of Todaiji Temple

Todaiji unveils museum to show ancient treasures (Japan Times, Oct. 12, 2011)

Kyodo

NARA — The Buddhist temple Todaiji, a World Heritage site in the city of Nara, opened a museum Monday to exhibit its Buddha statues and other historic art.

In the light: A statue of Fuku Kenjaku Kannon bodhisattva is one of the main exhibits at the Todaiji museum that opened Monday at the temple in the city of Nara. KYODO

First conceived 30 years ago, the museum provides the temple with an open facility to show its numerous treasures.

The five-room facility has an exhibition floor of about 600 sq. meters and is located in the temple’s cultural center near the Great Buddha Hall. The main exhibits include sunlight, moonlight and Fuku Kenjaku Kannon bodhisattva statues.

“I had thought Buddha statues would look better in temples, but they were more beautiful than I had imagined,” said the museum’s first visitor, Hideki Nakamura, a 42-year-old writer.

The admission fee is ¥500 for adults and ¥300 for elementary school students.

Todaiji was built as the head temple of all provincial Buddhist temples in the country.

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8th-century Buddha statues all together in Nara museum (Asahi, Oct 4, 2011)

NARA — The Todaiji temple’s collection of ancient Buddha statue masterpieces will go on show at its new museum here from Oct. 10.

The facility will allow the temple to exhibit its large collection of treasured Buddhist artworks, which previously could not be displayed in their entirety in the existing temple halls.

A special exhibition of 60 treasures from the Nara Period (710-784) has been assembled.

The inaugural exhibition, “Nara Jidai no Todaiji” (Todaiji during the Nara Period), was sponsored by The Asahi Shimbun and other organizations.

The exhibits include 12 national treasures and 24 important cultural properties.

The interior of the central exhibition hall is built in the style of the Hokkedo, the oldest pavilion in the famed temple complex. The exhibition space, covering 600 square meters, was built to withstand earthquakes.

On display is a 3.62-meter-tall standing statue of the Fuku Kensaku Kannon goddess of mercy, a national treasure. It is flanked by standing statues of Nikko Bosatsu (Suryaprabha) and Gakko Bosatsu (Chandraprabha), both national treasures and each 2.06 meters tall.

Other Buddha statues on display, all with gentle expressions, include a Bosatsu Hankazo (cross-legged Bodhisattva), which is believed to have been worshiped personally by Emperor Shomu (701-756), the founder of the temple. The 32.8-centimeter statue is listed as an important cultural property. Also on display is a Tanjo Shakabutsu (nascent Buddha) statue, a national treasure that stands 47.5 cm tall.

The exhibition will run until Jan. 14, 2013. Exhibits will be replaced from time to time.

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Nara’s Todaiji temple opens museum to show historical artworks

NARA, Japan, Oct. 10, Kyodo

Todaiji, a Buddhist temple which is part of a World Heritage site in the ancient Japanese capital of Nara, western Japan, opened a museum Monday to exhibit its Buddha statues and other historic artworks.

The opening of the museum realizes a 30-year wish of the temple, which previously had had no open facility to show its numerous treasures.

The five-room museum has an exhibition floor of about 600 square meters and is located in the temple’s cultural center facility near the Great Buddha hall.

The main exhibits include statues of a sunlight bodhisattva, moonlight bodhisattva and the Fuku Kenjaku Kannon bodhisattva.

”I had thought Buddha statues would look better in temples, but they were more beautiful than I had imagined,” said Hideki Nakamura, a 42-year-old writer who became the first visitor to enter the museum.

The admission fee is 500 yen for adults and 300 yen for elementary school students.

==Kyodo