Kyoto National Museum

The Kyoto National Museum is a museum in Kyoto’s Higashiyama area that opened in 1897 to receive, protect, and preserve treasures handed down by temples and shrines, mainly in and around Kyoto. It hosts special exhibitions and displays a wide range of art and cultural objects, including archaeological artifacts, ceramics, Buddhist sculptures, and works of painting, calligraphy, lacquerware, metalwork, and other crafts from ancient to early modern times. On a site about half the size of Tokyo Dome, the museum includes the Meiji Kotokan, the Heisei Chishinkan, a conservation and restoration facility for cultural properties, and a tea house. The Meiji Kotokan is used as a special exhibition hall, while the Heisei Chishinkan serves as the permanent exhibition building. The museum presents diverse themed exhibitions, including topics such as Choju-jinbutsu-giga, the Rinpa school, and items connected to the Imperial family, attracting many visitors. The museum shop sells exhibition catalogs, books, and art postcards. Its official mascot is "Torarin," modeled after the charming tiger depicted in Ogata Korin’s Bamboo and Tiger painting. The Kyoto National Museum is a 7-minute walk from Keihan Shichijo Station and about a 20-minute walk from JR Kyoto Station, with nearby attractions such as Sanjusangendo Temple and Chishaku-in Temple.