Special Exhibition　Kitano Tenjin: Legends of a Shinto God

[Exhibition Title]

Special Exhibition

Kitano Tenjin: Legends of a Shinto God

 

[Period]

April 18–June 14, 2026

The exhibition has two installations:

Part I: April 18–May 17, 2026

Part II: May 19–June 14, 2026

Some artworks may be rotated during the exhibition period.

 

[Venue]

Kyoto National Museum, Heisei Chishinkan Wing

 

[Closed]

Mondays

*Open May 4. Open continuously from April 28 through May 10, 2026.

 

[Special Exhibition Hours]

9:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m. (entrance until 5:00 p.m.)

Fridays, 9:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. (entrance until 7:30 p.m.)

 

[Special Exhibition Admission]

Adult     2,000 yen (1,800 yen)

University Student            1,400 yen (1,200 yen)

High School Student         900 yen (700 yen)

 

[Description of Exhibition]

Kitano Tenmangū Shrine, located in a sacred area of northwestern Kyoto, venerates the deified Sugawara no Michizane (845–903), a preeminent scholar and statesman of the Heian period. Michizane served as a trusted courtier of Emperor Uda (867–931, r. 887–897) and rose to the rank of Minister of the Right under the succeeding Emperor Daigo (885–930, r. 897–930). Yet despite this illustrious career, he was later demoted and exiled to the city of Dazaifu in Kyushu as the result of slander, dying there without ever returning to the capital in Kyoto. The hardships of Michizane’s final years combined with his distinguished lifelong achievements gave rise to numerous legends after his death. Earning the sympathy, awe, and reverence of the people, Michizane eventually came to be widely known and popularly worshipped as “Tenjin,” a Shinto deity of profound spiritual power.

This museum exhibition has been organized in anticipation of the Hanmantōsai, a grand memorial observance to be held at Kitano Tenmangū in 2027, during which thousands of lanterns will be lit to commemorate the 1,125th anniversary of Sugawara no Michizane’s death. The show brings together a vast assemblage of masterpieces, featuring ancient shrine treasures of Kitano Tenmangū, sacred works from Tenmangū and Tenjin shrines across Japan, as well as related works from other temples and shrines.

Highlights of the exhibition include the first-ever complete public display of all scenes from the National Treasure handscrolls Illustrated Legends of the Kitano Tenjin Shrine (Kitano Tenjin engi emaki), Jōkyū version, together with other versions of the same work produced in different periods and by different hands——including the Kōan, Mitsunobu, and Mitsuoki versions. The display of these handscrolls provides an unprecedented opportunity to explore the various narrative representations of the origins of the Kitano Tenjin deity.

Tracing the journey of Tenjin worship from its cradle at Kyoto’s Kitano Tenmangū to every corner of the nation, the exhibition presents an unprecedented opportunity to explore the many dimensions of this religious tradition and its enduring influence on Japan’s cultural landscape.