Exhibition/event has ended.
Special Exhibition Prince Shotoku
Suntory Museum of Art
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2022 marks the 1400th anniversary of the passing of Prince Shotoku (574–622).
As part of this once-a-century event, related temples will be holding the Shoryo-e Ceremony and other services to commemorate Prince Shotoku’s achievements. On this occasion, this exhibition will examine Prince Shotoku’s life and the devotion he continues to inspire after his passing.
Prince Shotoku was born the son of Emperor Yomei. While serving as regent under Empress Suiko, he played a major role in building Japan’s state system by formulating the Seventeen Article Constitution and dispatching envoys to Sui Dynasty China, for example. He also laid the foundations of Buddhism in Japan and he established several temples, including Shitenno-ji in Osaka and Horyu-ji in Nara.
Built in the first year of Empress Suiko’s reign in 593, Shitenno-ji is Japan’s oldest state-sponsored temple. It later became the center of Prince Shotoku worship and it was visited by several eminent Buddhist priests, including Saicho, the founder of the Japanese Tendai school, and Shinran, the founder of the Jodo Shinshu school. Shitenno-ji was destroyed by war or disaster several times during its long history, but it rose anew each time thanks to the unceasing devotion felt for Prince Shotoku.
In recent times, the Prince’s political role as a founder of the Japanese state has attracted attention, with his portrait adorning banknotes and the walls of the former Grand Bench of the Supreme Court of Japan, for instance.
This exhibition examines how Prince Shotoku has continued to inspire respect and devotion over the 1400 years since his passing. It explores this question through treasures passed down through related temples and shrines across Japan, including those belonging to Shitenno-ji, the center of Prince Shotoku worship. We hope the exhibition conveys a sense of Prince Shotoku’s enduring legacy, from the past, to the present and into the future.
As part of this once-a-century event, related temples will be holding the Shoryo-e Ceremony and other services to commemorate Prince Shotoku’s achievements. On this occasion, this exhibition will examine Prince Shotoku’s life and the devotion he continues to inspire after his passing.
Prince Shotoku was born the son of Emperor Yomei. While serving as regent under Empress Suiko, he played a major role in building Japan’s state system by formulating the Seventeen Article Constitution and dispatching envoys to Sui Dynasty China, for example. He also laid the foundations of Buddhism in Japan and he established several temples, including Shitenno-ji in Osaka and Horyu-ji in Nara.
Built in the first year of Empress Suiko’s reign in 593, Shitenno-ji is Japan’s oldest state-sponsored temple. It later became the center of Prince Shotoku worship and it was visited by several eminent Buddhist priests, including Saicho, the founder of the Japanese Tendai school, and Shinran, the founder of the Jodo Shinshu school. Shitenno-ji was destroyed by war or disaster several times during its long history, but it rose anew each time thanks to the unceasing devotion felt for Prince Shotoku.
In recent times, the Prince’s political role as a founder of the Japanese state has attracted attention, with his portrait adorning banknotes and the walls of the former Grand Bench of the Supreme Court of Japan, for instance.
This exhibition examines how Prince Shotoku has continued to inspire respect and devotion over the 1400 years since his passing. It explores this question through treasures passed down through related temples and shrines across Japan, including those belonging to Shitenno-ji, the center of Prince Shotoku worship. We hope the exhibition conveys a sense of Prince Shotoku’s enduring legacy, from the past, to the present and into the future.
Schedule | Nov 17 (Wed) 2021-Jan 10 (Mon) 2022 Opening Hours Information
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| Fee | Adults 1500; University and High School Students ¥1000; Junior High School Students and Under, Persons with Disability Certificates + 1 Companion free. | ||||
| Website | https://www.suntory.com/sma/exhibition/2021_4/index.html | ||||
| Venue | Suntory Museum of Art https://www.suntory.com/sma/?_ga=2.204809232.1240912437.1586917883-1626191480.1583121504 | ||||
| Location | 3F Tokyo Midtown Galleria, 9-7-4 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8643 | ||||
| Access | Direct walk from exit 8 at Roppongi Station on the Toei Oedo line, Direct walk from Roppongi Station on the Hibiya line, 3 minute walk from exit 3 at Nogizaka Station on the Chiyoda line. | ||||
| Phone | 03-3479-8600 | ||||
| Related images | Click on the image to enlarge it |
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