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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.

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.

Folding Screens— Golden Interiors Part I