THE TREASURES FROM
1300 YEARS AGOONEITI N ERA RY M A P

TWOITINERARY OVERVIEW

THREE
INTRODUCTIONTO ATTRACTIONS壹ITINERARYMAPYAMASHINA MARQUIS MANSIONKIYOMIZU-DERA

MIHO MUSEUM
THE SHOSOIN

JAPAN·NARA
A JOURNEY TO TREASURES
FROM 1300 YEARS AGO

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ITINERARYOVERVIEW 

INTRODUCTIONTO ATTRACTIONSThe Shōsō-in (正倉院) is the treasure house of Tōdai-ji
Temple in Nara, Japan.The Shōsō-in houses artifacts
connected to Emperor Shōmu (聖武天皇)(701–756)
and Empress Kōmyō (光明皇后)(701–760), The Shōsō-in
today holds around 9,000 items, excluding items thatare yet to be classified.The treasures that were donatedby Empress Kōmyō were stored in the Hoku Sō, theNorthern part of the Shōsōin. From the very beginning,
this part of the Shōsō-in has been sealed by the imperialfamily. One was permitted to enter only with explicit
permission of the imperial family.Ninety-five percentof the fine arts and crafts in the Shōsōin were produced
in Japan around the 8th century, with the remainder
imported from the Tang Dynasty, Central Asia, India,Iran, etc. during the same period.The designs of these
Japanese and East Asian treasures show Iranian, Greek,Roman, and Egyptian influences due to cultural exchange
via the Silk Road.
Although these collections are not open to the public,
selections are shown at Nara National Museum oncea year in autumn.

正倉院

KIYOM IZUTEMPLE
きよみず

でらthe oldest temple in Kyoto
Kiyomizu Temple is the oldest temple in Kyoto,
having been rebuilt several times after being destroyedby ﬁres. The iconic Kiyomizu stage, which hangs out
in front of the main hall, is a national treasure of Japan.
The temple is surrounded by lush greenery, and inspring, cherry blossoms bloom brilliantly, while inautumn,the vibrant red maple leaves create astunning landscape. In 1994, it was designated as aUNESCO World Heritage Site.

VIP VISIT

includes a guided tour by a Kiyomizu
Temple monk, allowing you to explore
areas not typically open to the public,
such as the Buddha hall and courtyard.

The Kitamura family is a prestigious lineage
with a history spanning over 150 years
four generations of the family have been involvedin the restoration and replication of treasures at theShosoin Repository. Kitamura Shigeru, the third-generation artisan, was honored as a "Living National
Treasure" for his mastery of raden (mother-of-pearlinlay) craft, the highest recognition in this ﬁeld. In
his younger years, he was also known as a lacquerware
artist, creating numerous works featuring raden inlay.

Today, as the fourth-generation member of theKitamura family, he continues to be actively engaged
in the restoration of treasures at the Shosoin Repository,
gaining particular acclaim for his involvement in thereplication of the purple sandalwood inlaid ﬁve-stringedlute in 2011. Only 62 artisans across Japan hold thetitle of "Selected Preserver of Important Intangible
Cultural Heritage Techniques," highlighting their
exceptional skills and dedication to preserving Japan's
cultural heritage.

KITAMURASHIGERU
INTRODUCTION TO
ATTRACTIONS參AKIH IKO N I SHI M U RA
- GUEST SPEAKER -Chief of the Shosoin Office at the Imperial
Ho u s e h old A ge n c y an d Re s e arch e rGraduated in 1988 with a degree in Fine Arts
from Kyoto City University of Arts, and in thesame year, joined the Shosoin Ofﬁce, where hehas served until becoming the head of the ofﬁce.
During his tenure, he actively promoted the useof visual media to make the structure and information
about the Shosoin more accessible to the public.
He has also authored several research books
about the Shosoin. He is considered a pioneer
in contemporary Shosoin treasure preservation.

SH OS O IN
EXH IB ITIO N

正倉院展

INTRODUCTION TO
ATTRACTIONS參TEA CEREMONYAND CHA-KAISEKI EXPERIENCEAT THE HOME OFPOTTER YASUIIJI HOJIINTRODUCTION TOATTRACTIONS參