A heavy Western architecture stands inside the lush green Nara Koen, where deer play. It is the "Nara Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan" which boasts the best quality and quantity in the collection and exhibition of Buddhist art among Japanese museums . It is known as “the sacred place of buddha lovers” because it is possible to see many excellent Buddha statues in one temple. This time, we will introduce such a "Nara Kokuritsu hakubutsukan" highlight and charm.
In 1895, the museum was opened as the second imperial museum in Japan, in the land of Nara, where a large number of outstanding Buddhist art is transmitted. It houses nearly 2000 collections of items, including national treasures and important cultural relics, and about 2000 deposits from shrine temples in and out of Nara Prefecture, for a total of nearly 4000 collections.
It consists of the French Renaissance style "Butsuzo-kan" (former main house), which remains at the time of its opening, and the East and West New Houses, which are venues for special exhibitions, as well as an underground corridor with museum shops and cafes. The new building in East and West is also the venue for the "Shosoin ten" held every fall, and many people from all over the world come to see at first glance the valuable world-class treasures transmitted to Shosoin. The treasures to be visited change according to the year, so the pleasure of visiting each year is also.
As the naming of "Butsuzo kan", there are a lot of Buddha statues in the hall! There are always 100 or so Buddha statues on display, including a large number of national treasures and important cultural treasures. The inside of the hall is a mechanism to travel around from Room 1 to Room 13, and you can see the main Buddha statues from Asuka period to Kamakura period. For example, in the eighth room, there is a continuous face-to-face with the Buddha statue of moving objects, such as the close visit of the statue of Amida Nyorai Ryuzo(Important Cultural Property), made by the genius Buddhist maker Kaikei.
This is the sixth room of the main hall. Valuable Buddha statues are lined up. In the center stands the Yakushi Nyorai Ryuzo, a national treasure, which is a deposit from Genkōji (Nara City). It is a life-size, dignified beautiful Buddha, built in the early Heian period.
In the sixth room, here is what you are worried about. It is a statue of the god, Garan Shinryuzo which protects a Zen temple. From this figure, it is nicknamed "Ran Daikoku". It is a popular person who is also used as a poster for the Nara Marathon held every December.
This is a statue of Junishinsho Ryuzo in Room 12. With its light movement and rugged expression, it represents a figure trying to beat the enemy of Buddha. An animal related to the zodiac is above each other. When I find a statue of my own zodiac, I feel kind of happy.
Room 13 is quaint. It was named "Hason Btsuzo Zanketsu Collection". About 100 items such as the minions and arms of Buddha statues of various materials, and the belongings and trinkets will be lined. Although the main body was lost, each part feels "beauty in the details", and it gives off an unbelievable presence.
Now, a special public display in the sixth room of the main hall is a statue of Kongo Rikishi Ryuzou of an important cultural property. The statue height is both a colossus of about 5m. Agyo, whose mouth is wide open to the right, and Ungyo, whose mouth is tied to the left, are "Nio Dachi" with a powerful power that just reaches the ceiling. It is originally enshrined in the World Heritage Site of Kinpusen-ji Nio-mon (National Treasure) located in Yoshino Mountain in Nara, a famous cherry blossom spot. However, as the Nio-mon is under repair, it is temporarily residing at the museum until 2028.
When I look at the foot of the standing statue of Gongo Rikishi Ryuzo, there is a sign of the camera. This means "shooting OK", a new system that the building has been adopting since 2023. Basically, the inside of the exhibition room is not allowed to shoot, but the work with this "shooting OK" mark can be photographed for the purpose of enjoying the individual. If you can take a memorial photo with a precious Buddha statue, even if you are not a Buddha statue fan, the tension will rise!
The room on the west side of the main hall is "rest corner". If you sit on a chair and take a breather and look at the top, your eyes will be taken away by the brilliant decorations. It should be that, this space is the original main entrance hall, and it remains as it was when it was completed in 1894. The design was made by Katayama Toukuma, who was active as a court architect and also worked on the former Togu Gosho (now known as Geihinkan) and others. The beautiful French Renaissance style "Butsuzo kan" has been designated as an Important Cultural Property of the building itself.
"Nishi-Shinkan", completed in 1972, and "Higashi-Shinkan", completed in 1997, are used as venues for special exhibitions such as the Shosoin exhibition. At the time of the shooting, it was just during the session of the Shōkurain exhibition, and there was a long line of people waiting to enter the house. In addition to the entrance on the ground, it is connected to the "Butsuzo kan" by an underground corridor, so you can go back and forth without worrying about the weather.
In addition to special exhibitions, "Nishi-Shinkan" also holds a masterpiece exhibition of paintings, bookmarks, crafts, and archeological remains (Heijo Exhibition).
The "Underground Corridor" is a free zone that can be used freely by non-visitors. There is a "learning corner" that gently discusses Buddhist art. You can learn how to build a Buddha statue and Inso (the message represented by the Buddha's hand) through panels and models.
This is the "Seidoki kan", which has a permanent display of Chinese ancient bronze ware (Sakamoto Collection). It is connected with the "Butsuzo kan" by a migratory corridor. It is often overlooked, but in fact, it is a collection of bronze ware masterpieces of mania! On display in the center is a vessel called Hoomonnyu, which was made in the 11th to 10th centuries BC. I am amazed by the dense design and the technology of relief.
The museum shop, located in the underground corridor, is full of unique original goods as well as exhibition catalogs and books of Buddhist art.
Among them, clips and T-shirts from the "Genki ga deru Butsuzo" series, which is a cute design of the Buddha statue, and stationery and scarves with the motif of the pipa of the Shosoin treasure are popular.
There is also a café opposite the museum shop, which is perfect for taking a break. In the spacious and bright shop, enjoy the lingering taste of the Buddha statue while tasting sweet sets and more.
The Nara National Museum is a 15-minute walk to the east from Kintetsu Nara Station. As you walk leisurely while being invited by a deer through Nara Koen, you can see the "Butauzo kan" of heavy Western architecture. From JR Nara Station, it is a 9-minute ride on the Nara Kotsu Bus around the city, and is just off the "Himuro Jinja/Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan".
Tickets can be purchased on the day at the ticket office located at Butsuzo kan or at the entrance to Shinkan. Credit cards and various electronic money are also available. However, the entrance system may be different from the usual for special exhibitions such as the Shosoin exhibition, so please refer to the official website before the session.
A lot of deer are also playing on the grounds of the Nara Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan, but here are two of the “tradition scenery” seen in summer.
The first is “deer pool.” In the summer, you can see a deer in the pond in front of Shinkan, and it is the same for deer and humans to want to bathe when it is hot!
The second is "deer hangout". Every year from July to August, a large number of deer gather in the grass area in front of Shinkan from nowhere in the evening. After relaxing for a small hour in the "deer Dango" state, he returns to Kasuga Taisha with sunset. It is said that the reason is unknown, but it feels somewhat like a fairy tale and romantic. If you visit in summer, please check it out.
Address: 50 Noborioji-cho, Nara-shi, Nara
TEL:050-5542-8600 (halo dial)
Price: General 700 yen (special exhibition is separately)
Time: 9:30 to 17:00 (subject to change)
Holidays: Mondays (the following weekday in case of public holidays), there are temporary holidays
* There is a change of exhibition at the Butsuzo kan, so you may not see the Buddha statue on display. For details, please check the official website.
In the vicinity of Horyuji Temple, the World Heritage Site, there are many shops where you can enjoy a delicious lunch unique to Nara, such as the famous "Tatsuta-fried" specialty of the pataraki pigeon and the long-established "persimmon hazushi".
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