Sacred Monsters in Buddhist Art
仏教美術の聖なる怪物
An exhibition exploring how Buddhist art depicts non-human beings such as serpents and demons alongside buddhas and bodhisattvas across different regions.
〒 600-8399How to get there
五条12 min walk from the station
The exhibition explores how Buddhist art incorporates non-human beings alongside buddhas and bodhisattvas. Featured creatures include nagas (serpents) that protect Buddha, demons that listen to sacred teachings, and various guardian figures. The exhibition traces how these beings appear across different Buddhist regions and time periods, examining regional variations in artistic representation whilst maintaining consistent symbolic functions.
Related Programming
The museum offers several programmes related to the exhibition. Curator talks are held on July 18 and August 8 from 13:30 to 14:15 in Lecture Room 101. These talks are free with an exhibition ticket, available to the first 50 attendees, and require no advance registration. (Conducted in Japanese)
An interactive activity called "Challenge from Sacred Monsters" is available throughout the exhibition period. Participants answer riddles posed by the exhibition's creatures and receive completion certificates upon success. Participation is free with an exhibition ticket. (Activity conducted in Japanese)
Getting There
You might also like
KYOTO NIPPON FESTIVAL
Kyoto Nippon Festival fills Kitano Tenmangu shrine with large-scale art installations and immersive dance performance, featuring artist Mika Ninagawa.
1 Feb – 24 May 2027Exact date not confirmed yetKyoto
Kaikai Yokai Festival
Uzumasa Kyoto Village (Toei Kyoto Studio Park) fills with yokai every autumn: two evening parades, dance shows, daily yokai greetings and limited yokai food.
12 Sep – 29 Nov 2026Kyoto
Hyakusaiji Temple and the Buddhist Art of Omi
An autumn exhibition in Shiga where the hidden image of Hyakusaiji, an eleven-headed Kannon of the 8th century, leaves the temple for the first time.
26 Sep – 6 Dec 2026Koka · Shiga
Miho Museum
A museum of 1997 in the mountains of Shiga, designed by I. M. Pei and mostly buried in the hillside, holding ancient art of the world alongside Japanese art.
Koka · Shiga
Kyoto Railway Museum
A railway museum with 53 historic trains spanning 130 years of Japan's railway history, from the first imported steam locomotive to modern shinkansen.
Kyoto
Kyoto International Manga Museum
Kyoto museum opened in 2006 with 300,000 manga items, from Edo-period prints to contemporary series, with permanent exhibitions and workshops on its history.
Kyoto