The Shrines and Temples of Nikko, a World Heritage Site. This world-class cultural heritage site of Japan has 9 national treasures and 94 Important Cultural Properties at its core. The buildings and structures in Nikko are said to be works of art created by some of Japan’s most gifted artists of the 17th century, created with the highest level of architectural techniques of the time.
In particular, many are drawn to the overwhelmingly gorgeous architectural design of Nikko Toshogu Shrine and Nikkosan Rinnoji Taiyuin Temple. These architectural works of art still hold onto their splendor to this day. This was made possible through the power of the master craftsmen, who have not only continued to preserve and repair the structures using traditional skills and techniques, but also reliably passed along their knowledge from one generation to the next. As of December 2020, traditional skills, techniques and knowledge for the conservation and transmission of wooden architecture in Japan, was officially inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
In this exhibition, we explore the mystery of its beauty by focusing on one aspect of these traditional skills and techniques. The colors used on the Nikko shrines and temples and the decorative techniques of “coloring” and “metalwork” highlight its unparalleled luxury and glitter. Please enjoy this chance to view a world often only seen from the distance up close and personal – a world of glittering architectural designs and traditional techniques.

Photo Report

Here we will introduce the exhibition currently being held in a Kobe venue with photos.
A special exhibition introducing ‘Decoration of traditional structures,’ ‘Coloring of traditional structures’, ‘Lacquer painting of traditional structures’, ‘Production of Japanese urushi lacquer’, and ‘Production of entsukegold leaf,’ which are part of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage ‘Techniques of traditional architectural craftspersons,’ through numerous materials related to the architectural decoration of the World Heritage site, Shrines and Temples of Nikko. This is the first traveling exhibition with the theme of ‘Architectural Designs’ at our museum.

The venue is on the first floor of the Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum, and is a completely different exhibition space with subdued lighting than usual.
This exhibition provides explanations not only in Japanese and English, but also in multiple languages (Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, French, and German) by scanning a QR code (assisted by the FY2024 Japan Cultural Expo 2.0 Project).

Upon entering the venue, visitors are greeted by architectural sculptures designated as Important Cultural Properties. These are four pieces of material from the Shimojinko of Toshogu Shrine, which are currently removed for repairs (especially on exhibit only at our Kobe venue). Please take your time to appreciate the three-dimensional architectural sculptures and the sophisticated decorative techniques.

This is a kaerumatastrut with the okiage-zaishikitechnique used. Okiage-zaishikiis a technique that uses okiage tanguto make the pattern stand out and give it a three-dimensional look. It is currently under repair, and in future repairs, gold leaf will be applied to the okiage(raised) part and painting will be applied.

This is a Shikamisculpture using ike-zaishikitechnique before repair. Ike-zaishikiis a technique in which gold leaf is applied to a base of several layers of urushilacquer, and then paint color is applied on top of that. Even if the paint peels off over time, the gold leaf is revealed, meaning that a splendid appearance can be maintained for a long time.

During repairs, old paintings are recorded and passed on to future generations as “painted illustrations”. Although they are a by-product of the repairs, they are works of art that are well worth seeing in themselves. Nikko has an astounding 4,000 of these drawings, and for this exhibition, we have carefully selected motifs related to the sculptures on display, including the famous monkey sculptures from the Sacred Stable of Toshogu Shrine.

This is the section of coloring. In addition to te-itaboard samples introducing various Nikko coloring techniques, natural materials such as paints, glue, and chalk powder, as well as brushes, are on display.

This is the urushi lacquer work section. In each section - coloring, urushi lacquer painting, urushi lacquer tapping, and gold leaf manufacturing - there are displays of tools, materials, and videos to help visitors understand the production process.

All of the urushi lacquer used in the restoration of Nikko’s buildings is domestically produced, with most of it produced in Joboji, Ninohe City, Iwate Prefecture. In the lacquer tappingcorner, lacquer logs and tools used for collecting lacquer are on display.

This is the corner for traditional gold leaf manufacturing. It introduces the traditional technique of beating and stretching gold alloy into gold leaf with a thickness of 1/10,000 mm. In addition to the tools used for making gold leaf, the museum also introduces the washi paper that is essential for making gold leaf.

The decorative patterns of Nikko include all kinds of flowers, birds, animals, and various geometric patterns. At the exhibition, visitors can see the architectural metal fittings and painted patterns up close, so take this chance to take a close look and find some hidden patterns.

A fullscale model of the Yomeimon Gate of Toshogu Shrine, the pinnacle of architectural decoration in Japan. Specially for this exhibition, this piece has been carefully crafted by artisans. It's a truly impressive sight! Please don’t miss it.

In addition, the video corner will show four works relating to coloring, urushi lacquer painting, decorative metalworks, and gold leaf manufacturing. Another highlight is the VR video that reproduces the painting of the Yomeimon Gate in detail.
Please enjoy the glittering world of architectural decoration and the quintessence of traditional techniques that you can usually only see from afar.

●Check the exhibition out on YouTube also.YouTube