Fateful Encounters: Recounting Buddhist Images Within and Beyond National Museums in Japan

The exhibition “Oh! Kokuhō: Resplendent Treasures of Devotion and Heritage” (April 19th-June 15th, 2025), marks the 130th anniversary of the Nara National Museum. The exhibition features numerous national treasures (kokuhō), many of which have been periodically displayed in the museum since its founding in 1895. Taking this exhibition as a starting point and Hōryūji’s Kudara Kannon (one of the Buddhist images on display) as a primary focus, this paper will examine the variety of encounters numinous national treasures have had with people and objects as they travel between national museums, temple halls, and temple museums in Japan. The paper builds upon prior Japanese and English-language scholarship on Japanese national museums, Japanese temple museums, and conceptions of fine art versus religious images in Japan; it will also be informed by fieldwork and grounded in archival materials including temple treasure surveys, tourist guidebooks, and travel diaries.