Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art Special Exhibition "Buddhist Statues" - A Prayer for Earthquake Recovery, and Kumamoto's First Public Showing of National Treasures

Marking 50 Years — Kumamoto's First Public Showing of National Treasure Buddhist Statues

To commemorate its 50th anniversary, the Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art will hold the special exhibition "Buddhist Statues."

National Treasure, "Wooden Standing Statue of Juntei Kannon Bosatsu"Collection of Daiho’onji Temple, Kyoto. Image courtesy of the Tokyo National Museum. Image: TNM Image Archives

Nationally Designated Important Cultural Property, "Stone Half-Seated Statue of Bosatsu"
Collection of Eisei Bunko Museum, Tokyo

This exhibition will feature the first public showing in Kumamoto of the National Treasure (the highest designation for cultural properties by the Japanese government) "Wooden Standing Statue of Juntei Kannon Bosatsu", held by Daiho’onji Temple in Kyoto, alongside numerous Buddhist statues representative of Kumamoto Prefecture.
This year also marks ten years since the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake, and the exhibition brings together Buddhist statues that have overcome disaster and been restored, as a prayer for the region's recovery.

Kumamoto Prefecture was also struck by an earthquake this past July. In Japan, where disaster is never far away, passing cultural heritage on to future generations depends on accumulated experience in preservation and restoration — and Kumamoto has built up considerable expertise in this field, with the Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art playing a major role in that effort.

A Museum on the Grounds of Kumamoto Castle — Architectural Beauty by Kunio Maekawa

Pictures courtesy of Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art
The Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art is located within the grounds of Kumamoto Castle. Designed by Kunio Maekawa, a leading figure in modern Japanese architecture, the museum houses a wide-ranging collection spanning classical Japanese art to modern and contemporary works, as well as Western art, including pieces by Renoir.

Pictures courtesy of Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art
The collection also includes the "Hosokawa Collection," artworks preserved for 400 years by the Hosokawa family, the feudal lords who ruled Kumamoto during the Edo period (1603–1868), along with a gallery reproducing decorative tomb wall paintings from the Kofun period (3rd–7th centuries). Together with the Buddhist statue exhibition, visitors can experience the beauty and spiritual culture of Japan.

The museum's cafe offers a close-up view of Kumamoto Castle, so you can enjoy the historic scenery between viewings.

The museum is about a 20-minute ride from JR Kumamoto Station via the Kumamoto Castle Loop Bus, or about a 15-minute walk from the "Kumamoto Castle/City Hall" tram stop.

Event Details

Please see below for event details. For more detailed information, please visit the official website.

Dates: Friday, October 9, 2026 – Sunday, November 29, 2026

Hours: 9:30–17:15 (last admission at 16:45)

Closed: Mondays (or the following weekday if Monday is a national holiday), the New Year holiday period
※ Special opening days: Monday, October 26 and Tuesday, November 24

Venue: Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art, Main Building

Address: 2 Ninomaru, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture 860-0008

Admission: Adults ¥1,500 (¥1,400); University students ¥1,000 (¥900)
*Prices in parentheses () are for advance tickets and groups of 20 or more
*Free for high school students and younger
*Please check the official Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art website for ticket purchase details (expected to be posted in early September)
*Credit cards accepted
*Reservations not required

Access:
[Bus] Take the Kumamoto Castle Loop Bus (Shiromegurin) and get off at "Kumamoto Castle/Ninomaru Parking Lot," about a 3-minute walk
[Tram] Get off at "Kumamoto Castle/City Hall" or "Hanabatacho," about a 15-minute walk
[From the Airport] From Aso Kumamoto Airport, take the airport limousine bus and get off at "Kumamoto Sakuramachi Bus Terminal," about a 15-minute walk

Official website:https://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/site/museum/