Tokyo National Museum

The Tokyo National Museum’s ‘Before the Jomon Era’ marks the 80th anniversary of one of the most significant discoveries in Japanese archaeology: the identification of the Japanese Paleolithic period. Held from June 16 to August 23, the exhibition revisits the groundbreaking moment when independent archaeologist Tadahiro Aizawa uncovered stone tools at the Iwajuku site in Gunma prefecture, fundamentally transforming understanding of Japan’s earliest human history. Before the discovery at Iwajuku in 1946, it was widely believed that Japanese history began with the Jomon period (11,000–500 BCE). Excavations conducted in 1949 and 1950, however, revealed stone tools embedded within Pleistocene volcanic ash layers, proving that human communities had inhabited the archipelago tens of thousands of years before the appearance of pottery. This discovery established the existence of a Japanese Paleolithic culture and opened a new chapter in archaeological research. The exhibition centres on Aizawa’s original finds, including the celebrated obsidian spear point that first led him to suspect the presence of Paleolithic settlements. Visitors will also encounter important artifacts excavated from Iwajuku, many designated as significant cultural properties, alongside photographs and documents tracing the site’s historic investigation. Broadening its scope beyond Japan, the exhibition presents remarkable Paleolithic tools from Europe and Asia, placing Japanese discoveries within a global...

The Buddhist priest Kukai (774–835), aka Kobo Daishi, is one of the most influential figures in Japanese religious and cultural history. The founder of Shingon Buddhism introduced esoteric teachings from China in the early ninth century, and in doing so initiated a process that has shaped spiritual practice, art and ritual across Japan for more than twelve centuries. This landmark exhibition at the Tokyo National Museum’s Heiseikan, which marks 1,250 years since the birth of Kukai, is organised through an unprecedented collaboration among the 18 head temples of the Shingon school. It brings together an extraordinary assembly of National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties from across the country. Masterpieces such as the 12th-century painting Illustrated Legends of Mount Shigi sit alongside ritual icons connected to Shingon’s most important annual rites. A particular highlight is the rare public display of revered hibutsu (‘hidden’ Buddhist images), including statues of Kukai himself and exquisite representations of the bodhisattva Kannon, which are shown only on exceptional occasions. Structured around themes including Kukai’s life, esoteric ritual, the network of the 18 temples and the tradition of hidden icons, the exhibition offers a rare opportunity to experience the spiritual depth, artistic refinement and historical continuity of Shingon Buddhism – an enduring legacy that continues to resonate throughout Japan today.