A Capital Museum

Right across the street from our hotel is the National Museum of Kyoto. This city has a special significance in the heart of the Japanese because until the Edo period a couple hundred years ago this was the ancient capital of Japan. It is still considered the spiritual capital. One shouldn’t be surprised to find that the National Museum here contains art treasures going back to prehistoric times. There is a special exhibit being shown for a celebration in Japan that is lasting throughout the year 2025. The theme of the presentation is how Japan’s art filtered out through the world and how the world’s art filtered into Japan. The mixing created a kind of melting pot in which oriental and occidental styles of art merged to produce something incredible. It was a very generous exhibit and took us well over an hour to walk through. The crowds were a bit challenging, as was the intense rainfall today, but we still had a delightfully enriching time. Unfortunately, except for one statue, photographs were forbidden inside the museum. But if you ever have a chance to visit here, don’t miss this wonderful repository of the most beautiful treasures of China and Japan.Les mer