Art Festivals & Events

The Five Hundred Arhat Stone Statues at Rakanji Temple in Nakatsu City were created in the 14th century and are designated as an Important Cultural Property. Rakanji Temple is a temple that utilizes cliffs and caves, evoking the landscape of Mount Tiantai in China, where it is believed the arhats practiced. The Five Hundred Arhat Stone Statues at Rakanji share similarities with the iconography of the Five Hundred Arhat paintings from the Song and Yuan dynasties in China. It is apparent that these statues were conceived based on cultural and philosophical influences brought to Japan with the spread of Zen Buddhism. This exhibition introduces a variety of cultural properties, showcasing the history of Rakanji Temple, the Five Hundred Arhat paintings from the Song and Yuan periods, and the spread of Five Hundred Arhat beliefs in early modern Japan.

The Five Hundred Arhat Stone Statues at Rakanji Temple in Nakatsu City are positioned within the context of Japan-China relations and Japanese art history. The exhibition primarily focuses on medieval Buddhist paintings and sculptures, aiming to attract the interest of foreign visitors to Japan and to create a visually accessible display.

Main works

The Five Hundred Arhat Paintings, housed at Daitokuji Temple, were created in China in the 12th century. The series consists of 100 paintings, each depicting five arhats, and was brought to Japan during the Kamakura period. Many of the scenes show arhats practicing their ascetic life on Mount Tiantai, making them important materials for understanding the monastic life of the time. There are many shared iconographic elements between these paintings and the Five Hundred Arhat Stone Statues at Rakanji Temple, suggesting that these Chinese paintings were used as references when creating the stone statues.

The Five Hundred Arhat Paintings, housed at Tofukuji Temple, were created in Japan in the 14th century. The monk-painter Minchō created these works, drawing inspiration from the Five Hundred Arhat Paintings at Daitokuji Temple. However, unlike the original series, this version consists of 50 paintings, each depicting ten arhats.