Art Festivals & Events

Bishamonten, one of the Four Guardian Kings (Jpn. Shitennō), is the deity responsible for guarding the north, and he is sometimes worshiped alone in Japan. Faith in Bishamonten grew particularly popular from the Heian period onward when many outstanding works of art featuring Bishamonten were created. He is also familiar to many people as one of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune (Shichifukujin), and he is intimately tied to Japanese folk customs. When considering the link between Buddhism and the natural world, one sees that Bishamonten occupies a crucial place in that relationship. While focusing chiefly on the relationships with the natural world and local customs, this exhibition will employ multilingual (Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean) explanatory materials to introduce the full-spectrum of art related to Bishamonten, including works that will be returning from the United States for this occasion.