Residence at the Daigo-ji in Kyoto

National Museum of Daigo-ji in Kyoto

Founded in 874, Daigo-ji is one of the historic monuments of the old part of Kyoto that are World Heritage Sites. It is a Buddhist temple of the Shingon school that has played a major part in the cultural history of Japan.

In 1598, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of the unifiers of Japan, organised a major “Hanami” or “cherry blossom festival” there. In the autumn, the flamboyant colours of the “Momijis”, the Japanese maples, replace the spring pink.

We had the great honour of being invited for a residency of ten days at Daigo-ji in May 2019, culminating in an exhibition at the Daigo National Museum. This was a prelude to a “Daigo-ji pirit” collection which will be organised subsequently: a French perspective on a Japanese spirit that will always retain its mystery.