What is Koyasan Reihokan Museum

Since its founding by Kobo Daishi, Koyasan has seen its ups and downs throughout its long history spanning 12 centuries, but it is still a major training center for Esoteric Shingon Buddhism that continues to preserve the flame of its teachings to this day.

Since its founding, the mountain's excellent cultural heritage has been burned or scattered due to a number of natural disasters and the anti-Buddhist movement in the early Meiji period, but the 117 temples still boast a huge amount of cultural assets, which is why it is known as a treasure trove of cultural assets and a hall of religious art. Furthermore, in 2004, it was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is attracting attention as a treasure that transcends borders and can be shared around the world.

Koyasan Reihokan Museum was established in 1921 with the donations of volunteers and the support of Kongobu-ji Temple as a facility for the preservation and exhibition of these precious cultural heritages of Koyasan. The main building built at that time was designated as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 1998. In 1961, the Great Treasure House was added, and it came to house the majority of the nationally designated tangible cultural properties (arts and crafts) on the mountain. The number of designated properties has increased in recent years, with additional storage facilities added in 1984 and 2003.

Currently, the museum houses 21 national treasures, 148 important cultural properties, 17 cultural properties designated by Wakayama Prefecture, and 2 important art objects, totaling 188 items, totaling approximately 28,000 items, and boasts a collection of approximately 100,000 non-designated items. The museum, which collects and stores this vast amount of material, plans and exhibits special exhibitions, special displays, and permanent exhibits throughout the year, in addition to a special summer exhibition.