The 38th Great Treasure House Exhibition "Treasures of Mount Koya" The Time of the Tale of the Heike and Mount Koya

The Tale of the Heike tells the story of the rise and fall of the Taira clan from around the 12th century, and Mount Koya features in the story several times. One of the most well-known stories is when Taira no Kiyomori met the Great Master when he rebuilt the Great Pagoda. This encounter deepened his faith, and he dedicated a mandala depicting Dainichi Nyorai of the Womb Realm using the blood of his own head. This mandala is called the "Blood Mandala" and is still housed in the Reihokan Museum.

The Great Treasure House Exhibition will display this Important Cultural Property, the Ryōkai Mandala (Blood Mandala), as well as other valuable cultural properties from the Heian and Kamakura periods, and will also introduce Mount Koya, which appears in the Tale of the Heike.