Dazaifu

The theme for 2025 is:
Legacy
— The Light of Life, Enduring into the Future —

This winter, we have entrusted our hopes for the future to a single Christmas tree.

Since time immemorial, humanity has lived in harmony with nature. At times, through the gentle touch of human hands, light is brought to desolate mountainsides, reviving them into lush environments where a multitude of living creatures can thrive.

To ensure that we may continue to coexist with this diverse array of life, let us pass on the legacy of nature to the generations of the future!

2025 CHRISTMAS TREE
Story

The "Kyushu Expedition Team"—an initiative dedicated to promoting SDGs at the Daimaru Fukuoka Tenjin store—has launched a special project in collaboration with Tajima Sangyo Co., Ltd. and the College of Sustainability Tourism at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU). Through the medium of a Christmas tree, this project aims to carry forward into the future the heartfelt aspirations of those who dedicate themselves to the ongoing preservation of nature.

Co-creation with Those Who Know the Forest
Tajima Sangyo Co., Ltd.
Kyushu Expedition Team

At the very heart of the tree's design lies Tajima Sangyo—a family of forest owners who have lived in harmony with the woods since the Kamakura period.

Operating in the Hita region of Oita Prefecture—one of Japan's premier cedar-producing areas—they have sustained their forestry operations to this very day. Their core philosophy regarding forest stewardship is simple yet resolute: "We will steadfastly protect the forest."

The Kyushu Expedition Team was deeply moved by Tajima Sangyo's profound gratitude toward their forebears—who tirelessly guarded the woods before them—and by their unwavering conviction to nurture the forest—a precious "legacy" inherited from the past—so that it may flourish into the future for the benefit of the next generation. Inspired by these sentiments, the team proposed a collaborative effort to create a Christmas tree together.

Through this co-creation with true forest specialists, a Christmas tree imbued with a powerful and meaningful message has come to life.

Co-created with Tajima Sangyo
The Main Tree

This tree is constructed using thinned timber—wood harvested during the essential process of maintaining and tending to the mountain forests managed by Tajima Sangyo.

Rather than going to waste, these trees have been given a new life, reborn as a magnificent Christmas tree.

It is a distinctive tree that allows visitors to truly feel the natural warmth and gentle presence of the wood itself.

– Text from a nearby sign, translated using Google.

Lucky Charms at the Dazaifu Sando Store

1 The "Success" Bowl
This five-sided (pentagonal) bowl is imbued with our heartfelt wish to deliver "Success" (a homophone for "five-sided" in Japanese) directly to our customers. The bowl features a design incorporating the *ume* (plum blossom)—the symbol of Dazaifu—along with "Success *Ema*" (votive plaques) adorning the rim, and the character for "Decision" inscribed at the very bottom. Furthermore, your meal is served with matching five-sided chopsticks—our special "Success Chopsticks."

2 Goukaku-men (Success Noodles)
Since ancient times, noodles have been regarded as a highly auspicious food. Created with the wish that "long-lasting happiness" may visit our customers, *Goukaku-men* are crafted to be far longer than standard noodles. Their length—a symbolic 59 centimeters—is more than double that of ordinary noodles. We hope you savor their deliciousness for as long as possible, and that enduring happiness may be yours.

3 Kotodama (The Spirit of Words) —Hospitality Through Language—
All of us—the entire staff—serve our customers using greetings specifically crafted to evoke "happiness" and "success." It is said that words possess a spiritual power—*Kotodama*—that can infuse a space with energy. With this belief in mind, we deliver our words to you, praying that they fill you with hope and a profound sense of happiness.

4 Lucky Charms Throughout the Shop
At our Dazaifu Sando store, we have filled the interior with various lucky charms to ensure that happiness visits as many of our customers as possible! You will find auspicious items everywhere—bearing words of good fortune such as "Success," "Passing," "No Falling" (meaning you won't fail), and simply "Happiness."

We invite you to seek them out, embrace their abundant good luck, and welcome happiness into your life. We sincerely wish you all the very best.

– Text from a sign, translated using Google.

Thank you for visiting us.

Our Dazaifu Sando location proudly serves our signature "Goukaku Ramen" (Success Ramen).

The person responsible for establishing this shop and overseeing its operations is Tetsuka Iwaizako.

Meanwhile, Toru Iwata takes full responsibility for the ingredients and production at our facility.

The shop's interior was designed and crafted with heartfelt dedication by Ryoji Gochi and Yuri Shugo.

We hope you enjoy your visit.

Manabu Yoshitomi
President and CEO

– Text from a sign, translated using Google.

KEIDAI ART MUSEUM

1
Really shiny stuff that doesn't mean anything


Ryan Gander
2011

– Text from a sign.

— What’s this bright sparkling sphere?

This sphere is made of countless metal scraps attracted and attached by magnets. Although it has a powerful presence, the magnetic force at its center is not visible to the eye. There’s a special meaning to viewing such a work of art that expresses the invisible nature of the core of things here at Dazaifu Tenmangu. That’s because the gods in whom we believe and to whom we pray, are not visible to our eyes. Perhaps the artist intended to convey the presence of something important that we cannot see with our eyes.

*The doors are usually kept closed. This work may not be exhibited due to shrine events.

©Ryan Gander, Courtesy of TARO NASU

– Text from the Keidai Art Museum website Map page: https://keidai.art/en/aruku.

History of Okuni Shrine
**Enshrined Deity:** Okuninushi-no-Mikoto

Okuninushi-no-Mikoto—also affectionately known as "Daikoku-sama"—is revered alongside Ebisu-sama as one of the Deities of Good Fortune. According to ancient records, the divine realm once issued a decree to Sugawara no Michizane's ancestor, Amenohi-no-Mikoto, commanding him to enshrine Okuninushi-no-Mikoto. Consequently, the deity came to be enshrined here in Dazaifu, the very site where Lord Michizane himself would later be venerated. Although the sacred object representing the deity was at one point entrusted to the Nakagami and Nagamitsu families for private domestic worship, a divine oracle eventually commanded that the deity return to reside once again upon this very ground.

This Great Deity, whose countenance is perpetually wreathed in a gentle smile, embodies the peaceful spirit of the Japanese people. By keeping this benevolent visage in our hearts, we may partake in the deity's profound virtues and divine grace. We invite you to offer your prayers here for domestic harmony, protection against misfortune, and prosperity in business.

— Okuni Shrine

– Text from the larger sign on the right, translated using Google.

Komyoji Temple

Komyoji Temple is a Rinzai Zen temple founded in 1273 by Tetsugyu Enshin, and the following legend of the Tenjin who traveled to Song China remains there:

"In the middle of the Kamakura period, Sugawara no Michizane (the spirit of Sugawara no Michizane) sought the teachings of Zen and appeared before Enni (Shoichi Kokushi, founder of Tofuku-ji Temple in Kyoto and Joten-ji Temple in Hakata). At Enni's urging, Sugawara no Michizane traveled to Song China and attained enlightenment under Wuzhun Shifan (a Zen monk of the Rinzai school). Sugawara no Michizane then appeared before Enni again, He entrusted the monk's robe bestowed upon him by his master. Later, Sugawara no Michizane appeared before Enni's disciple, Tetsugyu Enshin, and instructed him to enshrine the robe in one place. Following this instruction, the robe was enshrined, creating a stupa dedicated to the monk's robes, and Komyoji Temple was built beside it.

Komyoji Temple Garden
(Prefectural Designated Scenic Spot: Designated March 14, 2014)

The gardens on the front and back of the main hall were created in 1957 by landscape architect Shigemori Mirei. The front garden features 15 stones arranged in a 7-5-3 pattern, abstractly representing the character "光" (ko, meaning light) in Komyoji Temple's name. The main garden is a seated garden viewed from the main hall or tea room. Based on the legend of the Tenjin who traveled to Song China, it depicts the ocean with white sand and numerous rock formations creating rocky islands. Many maple trees create diverse garden landscapes that change with the seasons.

– Text from a sign seen on the left side of the photo above, translated using Google.

Taikobashi and Shinjiike
Taiko-Bridge and Shinji-Pond

The bridge is formed from three elements. Approaching the bridge from the section furthest from the Honden, the first arched section represents the past, the flat central section the present, and the second arched section the future. The design of the bridge is typical of Buddhist architectural conception and reflects the concept that one thought only should be held at a given time. Shiujiike (Shinji-Pond) is pond shaped to resemble the ideogram for "heart" and if viewed from an elevated position the four strokes of the character 'shin' (心) are clearly seen.

– Text from a glass sign by the bridge.

The sign mentions the Shinji Pond being shaped like the character for heart. The name of the pond, 心字, is actually just heart character. The Taiko in the bridge’s name is 太鼓, or drum. So it’s the Heart Character Pond and Drum Bridge. So why Drum Bridge? Apparently, this is another name for 月桥 Moon Bridge, which is a bridge with a high arch so that it looks like the Moon when reflected on the water’s surface.

The Kirin
Statues of the Kirin and the Ran

(Prefecturally Designated Cultural Properties)

The Kirin is a mythical creature rooted in Chinese auspicious folklore; it is said to appear only when a virtuous sage emerges and the Way of Righteous Rule is upheld. As such, this statue may be interpreted as a tribute to the saintly virtues of Sugawara no Michizane (Kanko).

The Ran is a bird closely associated with the *Usobegae Shinji* (Falsehood Exchange Ritual) held on January 7th—a ceremony in which the "falsehoods" of the past year are exchanged for the absolute sincerity of Tenjin-sama. It also serves as a guardian bird of the Tenmangu shrine, believed to bring good fortune and blessings.

These statues were dedicated to the shrine in the fifth year of the Kaei era (1852).

– Text from the sign on the right side of the above photograph, translated using Google.

Special significance by Ushizai Dazaifu Tenmangiya. After the death of Michizane Sugawara, the author of Kogyola wrote that his remains were on the train, and when he arrived suddenly on the street, he was forced to move. This is the place where Michizane Sugawara's followers were buried, as well as others, and this is the location of the main shrine. There are 11 statues of shrines dedicated to the Sugawara family, statues of the sacred cows used to provide relief to countless tourists, and statues of all kinds of shrines. The largest bronze statue of a troupe, the torii gate at the entrance of the shrine, the least number of visitors come to this capital, the head of the bull, and the prayer for wisdom. Year after month came, the cow head was changed and the flash was written.

– Dazaifu Tenmangu, https://www.dazaifutenmangu.or.jp/tw/discover-dazaifu-tenmangu/shrine-grounds/, translated using Google.

The Great Camphor Tree (Kaki) — Natural Monument

Designated as a Natural Monument. (Designation established in the 12th Year of the Taisho Era [1923].) This tree stands as a quintessential example of a colossal camphor; its age is estimated to be anywhere from one thousand to fifteen hundred years.

Possessing immense historical and ecological value, it requires strict preservation and protection.

**Notice**

*   Do not use open flames in the vicinity.
*   Do not damage the roots, trunk, or branches.
*   Do not trample the soil around the roots.

Please strictly observe the above precautions.

March, 13th Year of the Taisho Era (1924)

"Any person who violates these regulations shall be punished in accordance with national law."

Ministry of Education

– Text from the sign on the tree’s trunk, translated using Google.

The Fudezuka (Brush Mound)
Lord Sugawara is celebrated as one of the "Three Stars of Calligraphy" and is worshipped as the patron deity of the art. The *Fudezuka* serves as a repository where calligraphers respectfully dedicate their used brushes in gratitude for their service; a special dedication ceremony is held here on the day of the awards presentation for the Tanabata Calligraphy Contest.

– Text from the sign on the right, translated using Google.

The Nomi no Sukune Monument
Nomi no Sukune was an ancestor of Lord Sugawara no Michizane and is revered as the founding deity of sumo wrestling in Japan. The "Strength Stone" situated in front of the monument was used during the Edo period by young men to demonstrate their physical prowess.

– Text from the sign on the left, translated using Google.

Monument to a Poem by Isamu Yoshii

At Oishi-no-Chaya in Dazaifu, as I partake of rice cakes, I feel that the melancholy of my journey, too, will someday fade away.

This verse is one of the poems featured in *Dazaifu-yuki* (Journey to Dazaifu), a section within Isamu Yoshii’s poetry collection, *Tabi-yoshi*.

Calligraphy on the Monument: Mr. Seisensui Ogiwara, Founder of the *Sōun* School

Erected by: The *Kyushu Bungaku* Literary Circle and Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine

– Text from the sign on the right, translated using Google.

— If the trees could listen—

The sound of the conch shells echoing through the forest is at times as strong as the wind, and at times as faint as a breath. The eight shells sound from different directions, making the entire forest feel like a single instrument. In Western imagery, the North Wind is sometimes depicted blowing a conch shell, and inspired by that image, the artist reflected on the paths people take and on life itself. As you listen to the whispers of the forest, take a moment to sense the act of “listening” that lies quietly within the silence.

※This installation consists of sounds played from speakers dispersed throughout the forest. Please enjoy it as you walk through the woods. Available from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. 

– Text from the Keidai Art Museum website Map page: https://keidai.art/en/aruku.

— Echo and Narcissus are indispensable to each other.
“Echo” is a meditation sculpture which resembles ancient pyramid structures and sci-fi polygonal spacecraft. It is both a site and object for seated meditation. The surface of the sculpture is made using phosphorescent material, is charged with increasing energy and glows electrified like a screen during the day and actively captures light energy from a combination of sunlight and black-light, called “Narcissus”, transforming the work into a ‘charged’ object, that is visualized as glowing light even as the sun sets into night in the shrine woods. This is a sustainable piece of work that captures and circulates natural energy.

*You can sit on the artwork, but please do not climb on it with your shoes on.

©Mika Tajima, Courtesy of TARO NASU, Photo by Yasushi Ichikawa

– Text from the Keidai Art Museum website Map page: https://keidai.art/en/aruku.

— The center of a center?
The artist, who sees his own works as sculptures realized through combinations of words, created the sculpture THE CENTER OF A CENTER in a spacious area on the ground, while pondering Dazaifu Tenmangu. Although the deep meaning of these words may seem bewildering, the artist argues that the important point is to walk on the ground while thinking about the words that are written here. He says that this work can mean nothing on its own but gains meaning as a work of art once it has inspired communication between the viewer and the work.

©Lawrence Weiner, Courtesy of TARO NASU, Photo by Kazuaki Koganemaru

– Text from the Keidai Art Museum website Map page: https://keidai.art/en/aruku.

Hisakata
In my garden, where plum blossoms flutter down,
Does a stream of snow drift hither
From the distant, high heavens above?
— Ōtomo no Tabito

This poem, collected in the *Man'yōshū* (Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves), was composed on the 13th day of the first month of Tenpyō 2 (730).

It was recited by Ōtomo no Tabito—then serving as the Governor-General of Dazaifu—during the "Plum Blossom Banquet" (Ume no Hana no En) hosted at his private residence.

Notably, the preface to the thirty-three poems composed at this very gathering served as the textual source for the current era name, "Reiwa."

– Text from the sign on the left, translated using Google.

Harī Racing Boats of Shioya Bay

*Harī* (Dragon Boat) refers to a boat-rowing competition held throughout Okinawa, in which participants pray to the Sea God for maritime safety, bountiful harvests, and good health. These races are frequently held on the fourth day of the fifth lunar month (known as *Yukkanuhī*) or around the time of the *Obon* festival in July. In Shioya Bay, located in the village of Ogimi in northern Okinawa Prefecture, the races take place during *Ungami* (the Sea God Festival)—specifically on the first Day of the Boar (*I-no-hi*) following the lunar *Obon* festival. Even within the *Ungami* festivities at Shioya Bay—which have been designated as a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property—the *Ugan-Harī* (Ritual Harī Race) stands out as the main highlight. The *Harī* boat on display here is one that was actually used during the *Ungami* festival at Shioya Bay. Competitive rowing events like *Harī* have spread beyond Okinawa to places such as Nagasaki, Fujian Province in China, and various regions across Southeast Asia; they can truly be described as events that symbolize the rich maritime culture of Asia.

Produced: Circa 1945–1954 (Showa Era, 1920s)
Kyushu National Museum (Donated by the Shioya and Tamina Districts)

– Text from a sign, translated using Google.

What is Dazaifu?
Here in Dazaifu City, where the Kyushu National Museum now stands, there was once an office responsible for diplomacy, military affairs, and tax collection. Its name was Dazaifu.  Dazaifu was the political and cultural center of the Kyushu region and a window for exchange with East Asian countries. This section introduces Dazaifu and the earthen fortifications and water castles built for its defense.

– Text from a sign, translated using Google.

After suffering a military defeat in 663 at the Baekchon River on the Korean peninsula, Japan shored up its domestic defenses to prevent a follow-up attack from China's Tang dynasty and Korea's Silla kingdom. One of these was the the Mizuki bulwark, as described in Nihon shoki (Chronicles of Japan): "A large dike was built to store water. It's called 'Mizuki' (water fortress)".

The Mizuki water fortress was a 1.2km long embankment built
entirely by hand and still strong after 1350 years.

– Text from a sign.

Travelling through Time in Dazaifu
A Japanese bullfinch appears as a guide before a woman walking around the ruins of Dazaifu Government Office. This bird leads her back in time to the Nara period (710-794), where she discovers the ruins transforming into the ancient capital of Dazaifu, a sprawling city and fortress surrounded by battlements. Originally built as a strategic defense base, Dazaifu eventually became the political center of Kyushu, welcoming overseas envoys and merchants as a hub for international exchange. It was also a center of advanced Buddhist culture, where monks from Japan and other countries gathered. Feasts for nobles were held here, too. Such is the history connecting Dazaifu, past and present.

– Text from a sign.

Important Cultural Property
Bottle with Pine, Bamboo, and Plum Motifs in Polychrome Overglaze Enamels

The official kiln of the Nabeshima domain in Hizen Province (present-day Saga Prefecture) produced the highest-end porcelains to offer to the Shogun's family. In addition to the annual offering for the Shogun, a limited number of items was also tailored for the Shogun's family and the Nabeshima family. Based on the auspicious motifs of this bottle, it is assumed that this bottle was either to be included as an item in a trousseau or to be used at seasonal events. It is a very rare example of a bottte of heishi type in polychrome overglaze enamels produced in Nabeshima kiln.

– Text from the sign at bottom right.

Tategine (Upright Pestle)
Excavated from the Suzumei Remains, Fukuoka Prefecture
Yayoi Period (3rd–2nd Century BCE)
Fukuoka City Buried Cultural Properties Center

Mortar
Excavated at the Yoshinogari Site, Saga Prefecture
Yayoi Period (2nd–3rd Century)
Saga Prefecture

The harvested rice stalks are placed in a mortar and pounded with an upright pestle to thresh the grain. Scenes of this threshing process are depicted on *dotaku* (bronze bells), evoking vivid images of daily life among the people of the Yayoi period.

– Text from the sign for the two large artifacts on the left, translated using Google.

Flame-shaped earthenware vessel
From Dōjitte, Niigata, 3,000-2,000 BCE
Tsunan Town Board of Education, Niigata

Characterized by a rim likened to flickering flames, the "Flame-style" pottery stands as a quintessential masterpiece of the Jomon period. However, examples of this style appear only within a limited geographical area—specifically, northern Nagano Prefecture and the region centered on Niigata Prefecture. It represents one of the most intensely distinctive artistic expressions to emerge across the Japanese archipelago during the Middle Jomon period.

– Text from the sign for this artifact, translated using Google.

The piece of pottery above could be 5,000 years old! Quite an amazing item.

Jar Coffin
Kadota-Tsujita Site, Fukuoka Prefecture
Yayoi Period, 1st Century BCE
Fukuoka, Kyushu Historical Museum

A defining characteristic of Northern Kyushu during the Yayoi period is the *kamekanbo*—burials in which the deceased were interred within large earthenware jars. Initially, existing jar-shaped vessels were repurposed for this use; however, to accommodate the need for larger containers, their designs were subsequently refined, reaching their maximum dimensions during the middle Yayoi period. In some instances, multiple jars were joined together to form a single burial vessel.

– Text from the sign for this artifact, translated using Google.

Many of the clay horses used in ancient rituals had their legs broken and were later discarded. The crescent-shaped heads of clay horses like this one are a distinctive feature of those that were unearthed at waterside excavation sites in the areas surrounding Kyoto and Nara.

– Text from a sign.

Seated Amida Buddha Statue
Heian Period, Kyoto National Museum

This statue was passed down in Sairin-ji temple in Kumiyama Town, south of Kyoto City. The buddha's mudra (hand grecure) welcomes the spirits of the dead to the Pure Land Paradise. His round face and gentle expression, the smooth planes used to shape the trunk of his body, and the drape of his clothing resemble the Amitabha Buddha carved in 1053 by Buddhist sculptor Jōchō. This suggests that this statue may also date to the eleventh century.

– Text from the partially legible sign for this artifact with English and Japanese, translated using Google.

Buddhist Relief from the Tang Dynasty (China)
China, Xi'an City: Formerly at Baoqing Temple (Tang Dynasty) — Kyushu National Museum

A seated buddha is flanked by two bodhisattvas, beneath a parasol made of lotuses with spread petals. Fleshy depictions of figures were popular in Tang China, and this trend made its way to Japan when their envoys saw the Buddhist statues and reliefs in the Tang capital of Chang'an (present day Xi'an) and brought the idea back home.

– Text from the partially legible sign for this artifact with English and Japanese, translated using Google.

Buddhist Relief from the Tang Dynasty (China)
China, Tang Dynasty (8th Century)
(Formerly at Baoqing Temple, Xi'an, China)
Kyushu National Museum

This was one of the stone reliefs that decorated the inner walls of the Baoqing Temple in Xi'an, China. It was placed in the temple by monks and officials who served Wu Zetian (reigned 690-705), the only female monarch in all of Chinese history, as a prayer for her longevity and long reign.

– Text from the sign for this artifact with English and Japanese, translated using Google.

Standing Statue of the Buddha Before Enlightenment
Pakistan, Gandhara
2nd–3rd Century
Kyushu National Museum

The founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama, was born into the royal family. He attained enlightenment after he left his home. This statue is a rendering of the young prince before enlightenment, adorned with accessories such as a turban and a crown.

– Text from the sign for this artifact, translated using Google.

Brick of a phoenix design
Three Kingdoms period (Backje), 7th century
KYUSHU NATIONAL MUSEUM

Unglazed brick tiles once adorned the floors and walls of buildings, as well as temple foundations. The phoenix, an imaginary creature said to appear in peaceful times ruled by a virtuous emperor, is an auspicious motif. The stylized wings and tail of this mythical bird are beautifully rendered on this tile.

– Text from the sign for this artifact.

Painted brick tile
Gansu Province, China, Wei to Western Jin dynasty, 3rd-4th century
Tezukayama University Museum, Nara

A four-legged beast looks to the left, with sharp horns protruding from its head. While its belly has a scale-like pattern, tiger-like stripes run from its back to its long tail. Similar beasts appeared as "grave guardians" in the Han dynasty (618-907), so this tile is probably depicting a divine creator guarding a tomb.

– Text from the signs for this artifact.

Note that the text on the sign for the artifact mentions the Han dynasty, however, the dates given are for the Tang dynasty.

Painted brick tile
Gansu Province, China, Wei to Western Jin dynasty, 3rd-4th century
Tezukayama University Museum, Nara

This tile features a man and woman facing each other, with a jar-like vessel between them. In what is probably a banquet scene, the woman on the left offers something, while the man on the right seems to hold out a sake cup. Their loose, flowing garments indicate a high social rank.

– Text from the signs for this artifact.

Important Cultural Property
Triangular and rectangular patterned brick tiles
From the Dazaifu Gakkō-in site, Fukuoka, 8th century
Kyushu Historical Museum, Fukuoka

This ancient brick features a hōsōgemon arabesque floral motif that was widely used in Tang China. It is thought to have developed in China from floral patterns used in India and other countries further west. In Japan, this pattern was popular during the eighth to twelfth centuries.

– Text from the sign for the above two artifacts.

Green-glazed ceramic dog
China, Eastern Han-Western Han dynasties, 1st century BCE-1st century CE
Kyushu National Museum

This green-glazed ceramic dog was created as a burial offering. Its slightly upturned face and full, curly tail are endearing. The harness attached to its neck and torso, with metal fittings and claws, is also finely detailed. Perhaps it represented a hunting dog that had been kept by the deceased.

– Text from the sign for this artifact.

Bowl painted with a bird motif
Iran, Samanid dynasty, 10th-11th century
Kyushu National Museum

– Text from the sign for this artifact.

White-glazed hotaru-de bowl with indigo plant motifs
Iran, Il-Khanid dynasty, 13th-14th century
The Nishi-Nippon City Bank, Ltd.

Lidded jar with beast-shaped handles
Iran, Seljuq dynasty, 12th-13th century
The Nishi-Nippon City Bank, Ltd.

– Text from the sign for these two artifacts.

Large turquoise-glazed jar
Iran, 9th-11th century
The Nishi-Nippon City Bank, Ltd.

This bowl, glazed in a bright cobalt blue, is incised in dark indigo lines on its inner surface. While its shape shows a Chinese influence, the clay used to create this piece, as well as the colors and application of the glazes that cover it, are representative of Islamic ceramics.

– Text from the sign for this artifact.

Small cut-glass bottle
From around Iran, early Islamic period, 8th-9th century
Kyushu National Museum

A small vessel adorned with cut decoration. Believed to have once held perfume or aromatic oil, it has taken on a whitish appearance, though traces of its original transparent green hue remain faintly visible. Its production techniques carry on the legacy of Sasanian cut glass—such as that found among the treasures of the Shōsōin—and similar artifacts.

– Text from the sign for this artifact, translated using Google.

Anchor of an invading Mongol warship
From the Takashima underwater ruins, Nagasaki, 13th century
Matsuura City Board of Education, Nagasaki

This is a reproduction of a Mongol warship anchor. The stone portion is an actual fragment recovered from the shipwreck off Takashima, Nagasaki, while the wooden portion is a reimagination of what the rest of the anchor may have looked like. The state in which the anchor remnants were found suggests that the ship had been docked when it sank.

– Text from the sign for this artifact.

Sancai tri-color glazed ceramic pillow with mandarin ducks
Tang dynasty, 8th century
Kyushu National Museum

Sancai (tri-colored) ceramics were produced in the vicinity of Luoyang, a Tang sub-capital which was one of the major cities along the Silk Road. Richly colored in shades such as brown, indigo, and cream, Tang sancai ware like this ceramic pillow was widely distributed on the East-West trade network.

– Text from the sign for this artifact, translated using Google.

Dish depicting flowers and birds in underglaze blue
Jingdezhen kilns, Ming dynasty, 17th century
Ogori C.C. Collection

Chinese porcelains decorated in underglaze blue are also known as blue-and-white porcelains. Pieces produced in the imperial Jingdezhen kilns were exported all over the world, greatly impacting the ceramics industry in many countries. Blue-and-white porcelains were used as crockery by the upper samurai class in Japan.

– Text from the sign for this artifact.

Important Cultural Property
Lidded fahua jar depicting herons and lotuses
Jingdezhen kilns, China, 15th-16th century
Kyushu National Museum

Fahua refers to a specific kind of tri-color glazed ceramics created in Ming China. Designs are often rendered in vibrant colored glaze within raised slip outlines. This object was originally designated a National Treasure under the old system in 1936, and reclassified as an Important Cultural Property in 1950.

– Text from the sign for this artifact.

Dish decorated in overglaze enamels
Kakiemon kiln, Imari (Arita), 17th century
Tanakamaru Collection

Chinese figures are depicted taking a leisurely boat trip on this dish. This motif takes after a popular painting subject that portrays Northern Song Chinese Confucian scholar Zhou Maoshu (1017-73) accompanied by his attendants as he admires chrysanthemum flowers.

– Text from the sign for this artifact.

Ceramic tile depicting a coiled dragon in overglaze enamels
Kakiemon style, Imari (Arita), about 1677
Tanakamaru Collection

A similar tile adorns the sutra hall of Kyoto's Nishihongan-ji Temple. which was established in 1677. It bears a signature identifying its maker as Doi Genzaemon of Arita. Doi was the person who had erected the grave of the third Kakiemon head, and his name also appears on a surviving clay mold.

– Text from the sign for this artifact.

Square flower vase decorated in underglaze blue
Hirado kilns, 19th century
Tanakamaru Collection

Hirado ware (also known as Mikawachi ware) refers to ceramics
made in the Hirado domain. Ceramists there had begun making
porcelains in the Kan'ei era (1624-1644) during the early Edo period.
Hirado is known for creating delicate and detailed blue-and-white
porcelains, as well as saikumono.

– Text from the sign for this artifact.

Folding screen (right) depicting a European ship at Suruga Bay
17th century
Kyushu National Museum

Among the many extant *Nanban* folding screens, this work stands out for its distinctive depiction of the landscape. It portrays foreign ships, a pine grove, and foreign merchants at rest. It has been noted that this piece bears a connection to the records of a Korean diplomatic envoy who witnessed a *Nanban* ship in Suruga Bay in 1607.

– Text from the sign for this folding screen.

Nanban Art in the Age of Discovery
The Age of Discovery began in the early 15th century. Portugal and Spain, venturing out into the world, aimed for Asia. In 1543, a Chinese ship carrying Portuguese sailors drifted ashore on Tanegashima Island, bringing with it firearms. Six years later, Francis Xavier arrived in Japan, introducing Christianity. This marked the beginning of serious exchange with Europe, and its influence extended to many areas, including economy and culture.

– Text from a nearby sign, translated using Google.

Some of the events from this era are portrayed in the recent historical drama Shogun, which was based on real events.

White lace folding fan
Fan: France, lace: Belgium, dated around 1860
Kimiko's Collection Artisan Lumina

In addition to Chantilly in France, Belgium is renowned as a producer of the finest lace. This folding fan depicts butterflies and birds brooding eggs within grapevine garland frames, all embroidered with needles and thread.

– Text from the sign for this artifact.

Guan Yu
Qing dynasty, 18th century
Tokyo National Musuem

– Text from the sign for this artifact.

Carved lacquer tray depicting birds and flowers
Yuan to Ming dynasty, 14th century
Kyushu National Museum

The designs on this tray were formed by carving into layers of lacquer piled on top of one another. Works with a top layer of red lacquer, such as this, are known as tsuishu (lit., "piled red"). This work was created to hold tools and placed as decoration in the study of a traditional Japanese house.

– Text from the sign for this artifact.

Animal-Shaped Haniwa
Haniwa were large clay figurines of various shapes, including animals, that decorated the tops of burial mounds. Horses and chickens were placed at the tombs of elites. Dogs, birds, and deer were arranged to depict hunting scenes. While each figurine looks like the animal it is meant to represent, it also features some deformation typical to haniwa.

– Text from a sign.

Haniwa terracotta horse
Reportedly from the Manabe tumuli, Ibaraki, 6th century
Kyushu National Museum

Horses were a symbol of status and power during the Kofun period and powerful people enjoyed fitting them with bright golden trappings. Even in death, their tumuli were decorated with haniwa representations of these highly adorned horses that give us an accurate idea of the trappings and ornaments they had used then.

– Text from the sign for the horse haniwa.

A tree of the genus Picea (Picea, Malvaceae family)
Excavated from Honjyoyamabe, Saiki, Oita Prefecture, 90,000 years ago (Late Pleistocene).
Kyushu National Museum (Donated by Honjyo, Saiki City, Oita Prefecture [formerly Honjyo Village, Oita Prefecture])

This piece of wood was felled by the explosive eruption of Mt. Aso 90,000 years ago. The scorched marks on the surface are striking. The eruption occurred on a massive scale, reaching even Yamaguchi and Ehime.

– Text from the sign for this artifact, partially translated using Google.

Three-tiered cut-glass box
19th century
Kyushu National Museum

Here is an example of cut glass, a new industrial product created in the Satsuma Domain from the end of the Edo period to the beginning of the Meiji period. It features a bright red color and beautiful designs cut delicately in glass.

– Text from the sign for this artifact.

Imari porcelain that captivated Europe
- Donated by Ogori Country Club

From the mid-17th century to the mid-18th century, Imari porcelain produced in Arita (present-day Saga Prefecture) was exported in large quantities to Europe. This precious Oriental porcelain came to be known as "White Gold" and enjoyed immense popularity among royalty and the aristocracy. To this day, numerous examples of Imari ware can still be found within the historic castles and palaces of Europe. This exhibition showcases one of Japan's premier collections of antique Imari ware, generously donated by the Ogori Country Club.

– Mostly legible text from the sign on the right side of the display case, translated using Google.

Plates with indigo paintings of oriental landscapes
Maastricht, Holland, dated around 1863
Kyushu National Museum (Donated by Mr. Hattori Kazuhiko)

At the end of the Edo period, European ceramics imported through Dutch trading posts (called "Holland ware") became popular in various parts of Japan, especially Nagasaki. Using a technique known as "copperplate transfer" images engraved on copper plates were first transferred onto paper, then ceramics.

– Text from the sign for these two artifacts.