{"id":2225,"date":"2026-04-21T10:30:06","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T01:30:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mediaartleague.org\/en\/?p=2225"},"modified":"2026-04-21T10:38:02","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T01:38:02","slug":"media-art-message-no-15","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/mediaartleague.org\/en\/blog\/media-art-message-no-15\/","title":{"rendered":"Media = Art + Message No.15: JUST LAUNCHED\u2014A project to spread Prince Shotoku’s ideal of harmony around the world"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"🔸\"A World Premiere: the first\u00a0photographic\u00a0exhibition of the\u00a0H\u014dry\u016b-ji’s\u00a0historical relics, to be shown outside Japan<\/strong><\/p>\n

A\u00a0photographic\u00a0exhibition\u00a0entitled\u00a0\u2018T<\/strong><\/em>he Historical Significance of H\u014dry\u016b-ji and Prince Sh\u014dtoku<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0 (La importancia hist\u00f3rica del templo\u00a0H\u014dry\u016b-ji y el pr\u00edncipe Sh\u014dtoku)’\u00a0opened at the Spanish-Japanese Cultural Center (University of Salamanca) in Spain on 16th March 2026. Amid growing global turmoil, this project aims to promote the spirit of \u2018harmony\u2019\u2014that underpins the \u2018Seventeen-Article Constitution<\/em><\/strong>\u2019 promulgated by Crown Prince Sh\u014dtoku in 604\u2014to the wider world. The required photography\/filming work\u2014for which\u00a0exceptional permission was granted by the H\u014dry\u016b-ji\u00a0Temple\u2014took 20 years to complete. This is the first exhibition of its kind to showcase the National Treasures of\u00a0the\u00a0H\u014dry\u016b-ji,\u00a0outside of Japan.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Poster: La importancia hist\u00f3rica del templo H\u014dry\u016b-ji y el pr\u00edncipe Sh\u014dtoku (Historical Significance of H\u014dry\u016b-ji Temple and Prince Sh\u014dtoku)<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\"\"<\/a>

Prospectus: La importancia hist\u00f3rica del templo H\u014dry\u016b-ji y el pr\u00edncipe Sh\u014dtoku<\/p><\/div>\n

\"🔸\"Objectives<\/p>\n

Through photographs and documentary footage showcasing the H\u014dry\u016b-ji’s treasures and events, this exhibition explores the temple\u2019s history at the eastern terminus of the Silk Road. Moreover, it places the achievements of Prince Sh\u014dtoku (Prince Umayato)\u2014who laid the foundations for Japan\u2019s politics and culture that continue to this day\u2014within the context of East Asian history from the 7th century onwards..<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

A view of the exhibition in the “Empress Michiko Hall” (Photo: Japan Authentic Heritage Initiative)<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>

A view of the exhibition “La importancia hist\u00f3rica del templo H\u014dry\u016b-ji y el pr\u00edncipe Sh\u014dtoku”
“Empress Michiko Hall” (Photo: Japan Authentic Heritage Initiative)<\/p><\/div>\n

\"🔸\"Exhibited Work<\/p>\n

The exhibition features photographic work and a video poem (15 minutes in Spanish) showcasing artefacts\u2014that convey the grandeur of ancient East Asian Buddhism\u2014which reached Nara via the Silk Roads. At the collection’s core are outstanding National Treasures from the Asuka period, including the Shakyamuni Triad, the Standing Statue of the Hidden Buddha, the Kuse Kannon, the Kudara Kannon, the Yumemichi Kannon, the Yakushi Nyorai, and the Four Heavenly Kings.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\"\"<\/a>

Prospectus: La importancia hist\u00f3rica del templo H\u014dry\u016b-ji y el pr\u00edncipe Sh\u014dtoku<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>

A portion of the exhibition “La importancia hist\u00f3rica del templo H\u014dry\u016b-ji y el pr\u00edncipe Sh\u014dtoku”
“Empress Michiko Hall” (Photo: Japan Authentic Heritage Initiative)<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>

A view of the exhibition “La importancia hist\u00f3rica del templo H\u014dry\u016b-ji y el pr\u00edncipe Sh\u014dtoku”
“Empress Michiko Hall” (Photo: Japan Authentic Heritage Initiative)<\/p><\/div>\n

\"🔸\"Salamanca Japanese Culture Week<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

In 1999 the “Spanish-Japanese Cultural Center” (which includes the Empress Michiko Hall) was established at the Palace of Saint-Boire<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

The entire city of Salamanca was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. The Spanish-Japanese Cultural Centre was established there in 1999 as an annex to the University of Salamanca, which was founded in 1208 and is the fourth oldest still-existing university in the world. The centre’s \u2018Empress Michiko Hall\u2019 (formerly the Palais San Boileau), is the only cultural facility in the world permitted to bear the name of the former Empress of Japan. The annual \u2018Salamanca Japanese Culture Week\u2019,\u00a0held here every year, serves as a focus for cultural exchange between Spain and Japan through exhibitions, lectures and concerts marking its 25th anniversary this year.<\/p>\n

At the opening ceremony of the 25th Salamanca Japanese Cultural Week on 16 March, Professor Jose Abel Vilarejo of the University of Salamanca, Director of the Spanisch-Japanese Cultural Center, and Shinichi Sato, Charge d’Affaires at the Japanese Embassy in Spain, and Mr. Yasutaka Takeda, Director of the Japan Foundation, Madrid, delivered opening remarks. Following these, Miro Ito (Initiator of the Japan Authentic Heritage Initiative\/Media Art League), photo-artist and producer of the\u00a0H\u014dry\u016b-ji\u00a0exhibition, gave a speech.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

At the opening of the 25th Salamanca Japanese Culture Week, 16 March 2026.
L to R: Ms. Ito; Director Floreso, the Spanish-Japanese Cultural Centre; Ms. Martinez, Vice-Rector for Cultural Assets, Heritage and Conservation at the University of Salamanca;
Mr. Sato, Charg\u00e9 d\u2019Affaires, Japanese Embassy and Director Takeda, Japan Foundation, Madrid (Photo: Centro Cultural Hispano Japon\u00e9s, Universidad de Salamanca)<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>

At the opening event of “La importancia hist\u00f3rica del templo H\u014dry\u016b-ji y el pr\u00edncipe Sh\u014dtoku”
(Photo: Centro Cultural Hispano Japon\u00e9s, Universidad de Salamanca)<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

The next day, Ms. Ito gave a 50-minute lecture,\u00a0“Two Sages of Japan: Prince Sh\u014dtoku and Emperor Sh\u014dmu”,\u00a0to students of Japanese \/ East-Asian art and history, at the University of Salamanca.\u00a0Her emphasis on\u00a0Prince Sh\u014dtoku’s core value of “Harmony”, as the first and foremost of the 17-Articles in his Constitution, resonated well and garnered many remarks like “That is precisely the message the world\u00a0needs today”.<\/p>\n

Although parts of this lecture had been presented during\u00a0Ito’s\u00a0commemorative lecture\u00a0in 2021 at Nara Prefecture’s\u00a0Great Chrysanthemum Doll Exhibition,<\/strong> the current\u00a0global\u00a0tensions, gave the topic a particular relevance, as this appeal for harmony and understanding –transcending time and space– resonated well with the young Spaniards in attendance.\u00a0Consequently, Miro Ito is\u00a0determined to deliver similar messages at subsequent exhibitions in many\u00a0countries around the world. She vowed “I will gladly travel anywhere in the world to spread this appeal for harmony and peace\u2014should I be invited …”<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

A Commemorative lecture: “Two Sages of Japan: Prince Sh\u014dtoku and Emperor Sh\u014dmu (as part of a course at the University of Salamanca)
(Photo: Centro Cultural Hispano Japon\u00e9s, Universidad de Salamanca)<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

The exhibition will run for three months until\u00a019 June 2026.<\/p>\n

Please do make a trip to Salamanca or Nara in Japan.<\/p>\n

Organised by: The Spanish-Japanese Cultural Center, University of Salamanca\uff08Centro Cultural Hispano Japon\u00e9s, Universidad de Salamanca)<\/p>\n

Co-organised by: Japan Camera Industry Institute, Japan Authentic Heritage Initiative<\/p>\n

Concept and Production: Media Art League<\/p>\n

Photo permits by: H\u014dry\u016b-ji Temple<\/p>\n

Photography, text and video by: Miro Ito<\/p>\n

English editing by: Andreas Boettcher<\/p>\n

Spanish editing by: The Spanish-Japanese Cultural Center, University of Salamanca<\/p>\n

Endorsed by: Embassy of Japan in Spain; Japan Foundation, Madrid<\/p>\n

Production of cine-poetry: Nara Prefecture<\/p>\n

Funded by: The Tokyo Club<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

T<\/strong><\/em>he Historical Significance of H\u014dry\u016b-ji and Prince Sh\u014dtoku<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

(La importancia hist\u00f3rica del templo H\u014dry\u016b-ji y el pr\u00edncipe Sh\u014dtoku)<\/p>\n

Centro Cultural Hispano Japon\u00e9s (Universidad de Salamanca)<\/p>\n

Dates: 16th March to 19th June 2026<\/p>\n

Opening hours: Monday to Friday (11:00 AM to 1:45 PM, 5:30 PM to 8:45 PM)<\/p>\n

Address: Pl. de San Boal, 13, 37002 Salamanca, Spain
\nTel: +34 923 29 45 60
\nURL:\u00a0https:\/\/www.centrojapones.es\/exposicion-templo-horyuji-2026\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Prospectus:\u00a0La importancia hist\u00f3rica del templo H\u014dry\u016b-ji y el pr\u00edncipe Sh\u014dtoku<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Prospectus: La importancia hist\u00f3rica del templo H\u014dry\u016b-ji y el pr\u00edncipe Sh\u014dtoku<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A World Premiere: the first\u00a0photographic\u00a0exhibition of the\u00a0H\u014dry\u016b-ji’s\u00a0historical relics, to be shown outside Japan A\u00a0photographic\u00a0exhibition\u00a0entitled\u00a0\u2018The Historical Significance of H\u014dry\u016b-ji and Prince Sh\u014dtoku\u00a0 (La importancia hist\u00f3rica del templo\u00a0H\u014dry\u016b-ji y el pr\u00edncipe Sh\u014dtoku)’\u00a0opened at the Spanish-Japanese Cultural Center (University of Salamanca) in Spain on 16th March 2026. Amid growing global turmoil, this project aims to promote the spirit of \u2018harmony\u2019\u2014that underpins the \u2018Seventeen-Article Constitution\u2019 promulgated by Crown Prince Sh\u014dtoku in 604\u2014to the wider world. The required photography\/filming work\u2014for which\u00a0exceptional permission was granted by the H\u014dry\u016b-ji\u00a0Temple\u2014took 20 years to complete. This is the first exhibition of its kind to showcase the National Treasures of\u00a0the\u00a0H\u014dry\u016b-ji,\u00a0outside of Japan. Objectives Through photographs and documentary footage showcasing the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2221,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[73],"tags":[111,141,140,135,133,139,93,143,16,130,137,134,138,136,142,9,7,6],"class_list":["post-2225","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-heritage-of-life-and-prayer","tag-silk-road","tag-centro-cultural-hispano-japones","tag-empress-michiko-hall","tag-historical-significance-of-horyu-ji-temple-and-prince-shotoku","tag-horyu-ji-temple","tag-japan-authentic-heritage-initiative","tag-japan-camera-industry-institute","tag-la-importancia-historica-del-templo-horyu-ji-y-el-principe-shotoku","tag-national-treasure-of-japan-in-nara","tag-one-is-all","tag-photo-exhibition-of-horyu-ji","tag-prince-shotoku","tag-salamanca-japanese-culture-week","tag-spanish-japanese-cultural-center-university-of-salamanca","tag-universidad-de-salamanca","tag-media-art-league","tag-miro-ito","tag-nara"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/mediaartleague.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/miroito_horyuji-exhibition_brochure1_2026feb_cover1_small.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6ZcVb-zT","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/mediaartleague.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2225","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/mediaartleague.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/mediaartleague.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mediaartleague.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mediaartleague.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2225"}],"version-history":[{"count":27,"href":"http:\/\/mediaartleague.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2225\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2264,"href":"http:\/\/mediaartleague.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2225\/revisions\/2264"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mediaartleague.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2221"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/mediaartleague.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2225"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mediaartleague.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2225"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mediaartleague.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2225"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}