Image: Ōita Art Museum, Ōita-shi
Ōita Art Museum has opened a special exhibition titled 'Reborn: High-Resolution Replicas of National Treasures,' bringing together reproductions of Japanese cultural properties and major works that are usually difficult to view up close. The exhibition began on July 17, 2026, and is scheduled to run through September 23, 2026 in the museum’s special exhibition space in Ōita-shi.
According to the museum, the presentation is built around the 'Tsuzuri Project,' an initiative by Canon and the Kyoto Cultural Association that combines advanced imaging technology with traditional craftsmanship to reproduce the original texture and character of the works. The museum says the replicas are displayed without glass cases and are accompanied by video content, creating a more immediate viewing experience than would normally be possible with the original objects.
The exhibition brings together high-resolution reproductions of canonical works by artists including Kanō Eitoku, Tawaraya Sōtatsu, Itō Jakuchū, and Katsushika Hokusai. Among the works listed by the museum are 'Matsumoto-zu byōbu,' 'Fūjin Raijin-zu byōbu,' parts of 'Dōshoku Sai-e,' 'Unryū-zu,' and Hokusai’s 'Raijin-zu.' The museum’s English announcement also highlights works such as the 'Koromonsu Drawings,' 'Fujinrai,' and 'Wind God and Thunder God.'
The source material frames the exhibition as a gathering of celebrated images from across Japan and abroad, including works whose display is limited by conservation concerns. Several of the featured originals are held by institutions such as the Tokyo National Museum, Kennin-ji, the Imperial Household collection, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art. The reproductions are presented as part of the museum’s special exhibition programme rather than as a substitute for the originals, with the emphasis on faithful reconstruction and access.
Ōita Art Museum lists the exhibition’s venue as its special exhibition room and identifies the organisers as the Reborn exhibition executive committee, Ōita Art Museum, Ōita Godo Shimbun, and OAB Oita Asahi Broadcasting. Canon and the Kyoto Cultural Association are credited as co-organisers, while the Cultural Properties Utilisation Centre of the Independent Administrative Institution National Institutes for Cultural Heritage is listed as a cooperating body.
The museum has also scheduled related programming alongside the exhibition. A guest talk titled 'All About the Tsuzuri Project' is set for July 17, August 10, and August 11, with additional workshops and gallery talks continuing through the run of the show. Exhibition details published by the museum note an opening period from July 17 to September 23, with a partial change in display from August 9, and admission fees set at 1,000 yen for adults, 500 yen for high school students, and free entry for junior high school students and younger.
