THURSDAY, JULY 13, 2023
A famed painting of a dragon in the main hall of the Senso-ji temple in Tokyo partially came off the ceiling over tourists earlier this week. Painted on traditional “washi” paper, the art was reportedly due for restoration work later this fall to repair deterioration effects.
What Happened
On July 8, around 11 a.m., the picture of the dragon dangled from the 9.5-meter-high (about 31-feet-high) ceiling of the tourist destination. Reports indicate that the painting did not fall to the floor and no one was injured.
The Asahi Shimbun reports that visitors were temporarily kept out of the area directly beneath the damaged ceiling before the painting was removed. Temple officials said the painting came off due to aging and deterioration of the glue used to bind the washi to the ceiling.
As the painting's colors have faded and it has shown other signs of aging in the 65 years since it was installed, restoration work had been scheduled for as early as this fall, The Mainichi reported.
Ceiling painting at Tokyo's Senso-ji temple peels off before planned repair work https://t.co/tqoidonlfW pic.twitter.com/HgvRRHywGk
— Tokyo News (@TokyoUpdates) July 10, 2023
Ryunozu depicts a dragon dancing in the sky which has reportedly become revered as a protector of Kannon, the Buddhist god of mercy, and which relates to the temple's honorific prefix, “Kinryuzan.”
“The picture is more than a piece of art, it means a lot to us religiously,” said Shojun Shimizutani, a priest at the temple. He added that he hopes to have the painting repaired as soon as possible.
According to reports, the art was created by the master painter Ryushi Kawabata to adorn the hall, which was rebuilt in 1958 after being destroyed in the Great Tokyo Air Raid in 1945 during World War II. It spans 6.4 meters long and 4.9 meters wide.
“We will work to restore the painting as soon as possible, and bring back its majestic form,” said Shojun Shimizutani, a deacon of the temple's teaching department.
The temple remains open to worshippers and tourists while the work is ongoing. Other paintings in the temple had been restored about three years ago, temple staff say.
The Seno-ji temple, also known called the Asakusa Kannon, is reportedly the oldest temple in Tokyo. According to the temple’s website, the location draws 30 million tourists each year.
Tagged categories: Architecture; Artists; Coating failure; Historic Preservation; Historic Structures; Maintenance + Renovation; Murals; Murals; Paint; Paint defects; Peeling; Program/Project Management; Projects - Commercial; Rehabilitation/Repair; Restoration; Wallcovering removal
