Production of High-Resolution Replicas of the National Treasure 'Doshoku Saie' in Collaboration with the CPCP; Public Exhibition at Hyokeikan, Tokyo National Museum

Canon Inc. and the National Center for the Promotion of Cultural Properties (CPCP), part of the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, have produced high-resolution replicas of the national treasure "Doshoku Saie" (Colorful Realm of Living Beings) painted by Ito Jakuchu, which is housed in the Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan. This was done under their "Joint Research Project on the Production and Utilization of High-Resolution Replicas of Cultural Properties." The completed works will be exhibited to the public at the Hyokeikan of the Tokyo National Museum from Friday, April 17, to Sunday, May 17, 2026. Production of high-resolution replicas of "Doshoku Saie" through a joint research project Canon and the CPCP have been collaborating on joint research since October 2018 with the aim of providing more people with opportunities to familiarize themselves with cultural properties and offering deeper cultural experiences. So far, they have produced high-resolution replicas of 18 works, providing viewing experiences that are impossible with original cultural properties, such as exhibitions where visitors can observe the details of the works up close without glass cases, outreach programs for educational institutions, and interactive exhibitions combined with video. The national treasure "Doshoku Saie," for which replicas were produced this time, is a masterpiece of bird-and-flower paintings spanning 30 scrolls, completed over approximately 10 years by Ito Jakuchu, a painter in the mid-Edo period. It is known as Jakuchu's representative work, vividly depicting the vitality of various creatures such as plants, birds, insects, fish, and shellfish. The production of the replicas utilizes the technology of the "Tsuzuri Project," promoted by the Kyoto Culture Association (NPO) and Canon. Through the fusion of Canon's imaging technologies—ranging from input and image processing to output—and the craftsmanship of traditional Kyoto arts, the brushstrokes of the painter and the vivid colors of the mineral pigments are reproduced as faithfully as possible to the original cultural property. Furthermore, high color reproduction was achieved by using silk cloth newly developed specifically for this artwork. Public exhibition of the replicas at the Hyokeikan, Tokyo National Museum The completed replicas will be exhibited to the public at the Hyokeikan, Tokyo National Museum, from Friday, April 17, to Sunday, May 17, 2026. The exhibition of "Doshoku Saie" at the Hyokeikan is the first in 100 years since the original was exhibited in 1926. During the exhibition period, 15 scrolls of the high-resolution replicas of "Doshoku Saie" will be displayed in each of the first and second halves of the term. In addition, the high-resolution replica of the national treasure "Karajishi-zu Byobu" (Chinese Lions Screen) by Kano Eitoku, produced in fiscal year 2023 under this project, will also be exhibited. Launch of a new project by the CPCP and Canon Canon and the CPCP will further expand their past efforts regarding the production and utilization of high-resolution replicas of cultural properties, launching a new "Project to Promote Understanding of Cultural Properties Using Replicas" from April 2026. In this project, high-resolution replicas of the collections of the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage will be produced using the "Tsuzuri Project" technology, while joint research and demonstration experiments will be conducted to develop new utilization methods and implement model projects. Both parties will continue to collaborate to provide more people with opportunities to familiarize themselves with cultural properties and offer deeper cultural experiences. Event Name: Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan Grand Opening Pre-event in Hyokeikan: High-Resolution Replicas of Ito Jakuchu's "Doshoku Saie" and Kano Eitoku's "Karajishi-zu Byobu" Dates: Friday, April 17 - Sunday, May 17, 2026 *First half: Friday, April 17 - Friday, May 1; Second half: Saturday, May 2 - Sunday, May 17