Launching the Online Picture Scroll Viewing Website "Digi-Emaki - Jikkansho"
Hankyu Hanshin Holdings, Inc. has released volumes 1 through 5 of the Important Cultural Property "Jikkansho" on the "Digi-Emaki" website, allowing online viewing of the Itsuo Art Museum's collection starting from 14:00 on May 20. Users can enjoy the precious picture scrolls in detail through features such as image enlargement and transcription display. The release of volumes 6 through 10 is planned for fiscal year 2027.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 20, 2026 at 23:30
- 🔍 Collected: May 20, 2026 at 15:02
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 21, 2026 at 07:57 (16h 55m after Collected)
The Itsuo Art Museum, operated by the Hankyu Cultural Foundation, houses many picture scroll works. Because it is difficult to unroll and display long picture scrolls in their entirety, the museum launched the online picture scroll viewing website "Digi-Emaki" in fiscal year 2024. At that time, it released two volumes of the Important Cultural Property "Oeyama Ekotoba," which depicts the story of Minamoto no Yorimitsu and his four heavenly kings exterminating Shuten-doji of Mt. Oe under imperial command.
Following this, in May of last year, the museum added two volumes of the Important Cultural Property "Oku no Hosomichi Gakan," which consists of Matsuo Basho's travelogue "Oku no Hosomichi" copied entirely by Yosa Buson and accompanied by haiku-style illustrations.
"Digi-Emaki" allows users to freely change their viewing position while checking where they are within the entire scroll. It also enables users to enlarge the image to check details, and to display "transcriptions" that convert characters written in cursive script or historical kana orthography into modern Japanese spelling, providing highly popular ways to enjoy the scrolls that are unique to a website.
This fiscal year, the museum will release volumes 1 through 5 of the 10-volume Important Cultural Property "Jikkansho."
"Jikkansho" is said to be Japan's first Buddhist iconographical collection, compiled by Eju of Ninnaji Temple under the imperial command of Retired Emperor Toba in 1139 (Hoen 5). It is known as "Zuzosho" because it lists venerable images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas alongside their bongo (Sanskrit names written in Siddham script), mitsugo (esoteric titles), shuji (one-syllable mantras written in Siddham script), and sangyo (symbolic objects). It is also known as "Jikkansho" because it consists of 10 volumes in total.
The Itsuo Art Museum houses a complete copy transcribed in 1309 (Enkyo 2). Complete copies are extremely rare, with only two others known to exist.
"Digi-Emaki - Jikkansho" will be available starting today, May 20, at 14:00. We invite you to take a look.
"Jikkansho" describes the figures of various Buddhas, noting their venerable names, characteristics, and prayer manners, making it akin to an illustrated encyclopedia of Buddhist statues. In "Digi-Emaki," each volume has a table of contents, allowing users to directly view each venerable image.
In "Digi-Emaki," users can enlarge the images to check how the details are drawn.
In "Digi-Emaki," transcriptions are provided for all ink writings so that the written content can be read.
A unique feature of this work is that there is writing on the back of the paper. In "Digi-Emaki," parts with writing on the back are marked and designed so that they can be flipped over and viewed.
The characters on the back are also transcribed for easy reading.
"Digi-Emaki - Jikkansho" plans to release volumes 6 through 10 in fiscal year 2027.
Please look forward to it.
[Digi-Emaki]
https://archives.hankyu-bunka.or.jp/digi-emaki/
Hankyu Cultural Foundation: https://www.hankyu-bunka.or.jp/
Release: https://www.hankyu-hanshin.co.jp/release/2026/05/612c239591d9df5e5a75b4b72cf82bbca9670968.pdf
Publisher: Hankyu Hanshin Holdings
1-16-1 Shibata, Kita-ku, Osaka
Following this, in May of last year, the museum added two volumes of the Important Cultural Property "Oku no Hosomichi Gakan," which consists of Matsuo Basho's travelogue "Oku no Hosomichi" copied entirely by Yosa Buson and accompanied by haiku-style illustrations.
"Digi-Emaki" allows users to freely change their viewing position while checking where they are within the entire scroll. It also enables users to enlarge the image to check details, and to display "transcriptions" that convert characters written in cursive script or historical kana orthography into modern Japanese spelling, providing highly popular ways to enjoy the scrolls that are unique to a website.
This fiscal year, the museum will release volumes 1 through 5 of the 10-volume Important Cultural Property "Jikkansho."
"Jikkansho" is said to be Japan's first Buddhist iconographical collection, compiled by Eju of Ninnaji Temple under the imperial command of Retired Emperor Toba in 1139 (Hoen 5). It is known as "Zuzosho" because it lists venerable images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas alongside their bongo (Sanskrit names written in Siddham script), mitsugo (esoteric titles), shuji (one-syllable mantras written in Siddham script), and sangyo (symbolic objects). It is also known as "Jikkansho" because it consists of 10 volumes in total.
The Itsuo Art Museum houses a complete copy transcribed in 1309 (Enkyo 2). Complete copies are extremely rare, with only two others known to exist.
"Digi-Emaki - Jikkansho" will be available starting today, May 20, at 14:00. We invite you to take a look.
"Jikkansho" describes the figures of various Buddhas, noting their venerable names, characteristics, and prayer manners, making it akin to an illustrated encyclopedia of Buddhist statues. In "Digi-Emaki," each volume has a table of contents, allowing users to directly view each venerable image.
In "Digi-Emaki," users can enlarge the images to check how the details are drawn.
In "Digi-Emaki," transcriptions are provided for all ink writings so that the written content can be read.
A unique feature of this work is that there is writing on the back of the paper. In "Digi-Emaki," parts with writing on the back are marked and designed so that they can be flipped over and viewed.
The characters on the back are also transcribed for easy reading.
"Digi-Emaki - Jikkansho" plans to release volumes 6 through 10 in fiscal year 2027.
Please look forward to it.
[Digi-Emaki]
https://archives.hankyu-bunka.or.jp/digi-emaki/
Hankyu Cultural Foundation: https://www.hankyu-bunka.or.jp/
Release: https://www.hankyu-hanshin.co.jp/release/2026/05/612c239591d9df5e5a75b4b72cf82bbca9670968.pdf
Publisher: Hankyu Hanshin Holdings
1-16-1 Shibata, Kita-ku, Osaka
FAQ
Who is providing what?
Hankyu Hanshin Holdings, Inc. has released "Digi-Emaki - Jikkansho," an online viewing website for picture scrolls that allows users to appreciate the collections of the Itsuo Art Museum.
When is it available to the public?
Volumes 1 through 5 have been released starting from 14:00 on May 20. (Volumes 6 through 10 are scheduled to be released in fiscal year 2027.)
Where can it be accessed?
You can access and view it from the dedicated website (https://archives.hankyu-bunka.or.jp/digi-emaki/).
Is there any information about pricing?
There is no specific mention of pricing in this press release.
Why is it being released online?
Because it is difficult to display long picture scrolls fully unrolled, it is released online to allow users to freely browse while checking their position within the entire scroll, and to offer web-exclusive features like zooming and transcription display.