A 1,000-year-old National Treasure is now viewable on your smartphone. The National Treasure "Illustrated Biography of Prince Shotoku" was once on display for just one month per year at the Tokyo National Museum. Now it can be viewed for free from anywhere in the world, captured in an astonishing 3.6 billion pixels, with support for four languages and interactive quizzes about Prince Shotoku's "superhuman legends." Here is a look at Japan's cutting-edge approach to digitizing cultural heritage.

What is the "Illustrated Biography of Prince Shotoku"?

The Shotoku Taishi Eden (Illustrated Biography of Prince Shotoku) is a collection of painted sliding door panels (shoji-e) created in 1069 CE by the artist Hata no Chitei during Japan's Heian period. Consisting of 10 panels, each measuring approximately 1.9 meters tall and 1.5 meters wide, this monumental work depicts 60 episodes from Prince Shotoku's life, from birth to death. It's the oldest surviving example of the "Shotoku Taishi Eden" genre and is highly regarded as a masterpiece of early Yamato-e (Japanese-style painting).

Originally displayed on the inner walls of the E-den (Picture Hall) at Horyuji Temple in Nara, the panels were donated to the Imperial Household in 1878 and are now housed at the Tokyo National Museum.

However, after approximately 1,000 years, the painted surfaces have deteriorated significantly, making detailed observation with the naked eye nearly impossible. Additionally, to protect the artwork, physical exhibitions have been limited to roughly one month per year.

The Digitization Journey

To make this precious National Treasure accessible to more people, the National Center for the Promotion of Cultural Properties (nicknamed "Bunkatsu") launched a digitization project in 2018.

Development of the 8K Art Viewer (2018)

In collaboration with NHK Educational, each panel was photographed in 28 sections. The resulting ultra-high-definition image data contains approximately 1.8 billion pixels per panel, or 3.6 billion pixels for two panels combined. This was displayed on large 8K monitors, allowing visitors to zoom in and explore the artwork through an interactive application at the Gallery of Horyuji Treasures.

Integration with 5G and AR Technology (around 2020)

A joint project with KDDI combined 5G communication technology and AR (Augmented Reality) to create new viewing experiences. Visitors could use "Magic Glasses" to watch animated versions of the biography's episodes through AR glasses.

Web Version Launch (January 2026)

In January 2026, the content that was previously only available at the museum was finally released as a web application.

Features of the Digital Art Viewer

The newly released "Digital Art Viewer: National Treasure Illustrated Biography of Prince Shotoku: The Prince's Life and Superhuman Legends" offers several remarkable features:

3.6 Billion Pixel Ultra-High-Definition Images

The web version uses the same ultra-high-definition data as the museum display. You can zoom in to levels impossible to see with the naked eye. For instance, in the scene depicting the 11-year-old prince levitating, zooming in reveals his "smiling expression."

Full Support for 4 Languages

All explanations are available in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean. This makes it an invaluable learning resource for fans of Japanese culture worldwide.

Interactive Learning Experience

From 60 episodes, 12 "superhuman legends" have been selected and presented with illustrations for easy understanding. Stories like "listening to 36 children speak at once and remembering everything" and "flying to Mount Fuji on a magical black horse" can be enjoyed while learning about the prince's legendary abilities.

Quiz features are also included, allowing users to deepen their understanding of the artwork in a game-like format.

Access Anytime, Anywhere

The viewer is accessible via PC or smartphone, regardless of time or location. Whether at home, in a classroom, or from overseas, you can experience this National Treasure.

The Significance of Digitizing Cultural Heritage

In 2023, Japan enacted a revised Museum Act that officially designated digital archive creation and publication as part of museum operations, the first major revision in approximately 70 years.

The National Center for the Promotion of Cultural Properties operates under the vision: "To preserve cultural properties for 1,000 or even 2,000 years into the future, we will create a society where everyone thinks about and participates in their preservation."

By utilizing digital technology, they are addressing the previously difficult challenge of balancing artwork protection with expanded viewing opportunities.

The web release of the Prince Shotoku Illustrated Biography exemplifies this vision in action.

Experience It Yourself

The Digital Art Viewer is available for free at the following URL:

URL: https://edu-cpcp.nich.go.jp/eden/

Recommended viewing environment: screen size of 10 inches or larger, resolution of 1366×768 pixels or higher, with touch panel or mouse functionality.

Japan has a long tradition of "etoki" (picture explanation), where the contents of picture scrolls and illustrated biographies were narrated to audiences. In a sense, digital technology has revived this tradition for the modern age.

Does your country have initiatives to digitally publish ancient artworks and cultural properties? How do you balance the preservation and utilization of cultural heritage? We'd love to hear your thoughts!

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