One Character, One Buddha: Prefatory Section of the Lotus Sutra

Ink and pigments on paper · Heian period · 11th century · Zentsuji, Kagawa

Legend says Kūkai wrote the sutra and his mother painted the Buddhas: one character paired with one Buddha — the only scroll of its kind in Japan.

Exhibition: Celebrating 1250 Years Since the Birth of the Great Master Kūkai: Kūkai and the Treasures of Shingon Buddhism — Tokyo National Museum · 2026-07-14 – 2026-09-06