THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
July 10, 2023 at 18:48 JST
Even a ferocious dragon on the ceiling fell prey to the ravages of time, with a famed painting peeling off and hanging down over visitors at Sensoji temple in Tokyo on July 8.
The picture of a dragon, painted on traditional “washi” paper, partly came off at around 11 a.m. and dangled from the 9.5-meter-high ceiling of the main hall of the Buddhist temple, a popular tourist destination.
The picture didn’t fall to the floor and no one was injured. The temple remains open to worshippers and tourists.
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 apparently due to aging.
“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 said he wants to have the painting repaired as soon as possible.
The picture, 6.4 meters long and 4.9 meters wide, was created by the master painter Ryushi Kawabata (1885-1966) to adorn the hall, which was rebuilt in 1958 after being destroyed in the war.
The painting had been due for restoration work in the autumn to repair the effects of deterioration from being on display for decades.
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A painting on the ceiling of Sensoji temple in Tokyo’s Taito Ward comes off on July 8. (Provided by a visitor)
