A Niōmon is a gate at the entrance to a Japanese temple area and traditionally houses two temple guardians (Nio) : the fierce looking Agyou and the unyielding UNgyou. Agyou has its mouth open and is shouting ‘AAaa!’ and UNgyou has its mouth firmly shut and is making the sound UN! These sounds are the first syllabes of the Siddham script and together they represent all sounds (beginning and end and everything in between) and therefor all knowlegde, wisdom and compassion. Anyone walking in between the temple guardains gains acces to this field of knowledge, wisdom and compassion.
The temple guardians in this project are from Okuizumo-Yokota and are currently residing in the Rijksmuseum of Amsterdam.
In 2015 Dutch artist Jikke van Loon met with the two temple guardians in the Rijksmuseum of Amsterdam. She was in aw with their fierce and energetic appearance and with the skill of the masters hand. But she was also disturbed and at unease: were the temple guardians able to fulfill their tasks, stuck flat to the wall?She went in search of the hometown of the temple guards and ended up in Okuizumo Yokota, Shimane, a remote area in Japan. She encountered the void that the removal of the statues had created and decided to ‘bring back’ the temple guards to their original place.
Issho-ni/ Tomo-ni, (re) creating Pure wisdom, Together! (2018/ 2019)
In 2018 and 2019, the two temple guards were re-created by hundreds of participants in the Netherlands and Japan. Each participant painted a Delft blue tile that together formed four true-size Delft blue tableaus. On 23 November 2019, these ‘Blue Nio’ were festively unveiled and welcomed by the community in Yokota. Trough guided tours, workshops, debates and presentations in both the Netherlands and Yokota ánd with the appearance of the Bee Nio the Japanese guardians rose again in the community of Yokota and at the same time recalibrated their existence within the community of the Netherlands.
Niomon, Building a portal a home (2021-2025)
Although the temple guardians had returned to their hometown in 2019 it was impossible at that time to place them back in their former house, the Niomon of Iwaya-ji temple, and formally take up their tasks. The gate was in terrible condition and needed repair/ rebuilding.
Foundations in both Japan and the Netherlands were established to further the creation of a gate, in both physical (a Home for the returned Blue Nio) and non physical way (a portal to ‘learning, wisdom and compassing’). Between 2021 and 2025 Artist-in Residencies, High school Exchanges, Collaborations with College of Japanese Architecture Japan were established. A recurring NIO Festival has been organized to celebrate the return of the Nio, create’ wisdom, compassion and learning’ in workshops, debates and gatherings. The owner of the gate (and temple complex) was found.After long deliberation it was decided to shift ownership to the Niomon Foundation to further the project and to open up the area to the public.This was the moment for a welcome back home and a reconnection with the mountain, the community, the guardians, history.
OKAERI / TADAIMA! (Welcome Home/ We are Back!) (2025)
We are in the act of preparing the return of the Blue Nio to their former place on the mountain of Iwaya-ji. October 13 will be the day for a festive ceremony. In a live-stream between the Nio in Amsterdam (Red Nio) and the Nio in Yokota (Blue Nio) the statues will be connected in space and time and will be able resume their tasks as Nio for at least a next 700 years. You are all welcome to join!
People
Jikke van Loon
This project is by initiative of artist Jikke van Loon, visual artist based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
She regularly visited the temple guardians in the Rijksmuseum of Amsterdam and in 2018 she decided to help them ‘back home’.
jikkevanloon@gmail.com
+31 6 53 42 38 31
www.jikkevanloon.com
NIOMON Foundations NL and JP
GIA NIO-MON
In 2021 both the Niōmon Foundation (Stichting Niōmon) and Ippan Shadan Hōjin NIO-MON Yokota were established to help the guards return to their former home, the Niōmon on the Iwayaji Mountain.
Both Dutch and Japanese organisations help facilitate and organise everything that’s been brought in motion by bringing the guards home.
Ippan Shadan Hōjin NIO-MON (GIA NIO-MON Yokota (JP):
Atsuko Kawasaki
一般社団法人NIO-MON (JP)
河﨑敦子
atsuatsuk47@gmail.com
Chair: | Kawasaki Atsuko |
Member: | Radboud Molijn |
Stichting Nio-mon
In 2021 both the Niōmon Foundation (Stichting Niōmon) and Ippan Shadan Hōjin NIOMON Yokota were established to help the guards return to their former home, the Niomon on the Iwayaji Mountain.
Both Dutch and Japanese organisations facilitate and organise everything that’s been brought in motion by bringing the guards home.
Board members Niōmon Foundation (NL):
| Chair: | Radboud Molijn, |
| Managing Director Global Bridges BV | |
| Secretary/Treasurer: | Thijs Gerrits |
| Communication: | Wakana Kaitani, |
| Writer/journalist | |
| Member: | Maaike Westinga, |
| architect at TenBrasWestinga | |
| Member: | Maarten Meurkens, |
| Founder of Meurkens & Meurkens | |
| Advisory board: | Naoko Nizawa |
| Kana Nakamoto | |
| Committee of Recommendation: | Menno Fitski, Head Asian Department, Rijks Museum |
| Emmy Verhey, violinist |
Partners
| Okutsumu: | Uchida Sakiko |
| Udagawa Takahiro | |
| Yuriko Matsuzaki | |
| Katta House: | Naoko Nizawa |
| Anewal Gallery, | |
| Kyoto: | Iitaka Katsumasa |
| Kyoto Kenchiku | |
| (College of Architecture): | Sano Haruhito |
| And of course: | The Daltons! |
Sponsors and Grants
This project is supported by YOU! And
2025 | Ailion Foundation, Stichting IONA, Tokyo Club |
2024: | Ailion Foundation |
2023 | |
2022 | Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken Tokyo, Stichting Iona, Fonds Picto Right, Dutch Culture |
2019: | |
2018: | |
Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken Tokyo | |
Artists in Residence
| 2024: | Myrthe van Loon |
| 2022: | Sachi Miyachi |
| Nina Glockner | |
| Onkruidenier (Jonmar van | |
| Vlijmen en Ronald de Boer) | |
| 2019: | Kiriko Mechanicus |