Visitors to the Tokyo National Museum can soon view ultra-high-definition images of a rarely seen national treasure from the Horyuji Temple in Nara.

The exhibition was opened to those involved in staging it and others a day before its public launch on Tuesday.

The artwork, "Illustrated Biography of Prince Shotoku," was painted by Hata no Chitei almost 1,000 years ago in the Heian period. The piece was based on the legend of Prince Shotoku and is usually closed from public view to preserve its fragile state.

The Tokyo National Museum filmed the artwork using an 8K camera to enable viewers to see details of the brushwork on a monitor.

The museum says viewers can zoom in and out on the images using a tablet and read the description.

A panel showing a reproduction of the artwork in its actual size is also on display so that visitors can compare it with the digital image.

Nishiki Masanori of the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage organized the exhibit.

Nishiki says that it's rare to be able to see the artwork, so he hopes people will seize the opportunity to enjoy and appreciate it.

The artwork is on display at the Tokyo National Museum's Gallery of Horyuji Treasures. Horyuji Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage site in the ancient capital of Nara, western Japan.