After remaining in France for 11 years following the U.S. tour, the Mona Lisa once again went on an international tour. This time, the masterpiece was sent to Japan and Russia. This photograph, which was taken during the first leg of the tour at the Tokyo National Museum in 1974, highlights the popularity of the Mona Lisa in Japan. This is the fifth image in “The Trials, Travels and Thrills of the Mona Lisa”, as it represents the second time that the French government approved of the Mona Lisa being displayed internationally. The Mona Lisa was displayed in the Tokyo National Museum for fifty days. More than one million people were able to see the Mona Lisa. On April 20th, 1974, while on display in the Tokyo National Museum, a woman sprayed red paint on the Mona Lisa. The woman claimed that she did it in protest of the Tokyo National Museum’s lack of handicap accessibility. Thankfully, the Mona Lisa was protected by bulletproof glass and thus was spared any damage. After its exhibition in Tokyo, the Mona Lisa went to Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow, Russia.
