Kaichō (開帳, in honorific form go-kaichō), from the Edo period of Japan onwards, was the public exhibition of religious objects from Buddhist temples, usually relics or statuary, that were normally not on display.
[3] Kaichō literally means "the opening of the curtain", and the purpose of keeping such icons hidden from public view except on special occasions was twofold.
First, it upheld the sanctity of the objects that were displayed, where making them viewable to the public all of the time would otherwise serve to devalue their religious impacts.
[1] Many kaichō were also degaichō, where the activities broadened into the opening of an entire area of the temple, turning it into a form of carnival, with entertainments, food vendors, and even freak shows,[5][6] or with the religious objects being transported on a tour around the country.
In practice, attendees were expected to pay a fee upon entry, and to donate an extra gratuity upon viewing the object displayed.