Kamakura

Discover the magnificent Niomon Gate of Ishiteji Temple, a 1318 National Treasure in Matsuyama. This architectural masterpiece features Important Cultural Property guardian statues and serves as the gateway to Temple 51 of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage. Experience 1300 years of Buddhist history just 15 minutes from Dogo Onsen.

Discover the Kinjū Budō Kyō, a Tang Dynasty bronze mirror designated as a National Treasure of Japan. Housed at Oyamazumi Shrine on Omishima Island along the Shimanami Kaido, this exquisite masterpiece showcases the cultural exchange along the ancient Silk Road.

Discover the National Treasure Botan Karakusa-mon Hyōgo-gusari Tachi Koshirae, a Kamakura-period sword mounting with exquisite peony carvings, housed at Oyamazumi Shrine on Omishima Island, Ehime.

Tucked away behind the three-story pagoda of Ishiteji Temple in Matsuyama, the Karitei-mo-ten-do is a small but exquisite shrine designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Built in the late Kamakura period (1275-1332) in the rare ikkensha nagare-misedana style with a cypress bark roof, it is among the oldest shrine structures in Ehime Prefecture. Discover its enduring tradition of safe-childbirth prayers and architectural details that mirror the National Treasure Niomon Gate.

The Main Hall of Ishiteji Temple in Matsuyama, Ehime is a National Important Cultural Property dating from the late Kamakura period. As the 51st temple of the Shikoku 88-Temple Pilgrimage and only a short walk from Dōgo Onsen, it offers a rare combination of living pilgrimage culture and outstanding medieval Wayō-style architecture, alongside the National Treasure Niōmon Gate and other heritage buildings.

On the sacred island of Omishima in the Seto Inland Sea, three granite hokyoin-to pagodas from the late Kamakura period stand quietly in the precinct of Oyamazumi Shrine. The central tower is the largest in Shikoku, and the left tower carries the inscribed name of the Onomichi mason Nenshin. This guide introduces these Important Cultural Properties and the venerable shrine that surrounds them.

A granite Hōkyōintō stone pagoda from the late Kamakura period stands within the grounds of Kamei Hachiman Shrine on Uoshima, a remote fishing island in the Seto Inland Sea, Ehime Prefecture. Designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan, this medieval stone tower exemplifies the artistry of Kamakura-era stone craft and carries a local legend connecting it to the Nanbokuchō warrior Shinozuka Iganokami. On this tiny island of about 110 residents, the pagoda has quietly watched over 700 years of history.

Discover the Jōzenji Stone Pagodas in Imabari, Ehime — a remarkable collection of 11 Important Cultural Property stone towers dating from the Kamakura to Nanbokuchō periods. Learn about their history, Buddhist significance, and how to visit this hidden gem near the Shimanami Kaido.

Discover the National Treasure main hall of Taisan-ji Temple, a magnificent Kamakura-period Buddhist building in Matsuyama. Temple 52 on the Shikoku pilgrimage, it houses rare secret Buddha statues and features a legendary origin story.

Discover Taihoji Main Hall, a National Treasure in Matsuyama, Ehime. This early Kamakura-period temple preserves rare late-Heian Amida hall architecture and houses Important Cultural Property Buddhist statues. Open annually on March 28.

Standing in the wooded grounds behind Noma Shrine in Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture, this 211 cm granite stone pagoda was created in 1322 by a man named Ki no Aruharu and his wife as a prayer for healing and longevity. Designated a National Important Cultural Property in 1954, it represents the distinctive regional Ochi-style and offers travelers a profound encounter with late Kamakura-period Buddhist art and devotion.

Discover the Kawazutsumi-no-tachi—a rare Important Cultural Property at Ōyamazumi Shrine on Ōmishima Island. This treasure pairs an ancient signed blade by the Ko-Hōki-school smith Aritsuna with a battle-ready leather-wrapped mounting in yamagane fittings. Learn about its history, what to look for in person, and how to plan your visit to Japan's unparalleled storehouse of samurai arms.

This article introduces the Kuro-urushi Tachi, an unsigned slim tachi mounting designated as an Important Cultural Property and preserved at Ōyamazumi Shrine on Ōmishima Island, Ehime Prefecture. With an overall length of 99.8 cm, the Kamakura-period mounting features hemp-cloth wrapping coated in deep black lacquer, gilt-bronze fittings, and a distinctive balance-weight (fundō) shaped guard. It served for centuries as the symbolic sword bestowed at the succession ceremony of the Ōhafuri, the hereditary chief priestly family of one of Japan's most ancient and revered shrines. Designated in 1901, the sword embodies a rare, unbroken link between a cultural object and a living ritual tradition. The article covers the sword's craftsmanship, the reasons for its designation, its sacred role within the shrine, highlights of the treasure halls where it is preserved, and practical guidance for visitors traveling to Ōmishima via the famed Shimanami Kaidō.

Discover the Murasaki Aya Odoshi Yoroi, a rare National Treasure armor from the early Kamakura period, housed at Oyamazumi Shrine on Omishima Island, Ehime. Learn about its history, craftsmanship, and how to visit.

Tucked away in the rice fields of Saijo City, Ehime, the Wooden Seated Statue of Zen Master Buttsū at Hokoku-ji Temple is a designated Important Cultural Property of Japan. This 78.3 cm portrait sculpture of the Kamakura-period Zen master Chikotsu Daie, lovingly nicknamed Kurobotoke-san for its glossy black surface, even traveled to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in 1970. Discover its history, artistic value, viewing tips, and nearby attractions.