Kamakura

The Niomon gate of Ishiteji in Matsuyama, rebuilt in 1318 by Kono Michitsugu, is a National Treasure and a masterpiece among surviving Kamakura two-storey gates.

A Tang bronze mirror at Oyamazumi Shrine in Ehime, 26.8 centimetres across. A grapevine forms the ground beneath birds and beasts. National Treasure since 1953.

A Kamakura sword mounting at Oyamazumi Shrine in Ehime, 96.3 centimetres long. Its peony arabesque is cut differently on each part. National Treasure since 1955.

The Kariteimoten Hall of Ishiteji in Matsuyama, Ehime, built in the late Kamakura period, is a small misedana-type shrine with a roof of cypress bark.

The gorinto of Ishiteji in Matsuyama, Ehime, is a stone five-ring stupa of the late Kamakura period at the 51st pilgrimage temple, beside its National Treasure gate.

The three-storied pagoda of Ishiteji in Matsuyama, Ehime, built in the late Kamakura period, is a three-bay pagoda with tiled roofs at a pilgrimage temple.

The main hall of Ishiteji in Matsuyama, Ehime, built in the late Kamakura period, is a five-bay hall with a tiled hip-and-gable roof at the 51st pilgrimage temple.

The three stone hokyointo pagodas of Oyamazumi Shrine on Omishima, Ehime, made in the late Kamakura period, stand at the only grand shrine in Shikoku.

A late-Kamakura granite hokyointo at Kamei Hachiman Shrine on Uoshima, Ehime, 238 cm tall with its platform; island lore calls it a medieval warrior's grave.

A pair of uninscribed granite stupas of the late Kamakura period standing on one platform in a Noma rice field, Imabari. Designated in 1954, freely visitable.

Eleven granite pagodas behind Jozenji's main hall in Imabari: 4 gorinto, 5 hokyointo and 2 hoto, three of them dated 1326 or 1357, regathered here in 1704.

Taisanji Temple Niomon Gate stands midway up the approach in Matsuyama. Dated 1275 to 1332, it mixes Japanese and Zen-derived carpentry and once had two storeys.

The main hall of Taisanji in Matsuyama, Ehime, dated 1305 by its inscriptions and a National Treasure since 1956, a large esoteric hall of unusual plan.

The early Kamakura main hall of Daihoji in Matsuyama, Ehime, a National Treasure since 1953, simple and well-proportioned and the oldest wooden building in the prefecture.

The hokyointo at Noma Shrine in Imabari, Ehime, is a stone pagoda of the late Kamakura period, dated by the Agency to between 1275 and 1332 and designated in 1954.

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.

An early Kamakura great armor laced with purple twill at Oyamazumi Shrine, Ehime, a National Treasure since 1953 and the oldest of three known twill-laced armors.

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.