Important cultural property

A rare transmitted ancient sword of Nara-period Japan, this kiriha-zukuri tachi has a rounded back, a barracuda-shaped point and a clean straight temper line.

A Nara-period straight, single-edged sword in kirihazukuri form, predating the curved Japanese sword. An Important Cultural Property held privately in Fukushima.

A privately held Heian straight sword in Fukushima, an Important Cultural Property since 1989. Its central shinogi ridge points toward the curved Japanese sword.

A Heian tachi in Fukushima, archaic in its rounded back and tang cord-hole yet built in ridge-line shinogi style, marking the shift toward the curved Japanese blade.

Unearthed from the wooded hillside behind Kōshakuzan Tennoji in the famous hot-spring town of Iizaka, this late Heian ceramic sutra container was designated a National Important Cultural Property in 1936. It is a quiet but powerful witness to how the late-Heian piety of sutra burial reached the northeastern provinces of Japan, and a compelling reason to extend any visit to Iizaka Onsen with a stop at this ancient temple.

Discover the rare wooden Kichijoten statue in Fukushima, a privately owned 9th-century Heian-period Important Cultural Property held at the Fukushima Museum in Aizu-Wakamatsu, reflecting the deep Buddhist legacy of "Buddhist Capital Aizu" connected to Nara's Kofukuji.

This unsigned katana is an Important Cultural Property attributed to the Ichimonji school of Kamakura-period Bizen, famed for its bold clove-shaped temper line.

The Important Cultural Property Katana, Unsigned, Attributed to Sa, preserved in Hyogo Prefecture, is judged by sword connoisseurs to be the work of Sa (Samonji), the master smith of Hakata in Chikuzen Province who was counted among Masamune's Ten Disciples. This shortened, unsigned blade transmits the bright, refined Soshu-tradition style with which the Sa school revolutionized Kyushu sword-making between the late Kamakura and early Nanboku-cho periods. This guide introduces its historical significance, where to see related Sa-school works, and surrounding attractions in Hyogo.

A collection of 664 burial artifacts — including armor, bronze mirrors, weapons, jade ornaments, and haniwa — excavated from Chasuriyama Kofun, one of the largest circular tombs in the Kinki region, dating to the early 5th century. Designated as a national Important Cultural Property, the collection features the first collar-attached armor ever found outside the Kinai heartland, revealing the powerful ties between the Yamato court and the chieftains of ancient Tajima. Exhibited free of charge at the Kodai Asago-kan museum in Asago City, Hyogo.

Held by Nachisan Seigantoji Temple in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama Prefecture, this small gilt-bronze thin-relief plaque of Ratnasambhava is part of a three-dimensional Vajra Realm Mandala buried by the monk Gyoyu in 1130 in hope of rebirth in the Pure Land of Nachi. Excavated in 1918 and designated an Important Cultural Property in 1937, it stands as a singular example of a metalwork mandala in Japan and a precious witness to the flourishing of Kumano faith in the late Heian period.

Discover the naginata signed by Rai Kunitoshi, an Important Cultural Property preserved on Mount Koya in Wakayama Prefecture. Forged by one of the late Kamakura period's most celebrated swordsmiths of the Yamashiro Rai school, this rare polearm showcases the refined steel and elegant tempering of the Rai tradition, and offers a window into Japan's medieval warrior craftsmanship and the UNESCO World Heritage of Koyasan.

Discover the Aichi Prefectural Government Building, an Important Cultural Property blending Western modernism with Japanese castle aesthetics. Located near Nagoya Castle, this 1938 landmark showcases the rare Imperial Crown Style (Teikan Yōshiki).

Discover the Main Hall of Asuke Hachimangu Shrine in Toyota City, Aichi — a nationally designated Important Cultural Property built in 1466. Explore its exquisite cypress-bark roof, Muromachi-era craftsmanship, and the vibrant Asuke district near Korankei Gorge.

Founded by the Matsudaira ancestors of the Tokugawa, Iga Hachimangu in Okazaki keeps a polychrome early-Edo shrine whose main hall Ieyasu built in 1611.

Discover the Former Uchida Family Residence, a designated Important Cultural Property in Minamichita, Aichi. This grand 1869 estate of a Bishu Kaisen ship owner preserves nine original buildings, Yakusugi cedar ceilings, and maritime heritage from Japan's coastal trading era.

Explore the Saimon-den (Ritual Gate Hall) and East-West Corridors of Ōagata Shrine in Inuyama, Aichi — a nationally designated Important Cultural Property rebuilt in 1661 by Tokugawa Mitsutomo, featuring a unique four-pillar gate design with symmetrical cypress-bark corridors.

The Oguri Residence in Handa, Aichi, a brewing dynasty's Meiji home, was named an Important Cultural Property in 2022 for its grand doma beamwork and tea rooms.

Discover the Haiden (Worship Hall) of Owari Okunitama Shrine, an Important Cultural Property from the early Edo period. Featuring the distinctive Owari-style layout, cypress bark roof, and the famous Hadaka Matsuri, this Inazawa shrine offers a unique cultural experience near Nagoya.

The Rōmon Gate of Owari Ōkunitama Shrine (Konomiya) in Inazawa, Aichi Prefecture, is a designated Important Cultural Property of Japan that uniquely combines Muromachi-period lower architecture with an Edo-period upper story rebuilt in 1646. Discover this magnificent gateway to a shrine with over 1,300 years of history as the grand provincial shrine of the Owari region, famed for its dramatic Hadaka Matsuri (Naked Festival).

Discover the Kannonji Tahoto Pagoda, a designated Important Cultural Property and Nagoya's oldest surviving wooden structure dating from 1536. Located at Arako Kannon Temple, this Muromachi-era two-story pagoda features Zen-style bracketing, over 1,200 Enku Buddhist carvings, and deep ties to samurai lord Maeda Toshiie.