Important cultural property

Discover Oyamazumi Shrine's Honden, a 1427 Muromachi-period Important Cultural Property on Omishima Island. This three-bay nagare-zukuri main hall stands at the heart of Japan's "head shrine" — the Sōchinju — revered for centuries by samurai, sea lords, and pilgrims along the Shimanami Kaido.

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 Former Kaimei School in Seiyo, Ehime — the oldest elementary school building in Shikoku, built in 1882. This Important Cultural Property features rare Giyōfū architecture, a museum with 6,000 educational artifacts, and hands-on Meiji-era classroom experiences.

The Kōryū-ji Hōkyōintō is a granite stone pagoda from the Nanbokuchō period (14th century), designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Located at Nishiyama Kōryū-ji Temple in Saijō, Ehime, this Kansai-style memorial tower is traditionally associated with Minamoto no Yoritomo. Discover its historical significance, the temple's stunning autumn foliage, and practical visitor information.

Discover the Main Hall of Nishiyama Koryuji Temple in Saijo, Ehime — a 1375 Important Cultural Property blending Japanese and Zen architectural styles, set amid one of Shikoku's finest autumn foliage spots.

Discover Shoun-ji Kannon-do, an Important Cultural Property on Iwagi Island, Ehime Prefecture. Built in 1431, this Zen-style hall features rare double-lotus carvings and a stunning island setting near the Shimanami Kaido.

The Kannondo (Kannon Hall) of Jokoji Temple on Yuge Island in Kamijima, Ehime Prefecture, is a Muromachi-period Buddhist hall built in 1463 and designated as a national Important Cultural Property. Noted for its rare construction techniques, exceptionally well-preserved original materials, and distinctive Zen-style lattice doors, this compact masterpiece sits atop a hill with panoramic views of the Seto Inland Sea. An ideal destination for travelers exploring the Yumeshima Kaido cycling route seeking authentic Japanese cultural heritage off the beaten path.

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.

Standing on the small island of Tsurushima off Matsuyama in Ehime Prefecture, Tsurushima Lighthouse is a Western-style stone lighthouse completed in 1873 to the design of Richard Henry Brunton, the Scottish engineer known as the Father of Japanese Lighthouses. It is one of the very few Meiji-era lighthouses still in active service in essentially its original form, and was designated a National Important Cultural Property in 2024 together with its former keepers' quarters, warehouse and stone walls.

The Dōgo Onsen Honkan, in Matsuyama on the island of Shikoku, is the timber-framed centerpiece of what many consider Japan's oldest hot spring. Its four interconnected buildings — the Kami-no-Yu Main Hall (1894), the Yūshinden / Tama-no-Yu Wing (1899), and the South Wing and Genkan entrance hall (1924) — were designated a National Important Cultural Property in 1994, the first public bathhouse in Japan to be so honored. Designed by master carpenter Sakamoto Matahachirō, the complex features Japan's only imperial bathing chamber, the Botchan Room linked to novelist Natsume Sōseki, and a small drum tower whose Toki-daiko still marks the hours. Fully reopened in July 2024 after extensive seismic and conservation work, it remains a working bathhouse where visitors can soak in pure, source-flow hot spring water inside a living cultural treasure.

Discover Nagahama Ohashi Bridge in Ozu City, Ehime, Japan's oldest still-operating bascule road bridge. Built in 1935, this striking red landmark over the Hijikawa River opens regularly for visitors and was designated an Important Cultural Property in 2014.

Standing on the wooded slopes of Mount Tomisu in Ozu City, Ehime, the Buddha Hall of Nyohoji Temple was completed in 1670 when the second lord of Ozu Domain, Kato Yasuoki, invited the renowned Zen master Bankei Yotaku to refound the temple. Uniquely combining the functions of a Buddha hall and a Zen meditation hall within a single structure, it preserves its original form almost unchanged and was designated a National Important Cultural Property in 1992 as a defining example of early modern Zen Buddha hall architecture.

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.

Matsuyama Castle, perched atop 132-meter Mount Katsuyama in the heart of Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, is one of only twelve castles in Japan retaining original tower keeps from the Edo period or earlier. Founded by the warrior Katō Yoshiaki in 1602, its current tower keep was rebuilt in 1854 as the last fully realized castle architecture of the Edo era. With 21 structures designated as Important Cultural Properties, including Japan's only surviving watchtower-style two-story turret and the nation's largest climbing stone walls, Matsuyama Castle offers an unparalleled experience of Japanese feudal fortress architecture.

Discover the Manabe Family Residence, a National Important Cultural Property in Shikokuchuo City, Ehime. This 17th-century thatched farmhouse is the oldest surviving dwelling in the prefecture, nestled in Kiriyama—a mountain village steeped in Heike clan legends.

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.

Discover the Kin-kozane Beni-ito Odoshi Koshi-asagi Ōsode, an Important Cultural Property preserved at Ōyamazumi Shrine on Ōmishima island, Ehime Prefecture. This gilded medieval shoulder plate combines gold-leafed scales with crimson silk lacing and pale blue accents at the lower section. One of seven ōsode jointly designated in 1969, it offers visitors a refined glimpse into the artistry of medieval samurai armor. Learn what an ōsode is, why this piece matters, and how to visit the shrine via the scenic Shimanami Kaidō.

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.

Preserved at Ōyamazumi Shrine on Ōmishima island in the Seto Inland Sea, the Black Leather-Laced Dōmaru is a fourteenth-century Nanboku-chō period suit of armor designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Though surviving only in fragmentary form, it offers a rare and tangible connection to the medieval warriors who once crossed these seas. View it alongside one of Japan's greatest collections of samurai armor, holding roughly forty percent of all nationally designated armor in the country.