Important cultural property

Built in 1878, the Batsujoden purification hall at Kotohira-gu became an Important Cultural Property in 2024, one of twelve shrine buildings on Mount Zozu in Kagawa.

Discover the Former Zentsuji Kaikosha, a Renaissance-style wooden building from 1903 in Kagawa Prefecture. Once an Imperial Japanese Army officers' club, this Important Cultural Property now welcomes visitors with free tours, a café, and elegant event spaces.

Discover Nabeshima Lighthouse, an Important Cultural Property on Nabeshima Island in Kagawa Prefecture. Designed by Richard Henry Brunton in 1872, this stone lighthouse is the oldest in the Seto Inland Sea and still guides ships through the Bisan Seto passage today.

Discover the Main Hall of Asakura Shrine in Kochi, a nationally designated Important Cultural Property built in 1657. Admire its vivid Momoyama-style polychrome decorations, explore the sacred Mt. Akagi behind, and uncover legends linking this ancient shrine to Empress Saimei.

Kochi is the only Japanese castle where the whole honmaru survives and the original keep and lord's palace stand together, one of just twelve original keeps.

Discover the Kondo (Golden Hall) of Tosa Kokubunji in Nankoku, Kochi. Rebuilt in 1558 by the Chosokabe clan, this Important Cultural Property preserves Tenpyo-style architecture amid moss-covered gardens on the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage.

Discover Kinrinji Yakushido, an Important Cultural Property nestled in the mountains of Umaji Village, Kochi. This rare Muromachi-period Buddhist hall showcases unique board-eave construction and exquisite cypress craftsmanship dating back over 500 years.

Discover Taku Seibyo, one of Japan's three great Confucian temples and a nationally designated Important Cultural Property. Built in 1708 in Saga Prefecture, this stunning vermilion temple features Chinese-style carvings, a legendary dragon ceiling painting, and the Sekisai ritual held for over 300 years.

Discover Tajima Shrine Main Hall (Tajima-jinja Honden) in Imari, Saga Prefecture — a nationally designated Important Cultural Property and the oldest surviving shrine building in Kyushu, dating back to the 15th century. Explore its medieval architecture, Munakata goddess worship, and the maritime heritage of the Hatatsu port district.

Built in 1876 by porcelain trade merchant Tashiro Josaku as a guesthouse for foreign buyers visiting Arita, this giyōfū (pseudo-Western) building blends a Western colonnade facade with traditional Japanese tatami interiors and a remarkable spiral staircase. Designated a national Important Cultural Property in 2018, it stands within Arita's historic Uchiyama Preservation District, offering a rare window into the international porcelain trade that flourished in early Meiji-era Japan.

Discover Kitain Temple in Kawagoe, Saitama — a historic Tendai Buddhist temple founded in 830, home to the only surviving buildings of Edo Castle, 540 expressive Rakan stone statues, and deep ties to the Tokugawa shogunate. A must-visit day trip from Tokyo.

Discover Takakura-ji Kannon-do, an Important Cultural Property in Iruma, Saitama. This 14th-century Zen-style hall rivals Kamakura's finest architecture. Learn about its history, how to visit, and nearby attractions.

Discover Kotokuji Omido, a nationally designated Important Cultural Property in Kawajima, Saitama. This rare thatched-roof Amida hall dates to the Muromachi period and is linked to the legendary Hojo Masako.

Discover the Kofukuji Hokyointo, an Important Cultural Property in Higashimatsuyama, Saitama. This elegant 2.1-meter stone memorial pagoda from 1323 uniquely blends Kanto and Kansai styles, offering a rare glimpse into medieval Buddhist heritage.

The Kaizanto at Jikoji Temple in Tokigawa, Saitama, is the only surviving wooden hoto pagoda in Japan. Built in 1556 as a memorial to Dochu, a revered disciple of the Chinese priest Ganjin, this Important Cultural Property showcases the remarkable technique of bending timber into a cylindrical form, set amid the serene forests of the Chichibu foothills.

Seishido in Fukaya City, Saitama, is an elegant brick memorial hall built in 1916 to celebrate the 77th birthday of Shibusawa Eiichi, the father of Japanese capitalism. Designed by renowned architect Tanabe Junkichi, this Important Cultural Property blends English country aesthetics with East Asian decorative motifs and is open to visitors free of charge.

The main hall of Hie Shrine in Kawagoe, Saitama is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property dating from the late Muromachi to early Edo period. This vermillion-lacquered three-bay nagare-zukuri shrine is the parent shrine of the famous Akasaka Hie Shrine in Tokyo, carrying over a millennium of history in the heart of Little Edo Kawagoe.

Explore the 645 Important Cultural Property artifacts from the Ushiroya Site in Okegawa, Saitama — including owl-shaped dogu figurines, red lacquered combs, and rare wooden tools from the Late to Final Jomon period. Free admission at Okegawa City Museum.

Discover the Main Hall of Ida Shrine in Iga City, Mie Prefecture — a nationally designated Important Cultural Property built in 1527 featuring nagare-zukuri architecture with cypress bark roofing and uniquely decorative kaerumata carvings.

The Thirteen-Story Stone Pagoda at Kunitsu Shrine in Tsu City, Mie Prefecture, is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property from the late Kamakura period. Carved from locally quarried Ōbora tuff with four Buddha reliefs, this elegant stone tower stands in a tranquil mountain village alongside an 800-year-old zelkova tree.