Important Cultural Property of Kumamoto

Discover the Ota Family Residence (Otake Jutaku), an Important Cultural Property in Taragi, Kumamoto. This late Edo-period thatched farmhouse showcases the unique L-shaped "kagiya" architecture of the Hitoyoshi-Kuma region and the legacy of 700 years of Sagara clan rule.

The Thirteen-Story Stone Pagoda in Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture, is an early Kamakura-period stone multi-tiered pagoda dating to 1230. Designated a nationally Important Cultural Property in 1933, it features a rare inscription naming its patron and craftsmen, along with striking carvings of four-directional Buddhas and fierce demon faces.

Shōzen-in Kannon-dō in Mizukami Village, Kumamoto Prefecture, is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property built in 1625. Known as the Cat Temple, it enchants visitors with its lavish lacquer and polychrome interior and a dramatic Sengoku-era legend of a vengeful cat spirit.

The Amida Hall of Shorenji Temple in Taragi, Kumamoto is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property founded in 1295 by the Sagara clan. As the largest thatched-roof Buddhist hall in Kumamoto Prefecture, it preserves the solemn architectural style of the Kamakura period and houses an equally important Amida triad. It is a constituent cultural property of the Hitoyoshi-Kuma Japan Heritage story.

Hasshoji Amida Hall in Yunomae, Kumamoto, is a three-bay Buddhist hall of the late 15th century. Inside stands a Zen-style zushi sheltering an Amida triad of 1490.

Japan's only surviving cabin from a daimyo's seagoing ceremonial barge, once used by the lords of Kumamoto, with lacquered ceilings of 171 painted panels.