National Treasures of Kyoto

Discover the National Treasure tachi signed Masatsune, a masterwork of the Ko-Bizen school from the Heian period. Housed at Kyoto National Museum, this ancient Japanese sword exemplifies the refined artistry and technical brilliance of one of Japan's greatest swordsmiths.

Discover the National Treasure "Dengyo Daishi Doen-an and Sogo-cho," three 8th-century ordination documents of Saicho, founder of Japanese Tendai Buddhism. Housed at Raigo-in Temple in Kyoto's Ohara district, these ancient records reveal the personal history of one of Japan's most influential monks.

Discover the Kana Letters Attributed to Fujiwara no Yukinari, a National Treasure of exquisite Heian-period calligraphy owned by Kyukyodo in Kyoto. Learn about its fascinating front-and-back history, artistic significance, and how to experience this masterpiece.

Discover the National Treasure calligraphy scroll attributed to Fujiwara no Yukinari, one of Japan's legendary Three Great Calligraphers (Sanseki). Known as the Honno-ji Gire, this Heian-period masterpiece is owned by Honno-ji Temple in Kyoto and exhibited at the Kyoto National Museum.

Discover the Tenrei Banshō Meigi, a National Treasure housed at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Kōzan-ji in Kyoto. Compiled by the monk Kūkai around 830 CE, this is the oldest extant Japanese dictionary of Chinese characters, preserved in a rare 1114 manuscript.

The Toji Hyakugo Monjo is a collection of 24,067 historical documents spanning approximately 1,000 years from the 8th to 18th century, originally preserved at Toji temple in Kyoto. Designated a National Treasure of Japan in 1997 and inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register in 2015, this extraordinary archive is named after the one hundred paulownia boxes donated by feudal lord Maeda Tsunanori. Now housed at the Kyoto Institute, Library and Archives, the entire collection is digitized and freely accessible online.

The National Treasure Bronze Seated Shakyamuni Buddha at Kanimanji Temple in Kizugawa City, Kyoto, is a monumental gilt-bronze statue standing 240 cm tall and weighing 2.2 tons, dating back over 1,300 years to the Hakuhō period. As one of only four surviving large-scale gilt-bronze Buddhas from this era, it can be viewed at remarkably close range in this tranquil temple famous for its 'Grateful Crabs' legend.

Discover the Tōbō-ki, a National Treasure manuscript at Tō-ji temple in Kyoto. Compiled in the 14th century by scholar-monk Gōhō and his disciple Kenpō, this remarkable chronicle documents the rich history of Japan's most important Shingon Buddhist temple, from its founding in 796 CE through the medieval period.

Discover the Nihon Ryōiki, Japan's oldest Buddhist tale collection, housed at Raigō-in Temple in Ohara, Kyoto. Learn about this National Treasure manuscript from the late Heian period, its literary significance, and how to visit the serene mountain temple where it was preserved.

The National Treasure 'Ink Writing by Wuzhun Shifan: Certificate of Enlightenment for Enni' at Tofuku-ji Temple in Kyoto is a formal inka certificate written on silk in 1237 by the great Chinese Chan master Wuzhun Shifan for his Japanese disciple Enni Ben'en. This masterpiece of Zen calligraphy documents a pivotal moment in the transmission of Zen Buddhism from China to Japan, and stands as one of the finest examples of Southern Song dynasty calligraphy preserved in Japan.

Brushed by Shunjo a month before his death in 1227, this National Treasure at Kyoto's Sennyu-ji certifies that his disciple Shinkai inherited the master's teaching.

Discover the Hōsōge Makie Hōju-bako, a National Treasure at Ninna-ji Temple in Kyoto. This early Heian-period lacquer box adorned with togidashi makie of hosoge flowers and auspicious birds is one of Japan's oldest and finest surviving examples of maki-e craftsmanship.

Discover the Lotus Sutra (Volumes 2–7), a Japanese National Treasure at Shin-nyo-dō temple in Kyoto. Commissioned by the legendary sculptor Unkei in 1183, this sacred manuscript uses wood from the burned Tōdai-ji and sacred water for its ink—a rare testament to Kamakura-era Buddhist devotion.

Discover the Bosatsu Shotai Kyo, a National Treasure sutra dating back to 550 AD housed at Chion-in temple in Kyoto. Learn about this extraordinary manuscript considered one of the world's oldest surviving handwritten Buddhist sutras.

A National Treasure at Ninna-ji, Kyoto, this dry-lacquer box was made in 919 to hold scriptures Kukai brought from Tang China. It is Japan's oldest dated maki-e.

The National Treasure 'Letter from the Portuguese Viceroy of India' at Myōhō-in Temple in Kyoto is a diplomatic letter written on parchment in 1588 by Duarte de Menezes, Portuguese Viceroy in Goa, addressed to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Adorned with oil miniature paintings and gold lettering, it was presented at Jurakudai Palace in 1591. As one of the rarest European-origin diplomatic documents preserved in Japan, it offers an extraordinary window into the Age of Discovery and early Japan-Europe relations.

Kyoto's Myōshin-ji holds a bonshō with a 698 inscription, the oldest date on any Japanese temple bell. Cast in Kyushu, it is also prized for its ōshikichō tone.

The National Treasure bell of Byodo-in is covered with apsaras, phoenixes, and lions, unmatched among Japanese bells. See it up close at the Hoshokan museum in Uji.

On Mount Takao in Kyoto, this bronze bell of 875 bears an inscription by three of the era's foremost literati, ranking among Japan's three most celebrated bells.

Discover the National Treasure esoteric Buddhist ritual implements at Tō-ji Temple in Kyoto — a gilt-bronze vajra set believed to have been brought from Tang China by Kūkai (Kōbō Daishi) over 1,200 years ago. Learn about their history, significance, and how to see them.