National Treasures of Kyoto

Kamigamo Shrine (Kamo Wake Ikazuchi Jinja), founded in 677 CE in northern Kyoto, is one of the city's most ancient sanctuaries. Home to two National Treasure halls and 41 Important Cultural Properties, its entire precinct is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Discover its iconic nagare-zukuri architecture, mystical sand cones, and the legendary Aoi Matsuri — over a millennium of living spiritual heritage.

Discover the Kanchi-in Guest Hall (Kyakuden), a National Treasure within the UNESCO World Heritage Toji Temple complex in Kyoto. Explore Momoyama-era shoin architecture, ink paintings attributed to Miyamoto Musashi, and serene Zen gardens.

At 54.8 meters, Kyoto's Tō-ji pagoda is Japan's tallest wooden tower. Rebuilt in 1644 after four fires, its first story holds a cosmos of Diamond-World Buddhas.

Rebuilt in 1603 by Toyotomi Hideyori, the National Treasure Kondo at To-ji fuses Japanese, Zen and Great Buddha styles and holds a 2.88-meter seated Yakushi triad.

At To-ji's northwest corner, the Mieido is a National Treasure that began as Kukai's residence. Rebuilt in 1380, it holds a daily 6 a.m. rite and is free to enter.

On Tō-ji's western edge in Kyoto, Renge-mon is a National Treasure gate named for a legend that lotus flowers bloomed in the departing footsteps of the monk Kūkai.

Discover the Keigūin Main Hall at Kōryū-ji Temple in Kyoto — a rare National Treasure octagonal hall built in the Kamakura period. Learn about its pure Japanese architectural style, connection to Prince Shōtoku, and the treasures of Kyoto's oldest temple.

Discover the Sanbo-in Karamon Gate, a National Treasure at UNESCO World Heritage Daigo-ji Temple in Kyoto. Built in 1599, this stunning black-lacquered gate with gold chrysanthemum and paulownia crests embodies the grandeur of the Momoyama period and the legacy of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's famous cherry blossom viewing.

Explore the Sanbo-in Hall Complex (Important Cultural Property) at the UNESCO World Heritage Daigo-ji Temple in Kyoto. Discover the Goma-do, Shinden, Junjo-kan, and other magnificent Momoyama-period buildings connected to Toyotomi Hideyoshi's legendary cherry blossom viewing party.

The Togudo at Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion) in Kyoto is a National Treasure built in 1486 by Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa. Its Dojinsai study room is the oldest surviving example of shoin-zukuri architecture, the residential style that shaped Japanese homes for centuries. Discover the birthplace of Higashiyama culture, tea room design, and the refined aesthetic of wabi-sabi during special spring and autumn viewings.

Discover the National Treasure three-storied pagoda of Jōruri-ji Temple in Kizugawa, Kyoto. Relocated from Kyoto in 1178, this Heian-period pagoda houses a sacred Yakushi Nyorai statue and stands as part of a rare Pure Land garden paradise.

Discover Joruri-ji Temple in Kizugawa, Kyoto — a National Treasure housing the only surviving set of nine Amida Buddha statues from the Heian period. Explore its Pure Land garden, three-storied pagoda, and the tranquil Tono stone Buddha trail.

Discover the Daigo-ji Five-Story Pagoda, Kyoto's oldest surviving wooden building completed in 951. This National Treasure houses sacred Shingon Buddhist murals and stands within a UNESCO World Heritage temple complex.

Discover Daigoji Seiryugu Haiden, a National Treasure worship hall built in 1434 on the sacred slopes of Kami-Daigo in Kyoto. This Muromachi-period masterpiece blends shinden-zukuri elegance with dramatic kake-zukuri cliff construction within a UNESCO World Heritage temple complex.

On the summit of Daigo-yama, the Yakushi-dō of Daigoji is a National Treasure rebuilt in 1121, a rare surviving Heian hall reached by an hour's climb from the base.

Discover Daisen-in Hondo, a National Treasure at Daitoku-ji in Kyoto. Built in 1513, this Zen temple features Japan's oldest tokonoma alcove, a stunning karesansui garden, and masterwork screen paintings from the Muromachi period.

Discover the Daitoku-ji Karamon Gate, a National Treasure in Kyoto believed to be a surviving structure from Toyotomi Hideyoshi's legendary Jurakudai palace. Explore its stunning Momoyama-era carvings, gilded decorations, and the stories behind this masterpiece.

Discover Daihoon-ji Main Hall (Senbon Shakado), the oldest wooden structure in central Kyoto. Built in 1227, this National Treasure survived the Ōnin War and houses masterpiece Buddhist sculptures by Kaikei and Jōkei.

Discover the Sanmon Gate of Chion-in Temple in Kyoto, a National Treasure and the largest wooden temple gate in Japan. Standing 24 meters tall and 50 meters wide, this 1621 masterpiece features stunning polychrome paintings and Buddhist statuary inside its upper story.

Discover Chion-in's Miei-do, a National Treasure built in 1639 by the Tokugawa shogunate. Explore the grand hall honoring Honen Shonin, its Seven Wonders, and the heart of Japanese Pure Land Buddhism in Kyoto's Higashiyama district.