Momoyama

Explore the Daishi-dō at Jingoji Temple in Kyoto, an Important Cultural Property hall built on the site of Kūkai's personal residence. Discover its Momoyama-period architecture, the rare board-carved statue of Kōbō Daishi, and the stunning autumn foliage of the Takao area.

Explore the Shinjuan Kuri, an Important Cultural Property built in 1609 within Kyoto's Daitoku-ji temple complex. This early Edo-period Zen kitchen is part of the sub-temple founded by the legendary monk Ikkyu Sojun.

A large, richly carved Momoyama four-legged gate crowning Sennyū-ji. Designated an Important Cultural Property in 1966, it opens onto a downhill path to the Buddha Hall.

Known as the Shoshinden, this Momoyama shoin at Daikakuji in Kyoto has twelve rooms and a throne room tied to the 1392 union of the two courts. Usually closed.

At the summit of Daigo-yama, the Kaisan-dō honours Daigoji's founder Shōbō. Rebuilt under Toyotomi Hideyori around 1608, it is the largest hall of the upper precinct.

Near the summit of Daigo-yama, the Nyoirin-dō is built out over the slope in kake-zukuri style. Rebuilt by Toyotomi Hideyori in 1606, it enshrines Nyoirin Kannon.

Rebuilt in 1614 by the priest Takuan, this study hall is called the plainest of Daitokuji's subtemple shoin, standing quietly beside a National Treasure hall.

Built in 1602 with an attached entrance and ridge tablet, this compact abbot's hall at Myoshinji opens its interior only on the booked special viewing.

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.

Built in 1603 and listed in 1967, Engetsukyo is a roofed timber bridge on five piers, eleven bays long, crossing the Sengyokukan ravine at Tofukuji in Kyoto.

Hoshakuji's three-storied pagoda stands on Mt. Tennozan near Kyoto. Dated to 1604 and about 20 meters tall, it is the one-night pagoda tied to Hideyoshi's victory.

Tucked into the wooded foothills of Fukakusa in Kyoto's Fushimi Ward, the Main Hall of Hōtō-ji is a magnificent Nichiren-sect Buddhist hall rebuilt in 1608 and designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1984. Seven bays wide and five deep, crowned by a sweeping hip-and-gable tile roof, it preserves the dignified spirit of early Edo-period architecture with strong Momoyama overtones. Just a fifteen-minute walk south of the world-famous Fushimi Inari Shrine, this hidden temple offers visitors a rare chance to experience one of southern Kyoto's finest temple ensembles — alongside the city's oldest tahōtō pagoda and a Muromachi-period gate — in profound tranquility.

Discover the Karamon Gate at Nishi Honganji Temple in Kyoto—a National Treasure and UNESCO World Heritage masterpiece adorned with vivid Momoyama-era polychrome carvings so mesmerizing it earned the nickname "Higurashi-no-Mon," the gate you could admire all day long.

Discover the Kita Noh Stage at Nishi Hongan-ji in Kyoto — a National Treasure dating from 1581 and the oldest surviving Noh stage in Japan. Learn about its Azuchi-Momoyama architecture, unique pre-standardization design, and how to visit this UNESCO World Heritage site.

Discover Tai-an at Myōkian temple in Ōyamazaki, Kyoto — one of only three National Treasure tea rooms in Japan and the sole surviving tea room attributed to legendary tea master Sen no Rikyū. Learn about its history, wabi-cha aesthetics, and how to visit.

The Kuri of Myohoin Temple in Kyoto's Higashiyama district is one of Japan's largest temple kitchen buildings, constructed around 1595 during the Momoyama period. Designated a National Treasure, this monumental structure is said to have been used to prepare meals for Toyotomi Hideyoshi's grand Thousand Monks Memorial Ceremony. It is renowned for its rare hipped-and-gabled roof and spectacular soot-blackened timber framework, standing as a symbol of the prestigious Tendai monzeki temple that still administers Sanjusangendo today.

Discover Saijosho Taigenkyū, an Important Cultural Property at Yoshida Shrine in Kyoto. This extraordinary octagonal shrine, built in 1601, enshrines all 3,132 deities of Japan and embodies the philosophy of Yoshida Shinto. Open on special days only.

Discover the Haiden (worship hall) of Yodo Shrine in Kyoto's Fushimi district — a 1607 masterpiece built under Toyotomi Hideyori, designated as an Important Cultural Property. Explore its Momoyama-period architecture, history tied to the Katsura River, and the Yodo Castle ruins.

Ryoanji's Main Hall is a 1606 hojo, an Important Cultural Property moved here after fire. From its veranda you view the famous fifteen-stone dry rock garden.

Ryōgin-an's front gate at Tōfuku-ji, Kyoto: a small Momoyama-period Important Cultural Property fronting the 1387 hōjō, Japan's oldest surviving abbot's quarters.