Momoyama
Kyoto · 安土桃山Browse Kyoto’s cultural heritage from the Momoyama period (1573 – 1603). Filter by type and keyword, with concise stories, maps, and travel tips.
The kitchen of Ryogin-an at Tofuku-ji, Kyoto, raised in 1603 and now an Important Cultural Property. A rare Zen temple kitchen surviving close to its original form.
Built in 1608 for strategist Kuroda Kanbei, this Zen hall at Kyoto's Ryukoin holds his and his wife's stone tombs. The temple is closed, so we suggest nearby sites.
Kept at Myoshin-ji in Kyoto, this miniature armor, helmet, and saddle were made for Sutemaru, the infant son of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who died at age two in 1591.
Discover the Important Cultural Property 'Letter by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (Dated April 13),' an ink-on-paper correspondence revealing the personal voice of Japan's legendary warlord who unified the nation in the 16th century.
The Sumiyoshi Maki-e Desk, an Important Cultural Property owned by Ninna-ji Temple in Kyoto, is a magnificent lacquerware piece produced from the Momoyama to early Edo period. Its gold maki-e designs depict pines within the sacred precincts of Sumiyoshi Shrine accompanied by waka poetry — a sophisticated utae (picture-poetry) tradition. Currently on loan to the Kyoto National Museum, it is exhibited periodically during special exhibitions.
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.
Discover the National Treasure wall painting "Pine Trees and Flowers on Gold Ground" by Hasegawa Tohaku at Chishaku-in temple in Kyoto. Learn about its Momoyama-era splendor, the dramatic story of the Hasegawa school, and how to visit this masterpiece.
Discover the National Treasure wall paintings "Cherry Blossoms and Maple Trees" (Ōfū-zu) by Hasegawa Tōhaku and his son Kyūzō at Chishaku-in Temple in Kyoto. Learn about their Momoyama-period gold-leaf splendor, the moving father-son story, and how to visit the newly opened Treasure Hall.
The National Treasure 'Pine and Plum Blossoms on Gold Paper' at Chishaku-in Temple in Kyoto is a masterpiece of Momoyama-period barrier painting by the Hasegawa Tohaku school. Originally created for Shōun-ji Temple, commissioned by Toyotomi Hideyoshi to memorialize his young son, these four resplendent fusuma panels feature pine and plum motifs on luminous gold leaf. Surviving over 400 years of fires and upheaval, they can be viewed at the temple's Treasure Hall, opened in 2023.
Discover the National Treasure painting "Pine Tree with Sunset Hibiscus and Chrysanthemums" by Momoyama master Hasegawa Tōhaku at Chishaku-in Temple, Kyoto. Explore its rich history, hidden political allegory, and visitor guide.