National Treasures of Nara

Enshrined at Yakushi-ji's Toindo Hall in Nara, this National Treasure bronze Kannon Bodhisattva stands 188.9 cm tall and was cast using the lost-wax technique in the late 7th to early 8th century. Celebrated as the "Noble Youth of Hakuho" for its serene youthful face, the figure reflects Indian and Tang-dynasty influences in its symmetrical form and translucent drapery.

Housed at Tenri Central Library in Nara, the National Treasure Harima no Kuni Fudoki is the only surviving ancient manuscript of a gazetteer of Harima Province compiled in the early Nara period. This late-Heian copy from the Sanjonishi family preserves place-name origins, myths, and even the earliest written reference to Japanese sake brewing, offering a remarkably vivid voice from 1,300 years ago.

The Heart Sutra scroll of Hasedera Temple in Sakurai, Nara, is part of the National Treasure Hasedera-kyō, a Kamakura-period set of 34 decorated sutras. With gold and silver foil, molten gold boundary lines, crystal scroll rods, and brilliantly painted frontispieces, it is one of medieval Japan's supreme works of sacred art.

Discover the Hishizukuri Uchigatana at Kasuga Taisha in Nara — a National Treasure dedicated in 1385 whose inscription contains the oldest recorded use of the word "uchigatana," making it a pivotal artifact in Japanese sword history.

Preserved within Kasuga Taisha in Nara, the Hongū Goryō Koshinpō-rui is a National Treasure collection of 292 sacred objects once placed in the shrine's main sanctuaries. Ranging from a dazzling Heian-period makie zither to jeweled swords, lacquer mirror stands, and ritual implements, this ensemble represents the pinnacle of Japanese court craft. See these thousand-year-old treasures at the Kasuga Taisha Kokuhōden.

Discover the Muryōgi-kyō (Sutra of Innumerable Meanings), three exquisite scrolls from the Hase-dera Sutra set — a 34-scroll National Treasure produced in 13th-century Japan. Decorated with scattered gold and silver foil, gold-pigment ruled lines, crystal axles, and brilliantly painted frontispieces, these Kamakura-period scriptures embody the height of Japanese Buddhist art. We also guide you through the spiritual home of these treasures: the famous "Temple of Flowers," Hase-dera in Nara.

A complete visitor's guide to the Kudara Kannon, a National Treasure housed at Hōryū-ji in Nara. Discover the history, art-historical significance, and visiting details of this slender, enigmatic Asuka-period masterpiece of Japanese Buddhist sculpture.

The Wooden Standing Kannon Bodhisattva at Yumedono in Horyu-ji Temple, Nara, is an Asuka-period National Treasure known as Guze Kannon. Carved from a single block of camphor wood and gilded in gold leaf, it is traditionally regarded as a life-size image of Prince Shotoku. Viewable only during limited spring and autumn openings.

Discover the four imposing Heian-period guardian statues enshrined in Kōfuku-ji's East Golden Hall (Tōkondō) in Nara—National Treasures carved from single blocks of cypress, with vivid original polychromy and remarkably expressive faces.

Discover the National Treasure Wooden Statues of the Four Heavenly Kings at Kōfuku-ji's Chū-kondō in Nara — towering, dynamic Kamakura-period guardians carved in katsura wood by the Kei school, now watching over the reconstructed Central Golden Hall.

The National Treasure Wooden Standing Statues of the Four Heavenly Kings at Kōfuku-ji's Nan'endō, sculpted in 1189 by the workshop of Kōkei (father of Unkei) for the hall's dedication ceremony. With rare iconography drawn from the Dharani-jikkyō sutra, they may be viewed only on October 17 each year.

Discover the National Treasure Wooden Seated Statue of Shaka Nyorai and Two Attendant Bodhisattvas, enshrined in Hōryū-ji's Upper Hall (Jōdō) behind the Great Lecture Hall. Carved in cherry wood using the rare single-block technique, this commanding 10th-century Heian-period triad—Shakyamuni Buddha flanked by Manjusri and Samantabhadra—is opened to the public only three days each year, from November 1 to 3.

Discover the Wooden Seated Statue of Shaka Nyorai at Murō-ji Temple in Uda, Nara — a National Treasure carved from a single block of kaya wood in the 9th century. Long enshrined as a guest deity in the Miroku-dō hall, the statue has been on view at the temple's new Hōmotsuden since 2020, where visitors can admire its serene smile and full-body honpa-shiki rolling-wave drapery up close. This guide covers the statue's significance, why it earned National Treasure status, viewing highlights, access, and nearby attractions.

Enshrined in the Shōryōin of Hōryū-ji, this National Treasure group of five late Heian-period wooden seated statues depicts Prince Shōtoku flanked by his eldest son, two brother princes, and the Goguryeo monk who was his Buddhist teacher. Created around 1121 for the prince's 500th-anniversary memorial, the sculptures are opened to the public only during the Otaiya and Oeshiki services each March, offering a rare glimpse into a thousand-year-old devotional world.

Treasured at Hōryū-ji's Daihōzōin in Nara, the National Treasure Wooden Zushi is a tall, lacquered Hakuhō-period cabinet that enshrines the bronze Amida Triad said to have been Lady Tachibana's personal Buddha. Standing about 263 cm high, with painted inner doors and a gilded lotus pond at its heart, it offers a quiet glimpse into the devotional world of one of early Japan's most powerful women.

A National Treasure enshrined at Yoshino Mikumari Shrine in Nara Prefecture, this seated wooden statue of Tamayorihime-no-Mikoto was created in 1251 by a Buddhist sculptor for the imperial patron Senyōmon'in. Its ink inscription gives the precise date, making it a rare dated example among Kamakura-period Shinto sculpture. Carved in joined-block cypress with inlaid crystal eyes, it portrays its subject as a refined court lady and is widely regarded as Japan's finest surviving goddess image. This guide introduces the statue and the World Heritage shrine that has sheltered it for centuries.

A detailed guide to the National Treasure Wooden Standing Statues of Tentōki and Ryūtōki, a pair of lantern-bearing demon figures carved by Kōben—third son of Unkei—in 1215 and displayed today in the Kokuhō-kan of Kōfuku-ji Temple in Nara.

The Wooden Seated Statue of Maitreya Buddha at Tōdai-ji in Nara is a National Treasure carved in the early 9th century, during the early Heian period. Standing only 39 cm tall yet possessing a monumental presence, it earned the nickname Kokoromi no Daibutsu, or the Trial Great Buddha. Treasured since the Kamakura era as a sacred image believed to have been carved by Rōben Sōjō, the founding abbot of Tōdai-ji, this masterpiece of early Heian Nara-region sculpture can be viewed at the Tōdai-ji Museum when on display.

At Yakushiji in Nara, a small eighth-century painting on hemp shows Kichijoten, goddess of fortune, raising a flaming jewel. It is shown only days each January.