National Treasure

Discover the Okuiri, a National Treasure commentary on The Tale of Genji handwritten by the legendary poet Fujiwara no Teika around 1233. Learn about this invaluable manuscript's history, significance, and its role in preserving Japan's greatest literary masterpiece.

The gilt bronze epitaph of Ono no Emishi, son of the Sui envoy Ono no Imoko, found in 1613 and now at the Kyoto National Museum; a National Treasure since 1961.

The gilt bronze sutra case Fujiwara no Michinaga buried on Mount Kinpu in 1007, the oldest in Japan, kept at the Kyoto National Museum; a National Treasure since 1952.

Discover the National Treasure sutra boxes and artifacts from the Kinpusen Sutra Mounds at the Kyoto National Museum, testifying to the deep faith and artistic mastery of Heian-period aristocrats led by Fujiwara no Michinaga.

The Yamashina Nishinoyama Kofun Excavated Artifacts, designated a National Treasure in 1953 and housed at the Kyoto University Museum, are an extraordinary collection of early Heian period grave goods. Featuring a gold-mounted great sword, a gold-and-silver twin-phoenix mirror, and stone belt ornaments befitting the highest court nobility, these artifacts are believed to have come from the tomb of Sakanoue no Tamuramaro — the legendary Sei-i Taishogun who pacified northern Japan and founded Kiyomizu-dera Temple.

A late work by Yosa Buson in a private collection, a National Treasure since 2009, contrasting a dark night sky with snow-white houses and mountains.

A Kamakura katana by Mitsutada in a private collection, a National Treasure since 1951, regarded as his finest and said to have passed from Nobunaga to Ieyasu.

A Kamakura tachi by Chikakage of Osafune dated in the Karyaku era, in a private collection, a National Treasure since 1953.

A 1322 tachi by Sukemitsu of the Yoshioka Ichimonji school in a private collection, a National Treasure since 1953, inscribed with invocations.

A Heian tachi by Ko-Bizen Masatsune in a private collection, a National Treasure since 1953, brilliantly made and flawless.

Discover the National Treasure tachi signed by Moritoshi, a rare Kamakura-period masterwork from the Ko-Aoe school. Learn about its elegant chirimen-hada grain, historical significance, and how to appreciate Japanese swords in Japan.

An unsigned Kamakura tanto by Masamune in a private collection, one of the three Hocho Masamune, a National Treasure since 1952.

A Kamakura tanto by Shintogo Kunimitsu in a private collection, a National Treasure since 1954, an elegant typical work.

A 1324 tanto by Sadayoshi of the Yamato Hosho school in a private collection, a National Treasure since 1955, famed as Kuwayama Hosho.

A 1320 naginata by Sukemitsu of the Yoshioka Ichimonji school in a private collection, a National Treasure since 1953, an unaltered example of Kamakura form.

A Warring States mirror from Luoyang at the Eisei Bunko, Tokyo, a National Treasure since 1967, inlaid in fine gold and silver with a rider fighting a tiger.

Discover the Kinsai Chōjū Unmon Dōban, a gold-painted bronze basin from China's Han Dynasty, housed at the Eisei Bunko Museum in Tokyo. Learn why this extraordinary archaeological artifact was designated a National Treasure of Japan.

Discover the Pigeon on a Peach Branch (Momohato-zu), a Japanese National Treasure attributed to Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song Dynasty. This exquisite silk painting from 1107 showcases the boneless (mokkotsu) technique, Slender Gold calligraphy, and a provenance tracing back to Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.

Designated as a National Treasure, Kokin Wakashū Volume 5 (Kōya-gire) is the oldest surviving manuscript of Japan's first imperially commissioned poetry anthology and a supreme masterpiece of kana calligraphy. Written around 1050 CE, this scroll of autumn poems showcases the dynamic Second Style attributed to Minamoto no Kaneyuki. Discover its profound significance, the three distinct calligraphic styles, and where to appreciate this millennium-old treasure.

A fifth-century bronze mirror of Suda Hachiman Shrine, Wakayama, with a 48-character inscription, a National Treasure since 1951 displayed at the Tokyo National Museum.