National Treasure

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.

Explore Hongan-ji Amida-do, a National Treasure and UNESCO World Heritage hall at Nishi Honganji in Kyoto. Discover its stunning Edo-period architecture, golden inner sanctuary, and spiritual heritage—just 15 minutes from Kyoto Station.

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.

The Honganji Goeidō (Founder's Hall) at Nishi Honganji Temple in Kyoto is a National Treasure rebuilt in 1636. Measuring 62m × 48m with a height of 29m, it ranks among the largest surviving Edo-period wooden structures in Japan. With its 441-tatami outer hall, golden inner sanctuary, and advanced early 17th-century construction techniques, the hall stands as the crowning achievement of Jōdo Shinshū temple architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Discover the Honganji Shoin at Nishi Honganji Temple in Kyoto — a National Treasure and masterpiece of Momoyama-period shoin-zukuri architecture. Explore the magnificent 203-tatami Taimensho, resplendent gold-leaf screen paintings by Watanabe Ryokei, intricately carved transoms, and the celebrated Kokei dry landscape garden.

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 Ryogin-an Hojo, a National Treasure at Tofukuji Temple in Kyoto. Built in 1387, this is the oldest existing hojo architecture in Japan, blending shinden-zukuri and shoin-zukuri styles with three stunning dry landscape gardens by Mirei Shigemori.

Discover Ryōkōin Shoin, a National Treasure study hall within Kyoto's Daitoku-ji Temple complex, home to the legendary Mittan tea room by Kobori Enshū and one of only three Yōhen Tenmoku tea bowls in existence.