National Treasure
国 宝 一 覧Browse Japan’s National Treasures by prefecture, period, and type. Clear stories highlight what to look for at temples, shrines, castles, and museums—plus maps and travel tips.
The only early manuscript, copied in 1114, of Japan's oldest dictionary, compiled by Kukai, at Kozanji, Kyoto; a National Treasure since 1952.
The archives of Toji in Kyoto, 24,067 documents from the Nara to the early Edo period, held by Kyoto Prefecture; a National Treasure since 1997 and on the Memory of the World Register.
The gilt bronze Shaka of Kanimanji in Kizugawa, Kyoto, 2.4 metres high, a National Treasure since 1953 and comparable to the Yakushi of Yakushiji.
Discover the Tōbō-ki, a National Treasure manuscript at Tō-ji temple in Kyoto. Compiled in the 14th century by scholar-monk Gōhō and his disciple Kenpō, this remarkable chronicle documents the rich history of Japan's most important Shingon Buddhist temple, from its founding in 796 CE through the medieval period.
A Heian manuscript of volumes two and three of the Nihon Ryoiki, Japan's oldest Buddhist tale collection, at Raigoin, Ohara; a National Treasure since 1977.
The National Treasure 'Ink Writing by Wuzhun Shifan: Certificate of Enlightenment for Enni' at Tofuku-ji Temple in Kyoto is a formal inka certificate written on silk in 1237 by the great Chinese Chan master Wuzhun Shifan for his Japanese disciple Enni Ben'en. This masterpiece of Zen calligraphy documents a pivotal moment in the transmission of Zen Buddhism from China to Japan, and stands as one of the finest examples of Southern Song dynasty calligraphy preserved in Japan.
Brushed by Shunjo a month before his death in 1227, this National Treasure at Kyoto's Sennyu-ji certifies that his disciple Shinkai inherited the master's teaching.
An early Heian maki-e box for a wish-granting jewel at Ninnaji, Kyoto, with painted guardian kings, a National Treasure since 1954.
Discover the Lotus Sutra (Volumes 2–7), a Japanese National Treasure at Shin-nyo-dō temple in Kyoto. Commissioned by the legendary sculptor Unkei in 1183, this sacred manuscript uses wood from the burned Tōdai-ji and sacred water for its ink—a rare testament to Kamakura-era Buddhist devotion.
A five-volume sutra at Chion-in, Kyoto, three volumes dated 550 in the Western Wei, a National Treasure since 1952 and said to be the oldest handed-down sutra copy.
A National Treasure at Ninna-ji, Kyoto, this dry-lacquer box was made in 919 to hold scriptures Kukai brought from Tang China. It is Japan's oldest dated maki-e.
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.
Kyoto's Myōshin-ji holds a bonshō with a 698 inscription, the oldest date on any Japanese temple bell. Cast in Kyushu, it is also prized for its ōshikichō tone.
The National Treasure bell of Byodo-in is covered with apsaras, phoenixes, and lions, unmatched among Japanese bells. See it up close at the Hoshokan museum in Uji.
On Mount Takao in Kyoto, this bronze bell of 875 bears an inscription by three of the era's foremost literati, ranking among Japan's three most celebrated bells.
A vajra tray, bell and vajra brought from China by Kukai, held by Toji, Kyoto, as the fundamental ritual tools of Shingon; a National Treasure since 1961.
Dharma words of 1179 by the Southern Song Zen monk Mi-an Xianjie at Ryokoin, Daitokuji, Kyoto, a National Treasure since 1951 and namesake of the Mittan tea room.
The diary of Fujiwara no Michinaga at the Yomei Bunko, Kyoto, a National Treasure since 1951 and on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register, the oldest autograph diary in the world.
Discover the National Treasure calligraphy by Mugaku Sogen, a 13th-century Zen master who defied Mongol swords with poetry. Housed at Shokoku-ji's Jotenkaku Museum in Kyoto, this 1279 masterwork reveals the spiritual bond between two Zen monks across decades.
The autograph diary of Fujiwara no Teika at the Reizei Family Shiguretei Library, Kyoto, a National Treasure since 2000 and a prime source for early Kamakura history.