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.
Discover the National Treasure "Autumn Pasture with Cattle" (Akino Bokugyu-zu), a masterpiece of Southern Song Chinese painting attributed to court artist Yan Ciping. Housed at the Sen-oku Hakukokan Museum in Roppongi, Tokyo, this exquisite silk scroll once belonged to the Ashikaga Shogun's famed Higashiyama Collection.
An unsigned National Treasure tanto by Soshu Sadamune at the Tokyo National Museum, once owned by a Karatsu lord, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and the Tokugawa shoguns.
Discover Byōbu Dodai, a National Treasure calligraphy scroll by Ono no Michikaze, written in 928 as a draft for imperial folding screens. Housed at the Sannomaru Shōzōkan in Tokyo, this rare Heian-period masterpiece marks the birth of Japan's native wayō calligraphy style. Learn its history, highlights, and how to visit.
A twelfth-century manuscript of the Manyoshu, Japan's oldest poetry anthology, copied by the celebrated calligrapher Fujiwara no Sadanobu onto luxurious mica-printed paper. Treasured by the Maeda lords of Kaga for over three centuries before being presented to the Emperor Meiji, it was designated a National Treasure in 2023 and is one of the Five Great Manyoshu of the Heian period.
Discover the Kojoji Temple Three-Story Pagoda, a National Treasure built in 1432 on Ikuchijima Island along the Shimanami Kaido. Explore its exquisite blend of Japanese and Chinese architectural styles amidst stunning Seto Inland Sea views.
Discover the Asagi Aya-odoshi Yoroi, a rare National Treasure suit of samurai armor from the late Kamakura period, housed at the UNESCO World Heritage Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island, Hiroshima.
A National Treasure at Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima: a late-Heian court costume set with ornamental swords, a quiver and vermilion sword boxes dated to 1183.
A National Treasure on silk dated 1153, the twenty-armed Fugen Enmei at Onomichi's Jiko-ji bears a rare dated inscription, a benchmark for late Heian painting.
A rare Heian-period great armor at Itsukushima Shrine, laced with cherry-stenciled yellow leather over wide plates and tied by tradition to Minamoto no Tametomo.
A late Heian great armor at Itsukushima Shrine, laced in indigo so dark it reads as black. Helmet and sleeves survive, said to be the gift of Taira no Shigemori.
A Heian National Treasure at Itsukushima Shrine, the Kan Fugen-kyo in gold on indigo paper, brushed jointly by Taira no Kiyomori and his half-brother Yorimori.
A National Treasure at Itsukushima Shrine: a seven-scroll Lotus Sutra brushed in gold on indigo paper around 1170 by Taira no Kiyomori and his half-brother Yorimori.
The Saie Hiōgi (Painted Cypress Fan) is a National Treasure of Japan housed at Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima island, Hiroshima. Dating from the late Heian period (12th century), this ceremonial fan features 34 cypress slats lavishly decorated with gold and silver leaf and vivid polychrome paintings depicting uta-e (poem-picture) scenes — a rare surviving masterpiece of Heian court craftsmanship linked to the powerful Taira clan.
The National Treasure Tachi signed Kunimune, housed at the Fukuyama Museum of Art in Hiroshima Prefecture, is a masterwork forged by the legendary Kamakura-period swordsmith Bizen Saburo Kunimune. Celebrated for its spectacular layered clove-blossom hamon pattern, this blade is considered the finest among all Kunimune works. Discover this extraordinary sword within the renowned Komatsu Yasuhiro Collection.
Discover Kōsetsu Samonji, a National Treasure tachi forged by the master swordsmith Ō-Sa in the early Nanboku-chō period. Housed at Fukuyama Museum of Art in Hiroshima, this legendary blade passed through the hands of samurai, shoguns, and the Tokugawa clan.
Discover the National Treasure tachi sword signed by Tomonari, a masterwork of the Ko-Bizen school housed at Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima. Learn about its Heian-period origins, Taira clan connections, and how to see it.
Discover the National Treasure tachi signed by Norifusa, a masterwork of the Katayama Ichimonji school from the Kamakura period. Once owned by the Tokugawa shoguns, this magnificent sword is now displayed at Fukuyama Museum of Art in Hiroshima Prefecture.
Discover the National Treasure tachi signed Masatsune, a Heian-period masterpiece by the legendary Ko-Bizen swordsmith, housed at Fukuyama Museum of Art in Hiroshima. Learn about its elegant curvature, storied provenance from the Hachisuka clan, and how to visit.
Discover the National Treasure tachi signed Yoshifusa, a masterpiece of Kamakura-period swordsmithing by the Fukuoka Ichimonji school. View this magnificent blade at Fukuyama Museum of Art in Hiroshima Prefecture.
Discover the National Treasure tantō by Shintōgo Kunimitsu, the founder of the Sōshū swordsmithing tradition. Once cherished by warlord Gamō Ujisato and the Tokugawa shoguns, this Kamakura-era masterpiece is now housed at Fukuyama Museum of Art in Hiroshima Prefecture.