National Treasure

The Chūmon fronts Hōryū-ji's Western Precinct: an Asuka gate with a pillar on its central axis, flanked by entasis columns and Japan's oldest Niō, modeled in 711.

Rising within Horyuji Temple's eastern precinct in Ikaruga, Nara, the National Treasure Yumedono (Hall of Dreams) is an octagonal hall built around 739 by the monk Gyoshin Sozu to honor Prince Shotoku. Standing on the site of the prince's palace, it enshrines the hidden Kuse Kannon, a masterpiece of seventh-century Buddhist art, within a UNESCO World Heritage setting.

Discover Horyu-ji's East Gate (Todaimon), a National Treasure from the Nara period featuring rare mitsumune-zukuri triple-ridge architecture. This eight-legged gate connects the Western and Eastern precincts of the world's oldest wooden temple complex in Ikaruga, Nara.

The Nandaimon (South Great Gate) of Horyuji Temple in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, is a National Treasure eight-legged gate rebuilt in 1438 during the Muromachi period. Acclaimed as one of the finest surviving Muromachi-era structures in Japan, it features ornate bracket complexes, flower-shaped bearing blocks, and a dramatic upswept eave curvature. Registered as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site 'Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area' in 1993, this majestic gate welcomes visitors into the precinct that houses the oldest surviving wooden buildings on Earth.

The Higashimuro (East Monks' Quarters) at Hōryū-ji Temple is a Nara-period monks' dormitory designated as a National Treasure of Japan. Standing east of the western cloister, this rare surviving example of ancient monastic residential architecture features simple yet refined construction, with foundation stones and pillars that may date back to the 7th-century founding of the temple. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site 'Buddhist Monuments in the Hōryū-ji Area.'

The Three-Story Pagoda of Hokki-ji Temple in Ikaruga, Nara, completed in 706 AD, is the oldest surviving three-story pagoda in Japan. Designated as a National Treasure and part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site 'Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area,' this 24-meter-tall pagoda preserves rare Asuka-period architectural techniques and is celebrated for its stunning autumn views framed by cosmos flowers.

Yakushi-ji's East Precinct Hall, rebuilt in 1285, is a National Treasure that survived the 1528 fire with the East Pagoda and enshrines a famed bronze Kannon.

Built in 730, the East Pagoda is Yakushi-ji's only original building and the oldest in old Heijo-kyo, three stories under six roofs and a celestial finial.

Discover the National Treasure main hall of Ryōsen-ji Temple in Nara, a masterpiece of 13th-century wayō architecture. Explore Kamakura-era craftsmanship, hidden Buddhist statues, a world-class rose garden, and medicinal baths on the serene outskirts of Japan's ancient capital.

Discover the Kachō Saie Yushoku-bako, a stunning Nara-period wooden box designated as a National Treasure of Japan. Owned by Tōdai-ji in Nara, this 8th-century masterpiece features vivid paintings of phoenixes, parrots, and floral motifs created with the rare oil-color technique from Tang Dynasty China.

Enshrined in the National Treasure Hall of Kōfuku-ji in Nara, the Dry-Lacquer Standing Statues of the Ten Great Disciples were created in 734 for the Western Golden Hall commissioned by Empress Kōmyō in memory of her mother. Six of the original ten figures survive, all designated National Treasures. Celebrated for their deeply human expressions and the delicate play of drapery, they represent the pinnacle of Tenpyō-era realism and endure as one of the rare masterpieces of hollow-core dry-lacquer sculpture.

The Seated Dry-Lacquer Rushana Buddha enshrined in the Golden Hall of Tōshōdai-ji in Nara is a late eighth-century masterpiece of the hollow dry-lacquer tradition and a National Treasure closely tied to the legacy of the Chinese monk Ganjin. Towering over three metres in height (five metres with the mandorla), this cosmic Buddha embodies the worldview of the Brahma Net Sutra and stands as one of the supreme achievements of Tenpyō-period Buddhist art within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ancient Nara.

Hasedera Temple in Nara preserves one of Japan's most exquisite National Treasures: the Kanfugen-kyō, a single scroll from the 34-volume Hasedera-kyō set of decorated sutras created in the Kamakura period. Adorned with scattered gold and silver foil, gold-ink ruled lines, and crystal scroll rods, it represents the pinnacle of medieval Japanese devotional art. This article explores its historical background, the reasons for its National Treasure designation, its artistic highlights, and how to visit Hasedera Temple.

Housed at Kasuga Taisha Shrine in Nara, the Kinji Raden Kenukigata Tachi is a resplendent twelfth-century ceremonial sword designated a National Treasure of Japan. Known as the Golden Sword for its near-pure gold fittings, its gilt lacquer scabbard features a playful cat pursuing sparrows through a bamboo grove, rendered in exquisite mother-of-pearl inlay and colored glass.

The National Treasure Kuro-kawa Odoshi Yahazu-zane Dōmaru at Kasuga Taisha in Nara is an extraordinary 14th-century Nanboku-chō suit of armor, preserved as a complete three-piece set with helmet and shoulder guards. Said by shrine tradition to have been offered by the celebrated general Kusunoki Masashige, it is one of the earliest and finest surviving dōmaru-style armors in Japan.

The Kengu-kyō, Volume 15 (442 lines), a National Treasure held by Tōdai-ji, is a supreme example of Nara-period large-character sutra writing known as Ōjōmu. Brushed on luxurious dabishi paper in bold, dignified script, this rare surviving scroll has been treasured for over a millennium. Discover its history, cultural value, and highlights.

The Amida Triad and Attendant Child on Silk, a National Treasure preserved at Hokke-ji in Nara, is a set of three large hanging scrolls painted in the late Heian to early Kamakura period. Its dramatic contrast between the serene, frontal Amida and the animated bodhisattvas and attendant child—richly ornamented with gold pigment and cut-gold leaf—has earned it recognition as one of the finest masterpieces in the history of Japanese painting. It is shown only briefly each autumn in the Jikō-den treasure hall.

Woven in Tang-dynasty China in a Persian style, this Hōryū-ji National Treasure silk shows four winged-horse riders turning to shoot lions inside beaded roundels.

At Toshodai-ji in Nara, the relics Ganjin carried from China rest in a glass jar atop a gilt-bronze turtle, a National Treasure shown only once a year, in October.

A tiny rock-crystal reliquary shaped as a five-element stupa, made to hold relics and sealed inside the gilt-bronze altar pagoda Eison built at Saidaiji in 1270.