Important Cultural Property of Okayama

The Sansai Jar reportedly excavated in Okayama Prefecture is a Japanese Important Cultural Property dating to the first half of the eighth century. Held by the Kurashiki Archaeological Museum in the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter, it was reportedly discovered around 1904 in a lateral-chamber stone tomb near Tsuyama City, together with a ceramic coffin. Standing 21.3 centimeters tall with a maximum body diameter of 25.3 centimeters, the medicine-jar-shaped vessel is decorated with a luminous combination of green, amber, and clear lead glazes laid over a white slip ground — a luxurious technique known as Nara sansai, modeled after Chinese Tang sansai. Only a handful of comparable large Nara-period three-color jars are known to survive nationwide. That this courtly treasure was used as a cremation container in a provincial ancestral tomb makes it a remarkable witness to the human and cultural ties that linked the eighth-century capital with the regions of ancient Japan.

The library of the commoners' school at Shizutani: 4,041 books and objects from the Bunko of 1677, an Important Cultural Property at the Okayama Prefectural Museum.

Discover the Wooden Senju Kannon and Two Attendant Statues of Mio-ji Temple in Niimi City, Okayama — a Kamakura-period three-figure ensemble of national importance, designated as far back as 1901. Explore the artistic value of the central Senju Kannon, the dynamic flanking figures of Fudo Myo-o and Bishamonten, the temple's Muromachi-era main hall, and nearby attractions in northern Okayama.

Okayama’s registered properties across designations, with featured heritage and travel notes.

The complete kokuhō catalogue — browse by prefecture, period, and category.

Nationwide jūyō bunkazai — architecture, sculpture, painting, crafts, and documents.