Heian

Discover the Aka-gawa Odoshi Yoroi, a National Treasure of Japan housed at the Okayama Prefectural Museum. This rare Heian-period ō-yoroi is the only surviving example of red leather-laced armor, offering a rare glimpse into the life of real samurai warriors.

The Kinzanji Monjo, preserved at the ancient temple of Kinzanji in the mountains north of Okayama City, is a collection of 52 documents in 7 scrolls designated a National Important Cultural Property in 1969. Spanning more than 430 years from the late Heian to the early Edo period, the archive includes provincial governor confirmations, shogunate and Rokuhara Tandai orders, and land donation deeds. The attached Kinzan Kannon-in Engi records the lives of founder Hoon Daishi and Eisai, founder of Japanese Rinzai Zen, offering a vivid window onto how a regional temple navigated medieval Japan's shifting powers.