National Treasures of Osaka

An Asuka-period straight sword owned by Shitennoji in Osaka, the Big Dipper and clouds inlaid in gold. Star-inlaid blades survive in only three groups.

A Southern Song Jian bowl at the Museum of Oriental Ceramics in Osaka, silver spots packed tightly across both surfaces. Once owned by the regent Hidetsugu.

A Southern Song tenmoku bowl at the Fujita Museum in Osaka, its black glaze scattered with haloed spots. Alone among yohen bowls, it is mottled inside and out.

A Nara-period gilt bronze epitaph found at Magami in Takatsuki, Osaka, now at the Osaka Museum of History. Dated 762, it records lineage, office and burial.

A Kamakura tachi in Osaka Prefecture, 73.3 centimetres long. Its unaltered tang still carries the signature of Sukekane. National Treasure since 1957.

An early Muromachi-period hall in Osaka Prefecture. Its commentary misspells a founder's name there, and it lists out the nine rounds of repair since.

A Heian-period text owned by Amanosan Kongoji in Osaka Prefecture. Its own date field is empty, and yet a year still survives in another field of it here.

A Heian-period knife owned by Domyoji Tenmangu in Osaka Prefecture. Its own handle runs some three centimetres longer than the blade that it holds now.

An inkstone owned by Domyoji Tenmangu in Osaka Prefecture. Its own country field reads Japan, while its own text still calls the work Tang instead here.

A Heian-period comb owned by Domyoji Tenmangu in Osaka Prefecture. Red and green colouring lies beneath its tortoiseshell and shows right through it now.

A Heian-period handscroll in Nara owned by a listed company. The company owns the scroll itself while a museum that it runs is the place that keeps it.

Discover the National Treasure katana by Osafune Mitsutada, founder of Japan's greatest swordmaking lineage. Once owned by Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu, this 13th-century masterpiece features a dazzling chōji hamon and gold inlay attribution by Hon'ami Kōtoku.

Discover a National Treasure tachi forged in 1329 by Chikakage of the Osafune school in Bizen Province. With an elegant blade of approximately 80.6 cm, this late Kamakura period masterwork showcases the refined ji-hada and graceful suguha-based hamon characteristic of the Bizen tradition. Explore the legacy of swordsmith Chikakage, his close ties with the legendary Kagemitsu, and the rich history of Japan's greatest sword-producing region.

This National Treasure tachi, forged by master swordsmith Sukemitsu of the Yoshioka Ichimonji school in 1322, represents the pinnacle of late Kamakura-period Bizen swordsmithing. Featuring a dazzling chōji-midare hamon, sacred Buddhist inscriptions to Hachiman and Myōken, and a prestigious provenance tracing back to Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu, this extraordinary blade invites you to explore the spiritual and artistic depths of Japan's sword culture.

Discover the National Treasure tachi signed Masatsune, a masterwork of the Ko-Bizen school of Japanese swordsmithing from the Heian period. Learn about its elegant form, cultural significance, and where to appreciate Japanese sword heritage.

Discover the National Treasure tachi signed by Moritoshi, a rare Kamakura-period masterwork from the Ko-Aoe school. Learn about its elegant chirimen-hada grain, historical significance, and how to appreciate Japanese swords in Japan.

Discover the Hōchō Masamune, a National Treasure tantō forged by Japan's greatest swordsmith. Learn about its dramatic metallurgical beauty, storied provenance through samurai clans, and why all three surviving Hōchō Masamune are designated National Treasures.

A National Treasure tantō forged by Shintōgo Kunimitsu, the founder of the Sōshū sword tradition, during the late Kamakura period. Considered the finest among Kunimitsu's surviving works for its exceptionally rich steel and temper pattern activity, this blade features Buddhist carvings of a ritual sword and Fudō Myōō. Formerly owned by the last Tokugawa shōgun, it is now privately held in Osaka.

Discover the National Treasure tantō 'Kuwayama Hōshō,' forged in 1324 by master swordsmith Fujiwara Sadayoshi of the Yamato Hōshō school. Listed in the celebrated Kyōhō Meibutsu Chō catalogue, this blade passed from samurai lord Kuwayama Motoharu to the powerful Maeda clan of Kaga. Explore its exquisite masame-hada forging, rich provenance, and enduring legacy as the finest work of the Hōshō tradition.

This National Treasure naginata was forged in 1320 by Sukemitsu, the foremost master of the Yoshioka Ichimonji school in Bizen Province. Retaining its original tang with a rare dated inscription, it perfectly exemplifies the Kamakura-period polearm blade form. Passed down through the prestigious Kaga Maeda clan, this masterpiece showcases exquisite chōji tempering patterns and finely forged steel that embody the pinnacle of 700-year-old Japanese sword craftsmanship.

Osaka’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.