Edo

The late Edo hojo of Hofukuji in Soja, Okayama, a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, spans 486 square meters and inherits the Sesshu rat legend's setting.

The 65-meter earthen wall of Hofukuji's hojo in Soja, Okayama, a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, runs level on stone footings across the sloping ground.

Hofukuji's 1793 treasure storehouse in Soja, Okayama, a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, wears namako plasterwork judged too meticulous to reproduce now.

The Main Hall of Ryūjōin, located at the foot of Mount Terayama in Tamano City, Okayama Prefecture, is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property built in 1819. Featuring a six-room hōjō-style layout, an elegant mukikarahafu entrance gable, and dynamic komainu and tiger carvings, it exemplifies the finest craftsmanship of late Edo-period temple architecture. The temple also serves as a station on the Kojima Shikoku Pilgrimage.

Preserved in Okayama Prefecture, this Important Cultural Property is a katana forged in 1674 by the legendary swordsmith Nagasone Kotetsu — one of the two yokozuna of the new sword era. Bearing a refined late-period Hakotora signature, with a 76.3 cm cutting edge and the celebrated juzuba temper line, this masterpiece descends through the Okudaira daimyo family.

Built in 1687, Ie Udun Baka is the tomb of a Ryukyu royal branch family and a rare securely dated turtleback tomb, an Important Cultural Property since 1999.

On a quiet lane in Ishigaki, the Former Miyara Dunchi housed a family that governed a Ryukyu district. It is the only samurai residence with national designation.

The Former Waukei Family Tomb on Ishigaki sets a 17th-century cave burial chamber within walled limestone courts, an early form in Okinawan tomb design.

Sesoko Toteikin on Sesoko Island in Motobu Town, Okinawa, is the largest worship facility dedicated to the Chinese earth deity Toteikin in the Ryukyu Islands. Believed to have been constructed in the mid-18th century, the compound features a main hall, worship hall, and courtyard enclosed by coral limestone walls, all remarkably well preserved within a sacred natural forest. Designated as a national Important Cultural Property in 1997, it stands as an invaluable testament to the cultural exchange between the Ryukyu Kingdom and China.

Discover Izena Tamaudun, a National Important Cultural Property on Izena Island, Okinawa. This royal mausoleum of the Second Shō Dynasty dates to 1688 and honors the family of King Shō En, founder of the Ryukyu Kingdom's last ruling dynasty.

Discover Chunnagā, a pair of beautifully crafted Ryukyuan stone springs in Ginowan City, Okinawa. Designated as a National Important Cultural Property, these 19th-century communal wells showcase exceptional stonework and reveal the spiritual water culture of the Ryukyu Islands.

Discover the Tamonin Izawa Family Residence, a thatched-roof Important Cultural Property in Kitakami, Iwate. This rare Edo-period dwelling of Shugendo mountain ascetics features a unique dojo hall with exquisite plaster carvings and rainbow beams.

Discover the Hakusan Shrine Noh Stage, an Important Cultural Property within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Chusonji Temple in Hiraizumi, Iwate. Built in 1853, this thatched-roof outdoor Noh theater is the only fully equipped early-modern Noh stage surviving in eastern Japan, still hosting live performances during the Fujiwara Festivals.

Discover Hidaka Shrine Main Hall, a nationally designated Important Cultural Property built in 1632 in Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture. Explore over 1,200 years of history, from the ancient Hitakami Province to samurai legends and the spectacular Hidaka Fire Prevention Festival.

Discover the Kamiwano Batō Kannon Former Hall, a nationally registered tangible cultural property in Shizukuishi, Iwate. This Edo-era wooden hall preserves centuries of horse deity worship in one of Japan's most celebrated horse-breeding regions.

At Tono Furusato Village, the Former Kikuchi Kiemon Residence is a straight-plan sugoya, not an L-shaped magariya, its late-Edo thatched roof echoing Nanbu farm life.

At Tono Furusato Village, the Former Kikuchi Sai Residence is an Edo-period magariya with chestnut posts and exposed-post plaster walls, a rare open lesson in carpentry.

The Kosaka Family Residence in Mino, Gifu, is a working sake brewery dating to 1772 and the town's sole Important Cultural Property, with a convex roof and udatsu.

Discover the Former Taguchi Family Residence (Kyū Taguchi-ke Jūtaku), a nationally designated Important Cultural Property built in 1808. Now preserved at Hida Folk Village in Takayama, this grand village headman's farmhouse showcases Edo-period rural architecture with its distinctive kure-buki shingled roof and rare construction documents.

The Former Nimura Family Residence Main House, located in Fukuji Onsen within Okuhida Onsenkyō in Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture, is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property built in 1838. This impressive two-story wooden structure covers 301 square meters and features refined architectural details including a formal shikidai entrance and elegant lattice windows, showcasing the celebrated craftsmanship of Hida's master carpenters and the dignified lifestyle of the Edo period.