Edo

Discover the Hofukuji Kaizando Omotemon, a registered tangible cultural property in Soja, Okayama. This Edo-period four-legged gate guards the Founder's Hall of the Zen temple where legendary painter Sesshu trained as a child.

Hofukuji's 1818 bell tower in Soja, Okayama, a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, rings over the Zen temple where the painter Sesshu trained as a boy.

Sensyakui, an early Edo granite well at Hofukuji in Soja, Okayama, is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property tied to the fallen-star legend of Mount Iyama.

Hofukuji's 1814 meditation hall in Soja, Okayama, a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, still hosts monthly zazen behind its porch and cusped windows.

The 1814 roofed kitchen well at Hofukuji in Soja, Okayama, a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, served the tenzo cooks for whom cooking was Zen training.

Dokubokkyo, an 1828 stone bridge at Hofukuji in Soja, Okayama, is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property whose gentle arch bears a Zen name: single-log bridge.

The late Edo naka-ido well at Hofukuji in Soja, Okayama, a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, keeps its pulley beside the monks' dining hall it once served.

Hofukuji's 1735 Buddha hall in Soja, Okayama, a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, pairs round windows with fan rafters and enshrines Kokuzo Bosatsu inside.

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.

A late Edo sanctuary of just 3 square metres beside the main hall at Yuga Jinja Hongu in Kurashiki, Okayama, keeping archaic plate-like kibana. Registered in 2024.

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.