Edo

The Gobyō at Saikyō-ji is an 1842 grave hall on the hill west of the Main Hall, said to hold the founder Shinsei's stupa. Its rich carving marks it among the oldest here.

Discover the Jitsujōbō Gate, a nationally registered tangible cultural property in Ōtsu, Shiga. This late Edo-period yakuimon gate at a sub-temple of Saikyō-ji features elegant gable carpentry and iconic Anōshū-style stone walls.

Tucked into the mountains of southwestern Shiga, the Main Hall of Takamiya Shrine in Tarao is a refined 1859 sanctuary built by master carpenter Takagi Sakuemon. This single-bay nagare-zukuri shrine with its cypress-bark roof — registered as a National Tangible Cultural Property in 2003 — preserves a chain of legends linking it to the wandering enshrinement of Amaterasu, to the noble Konoe family, and to a centuries-old local cult of the wolf as divine messenger.

High on Mount Akagami, the late-Edo Worship Hall of Tarobogu Aga Shrine is where pilgrims pray. Its timber and copper roof earned a 2019 Cultural Property listing.

On Mount Akagami's rock face, the 1753 Main Hall of Tarobogu Aga Shrine honours a kami of victory. Its carved irimoya hall was registered as a Cultural Property in 2019.

The Main Hall of Saifukuji Temple in Higashiomi City, Shiga Prefecture, is a nationally Registered Tangible Cultural Property built in 1862 during the late Edo period. This Jodo-shu (Pure Land) Buddhist hall features an imposing hip-and-gable tiled roof, a classic floor plan with outer hall, inner sanctuary, and flanking chambers, and fine decorative carvings characteristic of the bakumatsu era.

Discover the bell tower of Myorakuji Temple in Kinomoto, Shiga Prefecture—a finely crafted Edo-period belfry registered as a national tangible cultural property. Explore its elegant carvings, historic post town setting, and nearby attractions along the Hokuriku Highway.

On Lake Biwa's north shore, Sugaura's villagers kept 1,281 documents recording their medieval self-rule and land disputes. They became a National Treasure in 2018.

A National Treasure of early Edo Japan: fifteen figures in a Kyoto pleasure quarter, the classical kinki shoga theme recast as shamisen, sugoroku, and love letters.

The Furuichi Family Residence on Tanegashima is the island's oldest dated house, built in 1846 by a rural samurai and village headman. A ridge tag fixes its date.

A stone breakwater on the Miyagahama coast of Ibusuki City, Kagoshima, built in 1834 by order of Shimazu Narioki, the 27th head of the Shimazu clan. Extending approximately 220 meters with a distinctive bent shape, it is registered as a National Tangible Cultural Property as a rare example of large-scale Edo-period maritime infrastructure.

The Okubo Toshimichi Related Documents, designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan and housed at the Reimeikan in Kagoshima, comprise 1,650 items including diaries, letters, government documents, and personal artifacts of Okubo Toshimichi — one of the Three Great Nobles of the Meiji Restoration. Featuring correspondence with Saigo Takamori, Iwakura Tomomi, and other founding figures of modern Japan, this extraordinary collection reveals the behind-the-scenes story of Japan's transformation from feudal society to modern nation-state.

Discover the Satake Family Mausoleum (Satake-ke Tamaya), a magnificently adorned 1672 funerary hall designated as an Important Cultural Property, nestled within the historic Tentokuji Temple in Akita City.

The Kannon-do within Shinmeisha Shrine in Katagami City, Akita Prefecture, is an all-zelkova shrine hall rebuilt in 1734. Featuring an irimoya hip-and-gable roof with elegant karahafu cusped gable and exquisite carvings throughout, it was designated a National Important Cultural Property in 1952 along with its interior miniature shrine and ridge-beam plaque. A mysterious mummified white fox discovered during restoration is still preserved inside.

The Three-story Pagoda of Oppoji Temple in Tainai City, Niigata Prefecture, is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property built in 1620 through the patronage of the lord of Murakami Castle. Standing approximately 24.2 meters tall, this pure Japanese-style pagoda is celebrated for its unadorned elegance and perfectly balanced proportions. Set within one of Niigata's most ancient temples founded in 736, the grounds are steeped in legend — from the sacred relic of the Buddha's left eye to the legendary spring water Dokkon-sui associated with the great monk Kūkai.

The Tohashira Shrine Hall, a nationally designated Important Cultural Property standing within the sacred precincts of Yahiko Shrine in Niigata Prefecture, was built in 1694 by the feudal lord of Nagaoka Domain. This thatched-roof shrine preserves late Momoyama-period carvings and holds a surprising historical connection to one of Japan's greatest civil engineering projects.

The Yamaguchi Family Residence, located in the mountainous village of Shimode in Itoigawa City, Niigata Prefecture, is a late Edo-period farmhouse built in 1779. Designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan, it exemplifies snow-country architecture with its robust structure, elevated floors, and distinctive adze-hewn beam framework unique to the Kubiki region.

The Haiden and Heiden of Arakawa Shrine, standing on a hilltop in Momozaki-hama, Tainai City, Niigata Prefecture, is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property built in 1841. Reflecting the prosperity of this former Kitamaebune trading port, the building features an irimoya-style copper-clad roof, richly carved entrance porch, and an imposing interior with four rainbow beams and bottle-shaped struts.

Discover the Arakawa Shrine Main Hall in Tainai City, Niigata — a Registered Tangible Cultural Property built in 1841. Its elaborate wave carvings and ornate details reflect the wealth brought by Kitamae-bune trade ships along the Sea of Japan coast.

Ikinariya's rear gate, a late-Edo service gate on the hill behind the buildings, has a single lattice leaf with a sliding wicket and carefully chamfered posts.