Heian

An early Heian Amida triad at Seiryoji, Kyoto, vowed by Minamoto no Toru and completed by his sons, a National Treasure since 1991.

The Amida triad that was the principal image of Ninnaji, Kyoto, at its founding in 888, a National Treasure since 1954.

The seated Amida in the Phoenix Hall of Byodoin, Uji, completed in 1053, the only surviving work of the sculptor Jocho; a National Treasure since 1951.

Discover the National Treasure Wooden Seated Amida Nyorai at Kōryū-ji Temple's Lecture Hall in Kyoto. This majestic 9th-century Buddhist statue, over 260 cm tall, showcases rare wood-core dry lacquer craftsmanship and can be viewed for free at Kyoto's oldest building.

Discover the National Treasure wooden seated Amida Nyorai statue at Hokai-ji Temple in Kyoto. This masterpiece of Jocho-style Buddhist sculpture from the late Heian period sits within a National Treasure Amida Hall adorned with rare celestial murals.

The principal image of Hokongoin in Kyoto, made by Inkaku of the In school for a temple founded by Taikenmon-in in 1130; a National Treasure since 2020.

Nine Heian Amida Buddhas in a row in the main hall of Joruriji in Kizugawa, Kyoto, the only surviving nine-Buddha Amida hall, with a door for each figure.

Fifty-two bodhisattvas riding clouds, made in 1053 by Jocho's workshop for the Phoenix Hall of Byodoin in Uji; half are shown in the temple's Hoshokan museum.

A ninth-century statue of Kokuzo carved from a single block of torreya at Daigoji, Kyoto, a National Treasure since 2015 and a masterpiece of early Heian sculpture.

Discover the National Treasure Five Great Kokūzō Bodhisattva statues at Jingoji Temple in Kyoto. Commissioned by Emperor Ninmyō and crafted under Kūkai's disciple Shinzei in the 9th century, these five color-coded seated figures are the oldest complete set of their kind in Japan, open to the public only a few days each year.

Heian seated bodhisattvas in the lecture hall of Toji, Kyoto, part of Kukai's three-dimensional mandala and a National Treasure since 1954.

Five Heian statues of the Great Myoo in the lecture hall of Toji, Kyoto, part of Kukai's three-dimensional mandala and a National Treasure since 1952.

The Heian Four Heavenly Kings in the lecture hall of Toji, Kyoto, guarding Kukai's three-dimensional mandala; a National Treasure since 1954.

The late Heian Four Heavenly Kings in the Amida hall of Joruriji, Kizugawa, a National Treasure since 1953; Tamonten is thought to have been made first.

Seiryo-ji's National Treasure Shaka was carved in Song China in 985 and brought to Japan by the monk Chonen. Inside lay silk organs, among the oldest known.

The principal image of Rokuharamitsuji, Kyoto, made for Kuya around 951, a benchmark of tenth-century sculpture and a National Treasure since 1999.

The National Treasure Wooden Standing Statues of the Twelve Divine Generals at Kōryū-ji Temple in Kyoto are Japan's oldest surviving wooden examples of these iconic Buddhist guardian sculptures. Created in 1064 by Chōsei, a disciple of the legendary sculptor Jōchō, these twelve armored warriors protecting the Medicine Buddha showcase the refined artistry of mid-Heian period woodcarving. Experience them up close without glass cases in Kyoto's oldest temple.

Two Heian goddesses enshrined with a monk-form Hachiman in Toji's guardian shrine in Kyoto, said to be carved by Kukai and called Japan's oldest Shinto sculptures.

Sanjusangen-do's 1,001 standing Thousand-Armed Kannon include 124 Heian figures saved from the 1249 fire. The full set became a National Treasure in 2018.

A ninth-century National Treasure at Koryu-ji, this 266 cm Thousand-Armed Kannon was carved from a single cypress block and shows eleven faces and forty arms.