Heian

The oldest surviving copy of Kūkai's collected letters, brushed by Hanga in 1171 and held at Otani University. Its 72 pieces reveal the priest behind the legend.

Compiled in 873 CE, the Kōryū-ji Engi Shizai-chō is a National Treasure ancient document that meticulously records the Buddhist statues, scriptures, landholdings, and ceremonial vestments of Kōryū-ji — Kyoto's oldest temple. Organized into six comprehensive chapters, this rare Heian-period inventory includes descriptions of ritual garments found in no other temple records. Discover the historical significance of this invaluable manuscript and explore the treasures of Kōryū-ji Temple, home to Japan's celebrated Hōkan Miroku statue.

Preserved at Kōryū-ji in Uzumasa, Kyoto, this National Treasure scroll was compiled around 890 during the early Heian period. Serving as a verification of the earlier 873 temple register, it records the buildings, Buddhist statues, and landholdings of Kōryū-ji, offering an irreplaceable window into ninth-century temple life in ancient Japan.

The National Treasure Kokin Wakashū (Manshuin-bon), preserved at Manshuin Temple in Kyoto, is an 11th-century handscroll featuring exquisite kana calligraphy on color-shifting dyed paper. Attributed to Fujiwara no Yukinari, this masterwork embodies the pinnacle of Heian-period aesthetic refinement.

Kurama-dera keeps a rare early-Heian straight sword, single-edged despite its name, with its lacquered mounting and a tradition linking it to a famous general.

A black-lacquered desk of the Heian period, kept among the treasures of Kōzan-ji in the hills near Kyoto and designated an Important Cultural Property in 1967.

The diary of Heian regent Fujiwara no Moromichi, kept until days before his death in 1099. One autograph scroll and 29 twelfth-century copies survive at Yomei Bunko.

Discover the Diamond Sutra (Kongō-kyō) by Zhang Jizhi, a National Treasure of Japan housed at Chishaku-in Temple in Kyoto. This 1253 masterpiece of Southern Song calligraphy represents one of the finest examples of Chinese brushwork preserved in Japan.

Discover the Gilt-bronze Lotus Flower Pattern Kei (Kondō Renge-mon Kei), a National Treasure of Japan housed at Zenrinji Temple (Eikando) in Kyoto. This exquisite Heian-period Buddhist percussion instrument showcases the pinnacle of Japanese bronze casting and gilt metalwork.

Discover the Sanjūrokunin Kashū, a 12th-century National Treasure housed at Nishi Hongan-ji in Kyoto. This illuminated anthology of Japan's Thirty-Six Immortal Poets features the world's oldest known paper collage techniques, exquisite calligraphy by 20 court scribes, and lavish gold-and-silver decorated papers that represent the pinnacle of Heian-period aristocratic culture.

Ryogen wrote this testament in 972 while ill, naming the Mount Hiei halls and estates left to his disciple Jinzen. A National Treasure at the Tokyo National Museum.

At Kyoto's Tō-ji, this Heian-period palanquin carried the Buddha's relics in procession. Its lacquer imitates rosewood, inlaid with mother-of-pearl and gilt bronze.

Discover the Chunqiu Jingzhuan Jijie Volume 2 Fragment, a rare Tang dynasty manuscript and National Treasure housed at the Yūrinkan Museum in Kyoto. Learn about its history, significance, and how to visit.

Discover the Jōgū Shōtoku Hōō Teisetsu, the oldest surviving biography of Prince Shōtoku, designated as a National Treasure of Japan. This precious Heian-period manuscript is held at Chion-in Temple in Kyoto's Higashiyama district.

Discover the Sunshōan Shikishi 'Sukahara no Ason,' an Important Cultural Property at Kyoto's Nomura Museum. This Heian-period kana calligraphy fragment from a Kokin Wakashū codex inscribes a poem attributed to Sugawara no Michizane on lustrous Chinese karakami paper, ranked among Japan's Three Great Shikishi.

This National Treasure at the Kyoto National Museum is the oldest surviving copy of the Chinese classic Shishuo Xinyu, in seventh-century Tang regular script.

Discover the National Treasure "Zen'in Gakuji narabini Haiji" at Tōfuku-ji Temple in Kyoto—19 masterful calligraphy scrolls by Wuzhun Shifan and Zhang Jizhi from 13th-century Southern Song China, representing the finest surviving examples of Zen temple signboard calligraphy.

Twelve Southern Song volumes at Kyoto's Tofuku-ji form the Gisho Rokujo, a 10th-century Buddhist encyclopedia and the only known Song printing of the text.

This National Treasure is a handscroll containing a preface written by Emperor Gaozong (1107–1187), the founder of China's Southern Song dynasty, for the collected literary works of his father, Emperor Huizong — the last ruler of the Northern Song. Penned in 1154, this exceptionally rare example of imperial calligraphy is both a masterwork of brush art and a poignant tribute from a son to a father lost in the upheaval of the Jingkang Incident. The scroll also bears colophons by renowned scholars including Hu Sanxing and Wen Zhengming, and is deposited at the Kyoto National Museum.

Discover the extraordinary National Treasure deposited items found inside the Shaka Nyorai statue at Seiryō-ji Temple in Kyoto. From silk internal organs to Buddhist scriptures, these 10th-century artifacts offer a rare glimpse into Song-dynasty faith and medicine.