Heian

A Tang seven-panel kesa of Toji, Kyoto, said to have come to Kukai from Huiguo, a National Treasure since 1953, woven with layered clouds in tsuzure-ori.

A National Treasure of Shōjōke-in, Kyoto: a Southern Song Amida triad in three signed scrolls by the Ningbo painter Fuetsu, now held at the Kyoto National Museum.

Ninna-ji's National Treasure Kujaku Myōō, a Song-dynasty Chinese painting, shows the Peacock Wisdom King with three faces and six arms on a white peacock.

Five Heian-period silk scrolls at Tō-ji in Kyoto show the Five Great Wisdom Kings, made for the imperial New Year rite Kūkai began in 835 and shown only rarely.

Jingo-ji's Red Shakyamuni is a 12th-century silk painting whose deep vermilion robe and lacelike cut-gold patterns mark the peak of late-Heian Buddhist art.

Two Southern Song scrolls at Kyoto's Konchi-in, the Autumn and Winter Landscapes are a National Treasure once owned by the Ashikaga shoguns and ascribed to Huizong.

Seven portraits of Shingon patriarchs at Toji, Kyoto, five brought from China by Kukai and two added by him, a National Treasure since 1952.

The Heian painting of Fudo with two attendants at Shorenin, Kyoto, known as the Blue Fudo, a National Treasure since 1952 and a hidden image.

To-ji's National Treasure pair of Womb and Diamond World mandalas in color on silk, Japan's oldest such work, carries an 899 box inscription and is rarely shown.

Two Southern Song ink landscapes attributed to Li Tang at Kotoin, Daitokuji, Kyoto, a National Treasure since 1952; the temple is closed in 2026.

Discover Muqi's "Kannon, Monkeys and Cranes" — a 13th-century Southern Song masterpiece and one of Japan's most revered National Treasures, held at Daitoku-ji in Kyoto. A cornerstone of the Ashikaga shogunate's Higashiyama Gyomotsu collection, this three-scroll ink painting will be a headline exhibit at the Tokyo National Museum's 2026 Daitoku-ji 700th anniversary exhibition.

Housed at Daitoku-ji in Kyoto, this National Treasure is a thirteenth-century hanging scroll by the Chinese Chan Buddhist monk-painter Muqi, depicting the White-Robed Kannon in ink and light color on silk. Once part of the Ashikaga shogunate's Higashiyama Gomotsu collection and bearing Yoshimitsu's Doyu seal, it forms the central panel of the famed Kannon, Gibbons, and Crane triptych and stands as a foundational model for Japanese ink painting. A full guide to its history, artistic significance, viewing opportunities, and access to Daitoku-ji.

Discover the Huangdi Neijing Taisu, a National Treasure housed at Ninna-ji Temple in Kyoto. This 12th-century manuscript is the oldest surviving copy of an ancient Chinese medical text that was lost in China itself. Learn about its history, significance, and how to visit.

Held at Ninna-ji in Kyoto, this National Treasure preserves the opening volume of a Tang-dynasty Chinese medical text largely lost in China, copied in 1296 and 1383.

A National Treasure at Tō-ji in Kyoto: the catalogue of scriptures and ritual objects Kūkai brought back from Tang in 806, copied out by the Tendai founder Saichō.

Held at Tō-ji in Kyoto, the Fūshinjō is a National Treasure scroll of three letters Kūkai wrote to Saichō around 810, prized as the summit of his brushwork.

A Heian-period silk scroll at Tō-ji preserving the testament traditionally ascribed to Kūkai. It joined Japan's earliest protected cultural treasures in 1897.

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.