Momoyama

At the summit of Daigo-yama, the Kaisan-dō honours Daigoji's founder Shōbō. Rebuilt under Toyotomi Hideyori around 1608, it is the largest hall of the upper precinct.

Near the summit of Daigo-yama, the Nyoirin-dō is built out over the slope in kake-zukuri style. Rebuilt by Toyotomi Hideyori in 1606, it enshrines Nyoirin Kannon.

Discover the Daitoku-ji Karamon Gate, a National Treasure in Kyoto believed to be a surviving structure from Toyotomi Hideyoshi's legendary Jurakudai palace. Explore its stunning Momoyama-era carvings, gilded decorations, and the stories behind this masterpiece.

Hoshakuji's three-storied pagoda stands on Mt. Tennozan near Kyoto. Dated to 1604 and about 20 meters tall, it is the one-night pagoda tied to Hideyoshi's victory.

Tucked into the wooded foothills of Fukakusa in Kyoto's Fushimi Ward, the Main Hall of Hōtō-ji is a magnificent Nichiren-sect Buddhist hall rebuilt in 1608 and designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1984. Seven bays wide and five deep, crowned by a sweeping hip-and-gable tile roof, it preserves the dignified spirit of early Edo-period architecture with strong Momoyama overtones. Just a fifteen-minute walk south of the world-famous Fushimi Inari Shrine, this hidden temple offers visitors a rare chance to experience one of southern Kyoto's finest temple ensembles — alongside the city's oldest tahōtō pagoda and a Muromachi-period gate — in profound tranquility.

Discover the Karamon Gate at Nishi Honganji Temple in Kyoto—a National Treasure and UNESCO World Heritage masterpiece adorned with vivid Momoyama-era polychrome carvings so mesmerizing it earned the nickname "Higurashi-no-Mon," the gate you could admire all day long.

Discover the Kita Noh Stage at Nishi Hongan-ji in Kyoto — a National Treasure dating from 1581 and the oldest surviving Noh stage in Japan. Learn about its Azuchi-Momoyama architecture, unique pre-standardization design, and how to visit this UNESCO World Heritage site.

Discover Tai-an at Myōkian temple in Ōyamazaki, Kyoto — one of only three National Treasure tea rooms in Japan and the sole surviving tea room attributed to legendary tea master Sen no Rikyū. Learn about its history, wabi-cha aesthetics, and how to visit.

The Kuri of Myohoin Temple in Kyoto's Higashiyama district is one of Japan's largest temple kitchen buildings, constructed around 1595 during the Momoyama period. Designated a National Treasure, this monumental structure is said to have been used to prepare meals for Toyotomi Hideyoshi's grand Thousand Monks Memorial Ceremony. It is renowned for its rare hipped-and-gabled roof and spectacular soot-blackened timber framework, standing as a symbol of the prestigious Tendai monzeki temple that still administers Sanjusangendo today.

Discover Saijosho Taigenkyū, an Important Cultural Property at Yoshida Shrine in Kyoto. This extraordinary octagonal shrine, built in 1601, enshrines all 3,132 deities of Japan and embodies the philosophy of Yoshida Shinto. Open on special days only.

Discover the Haiden (worship hall) of Yodo Shrine in Kyoto's Fushimi district — a 1607 masterpiece built under Toyotomi Hideyori, designated as an Important Cultural Property. Explore its Momoyama-period architecture, history tied to the Katsura River, and the Yodo Castle ruins.

Ryoanji's Main Hall is a 1606 hojo, an Important Cultural Property moved here after fire. From its veranda you view the famous fifteen-stone dry rock garden.

Ryōgin-an's front gate at Tōfuku-ji, Kyoto: a small Momoyama-period Important Cultural Property fronting the 1387 hōjō, Japan's oldest surviving abbot's quarters.

The kitchen of Ryogin-an at Tofuku-ji, Kyoto, raised in 1603 and now an Important Cultural Property. A rare Zen temple kitchen surviving close to its original form.

Built in 1608 for strategist Kuroda Kanbei, this Zen hall at Kyoto's Ryukoin holds his and his wife's stone tombs. The temple is closed, so we suggest nearby sites.

Kept at Myoshin-ji in Kyoto, this miniature armor, helmet, and saddle were made for Sutemaru, the infant son of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who died at age two in 1591.

Discover the Important Cultural Property 'Letter by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (Dated April 13),' an ink-on-paper correspondence revealing the personal voice of Japan's legendary warlord who unified the nation in the 16th century.

The Sumiyoshi Maki-e Desk, an Important Cultural Property owned by Ninna-ji Temple in Kyoto, is a magnificent lacquerware piece produced from the Momoyama to early Edo period. Its gold maki-e designs depict pines within the sacred precincts of Sumiyoshi Shrine accompanied by waka poetry — a sophisticated utae (picture-poetry) tradition. Currently on loan to the Kyoto National Museum, it is exhibited periodically during special exhibitions.

The National Treasure 'Letter from the Portuguese Viceroy of India' at Myōhō-in Temple in Kyoto is a diplomatic letter written on parchment in 1588 by Duarte de Menezes, Portuguese Viceroy in Goa, addressed to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Adorned with oil miniature paintings and gold lettering, it was presented at Jurakudai Palace in 1591. As one of the rarest European-origin diplomatic documents preserved in Japan, it offers an extraordinary window into the Age of Discovery and early Japan-Europe relations.

Discover the National Treasure wall painting "Pine Trees and Flowers on Gold Ground" by Hasegawa Tohaku at Chishaku-in temple in Kyoto. Learn about its Momoyama-era splendor, the dramatic story of the Hasegawa school, and how to visit this masterpiece.