Momoyama

Discover the National Treasure wall paintings "Cherry Blossoms and Maple Trees" (Ōfū-zu) by Hasegawa Tōhaku and his son Kyūzō at Chishaku-in Temple in Kyoto. Learn about their Momoyama-period gold-leaf splendor, the moving father-son story, and how to visit the newly opened Treasure Hall.

The National Treasure 'Pine and Plum Blossoms on Gold Paper' at Chishaku-in Temple in Kyoto is a masterpiece of Momoyama-period barrier painting by the Hasegawa Tohaku school. Originally created for Shōun-ji Temple, commissioned by Toyotomi Hideyoshi to memorialize his young son, these four resplendent fusuma panels feature pine and plum motifs on luminous gold leaf. Surviving over 400 years of fires and upheaval, they can be viewed at the temple's Treasure Hall, opened in 2023.

Discover the National Treasure painting "Pine Tree with Sunset Hibiscus and Chrysanthemums" by Momoyama master Hasegawa Tōhaku at Chishaku-in Temple, Kyoto. Explore its rich history, hidden political allegory, and visitor guide.

On a Kagawa hilltop that was once Nio Castle stands Kakujoin's two-storied bell tower, a Momoyama work with a flared hakamagoshi base, still rung each New Year.

Chinjudo Hall at Kozoji Temple in Toba City, Mie Prefecture, is a small shrine hall rebuilt in 1605 in the nagare-zukuri style with a kokera-buki roof. Enshrining Kishimojin, the Buddhist guardian of children, it is designated as a nationally Important Cultural Property as one of the rare surviving Momoyama-period structures in the Ise-Shima region. Discover the history and architecture of this hidden mountain temple connected to the legendary Kuki naval clan.

Discover the Main Hall of Kinbo Shrine, an Important Cultural Property perched atop Mt. Kinbo in Tsuruoka, Yamagata. Built in 1608, this rare Shugendo heritage site preserves Momoyama-era architecture amid sacred mountain trails and panoramic views of the Shonai Plain.

Discover Koganedo, the oldest surviving building on Mt. Haguro and an Important Cultural Property. Home to 33 gilded Kannon statues and 80 Buddhist icons preserving the Dewa Sanzan Shugendo tradition.

At Uesugi Shrine in Yonezawa, this Momoyama robe pairs imported Italian or Spanish damask with Japanese tailoring. Said to be worn by the retainer Naoe Kanetsugu.

A rare colored map of Senami District in northern Echigo, drawn by 1597 from the Uesugi land surveys and recovered, damaged, from a Yonezawa storehouse in 1707.

A National Treasure by Kano Eitoku, these gold-ground screens crowd old Kyoto with about 2,485 figures, the Gion Festival, and famous temples of the capital.

The front gate of Jonenji Temple in Hagi, Yamaguchi Prefecture, is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property dating to the Momoyama period. Temple tradition holds that it was originally the rear gate of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's Jurakudai palace in Kyoto, later donated to the temple by Mōri Terumoto in 1633. Discover this hidden architectural gem featuring bold timber framing and vigorous Momoyama-era carvings in the historic castle town of Hagi.

Rebuilt in 1581 on Oda Nobunaga's order, the Main Hall of Oiso Shrine in Shiga is a three-bay nagare-zukuri hall roofed in cypress bark, set in the old Oiso Forest.

Discover the Kojoin Guest Hall (Kojoin Kyakuden), a National Treasure at Miidera Temple in Otsu, Shiga. Built in 1601, this masterpiece of shoin-zukuri architecture features Kano school screen paintings and a stunning Muromachi-period garden.

Once Zeze Castle's North Great Gate on Lake Biwa, this korai-mon was rebuilt at Shinozu Shrine, Otsu, in 1872. Its tiles still carry the Honda hollyhock crest.

Discover the Main Hall of Shirahige Shrine in Takashima, Shiga — an Important Cultural Property built in 1603 by Toyotomi Hideyori. Explore Momoyama-era architecture, the iconic floating torii gate on Lake Biwa, and over 2,000 years of sacred history.

The Bell Tower at Chomeiji Temple in Omihachiman, Shiga Prefecture, is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property built in 1608. Featuring an elegant two-story hakama-goshi design with cypress bark roofing, it houses a medieval bronze bell and offers breathtaking panoramic views of Lake Biwa from its elevated hillside position within the 31st temple of the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage.

Discover the National Treasure main hall of Tsukubusuma Shrine on Chikubu Island in Lake Biwa, Shiga Prefecture. Relocated from Fushimi Castle, this architectural masterpiece showcases exquisite Momoyama-period art including gold maki-e lacquerwork, Kano school paintings, and ornate metalwork.

Standing on Chikubushima Island in northern Lake Biwa, Hogonji Temple houses a National Treasure gate — the sole surviving structure from Toyotomi Hideyoshi's Osaka Castle — along with the oldest of Japan's Three Great Benzaiten sanctuaries and the 30th station on the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage. Accessible only by ferry, this sacred island offers a journey through 1,300 years of faith, Momoyama-period architectural splendor, and breathtaking lake scenery.

The Kobo-do Hall of Rengebuji Temple in Sado City, Niigata Prefecture, is a designated Important Cultural Property of Japan built in 1608–1609. Enshrining Kobo Daishi (Kukai), the founder of Shingon Buddhism, this hall features a pyramidal hipped roof with horse chestnut bark shingles, round pillars, and polychrome floral paintings, preserving the architectural beauty of the Momoyama period within one of the finest temple complexes along the Sea of Japan coast.

Discover Gekka-den, an Important Cultural Property quietly tucked into the inner garden of Sankeien in Yokohama. Built in 1603 by Tokugawa Ieyasu within Kyoto's Fushimi Castle as a waiting room for daimyo lords, this elegant single-story hall with hip-and-gable cypress-bark roof was relocated via Mimuroto-ji in Uji to Sankeien in 1918. Inside are painted screens of bamboo and folding fans attributed to the Momoyama master Kaiho Yusho, and chrysanthemum-pierced transoms—rare survivors from the dawn of the Edo period.