Muromachi

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.

Two silk scrolls in the hand of Jikusen Bonsen, a Chan monk who left Yuan China in 1329, written for a Zen abbot's installation. Held at closed Ryoko-in in Kyoto.

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.

Discover the Song Dynasty Tripitaka (Sōhan Issaikyō) at Daigo-ji Temple in Kyoto — a National Treasure collection of 6,102 woodblock-printed Buddhist scriptures from 12th-century China, brought to Japan by the monk Chōgen.

Discover the Song Dynasty edition of Taiping Yulan, a 1,000-volume Chinese encyclopedia designated as a National Treasure of Japan. Preserved at Tofuku-ji Temple in Kyoto, these 103 surviving volumes date back to 1199 and represent one of the most important literary treasures connecting Japan and China.

Discover the National Treasure "Diamond Sutra Handwritten by Daikaku Zenji" at Ryōkōin temple in Kyoto's Daitoku-ji complex. This 13th-century Zen calligraphy masterpiece by Rankei Dōryū, founder of Kamakura's Kenchō-ji, represents one of the finest surviving examples of Song-dynasty brushwork in Japan.

Preserved at Shokoku-ji in Kyoto, this Important Cultural Property is a hexagonal cast bronze hanging lantern with an inscription dated to Tenbun 21 (1552). Its fire chamber, pierced with openwork sprays of plum and bamboo, draws on the East Asian tradition of the Three Friends of Winter and embodies the refined craftsmanship of late Muromachi metalwork. Encountered during themed exhibitions at the Jōtenkaku Museum, it offers a quiet, luminous window onto Zen visual culture.

Discover the Tōbō-ki, a National Treasure manuscript at Tō-ji temple in Kyoto. Compiled in the 14th century by scholar-monk Gōhō and his disciple Kenpō, this remarkable chronicle documents the rich history of Japan's most important Shingon Buddhist temple, from its founding in 796 CE through the medieval period.

The National Treasure 'Ink Writing by Wuzhun Shifan: Certificate of Enlightenment for Enni' at Tofuku-ji Temple in Kyoto is a formal inka certificate written on silk in 1237 by the great Chinese Chan master Wuzhun Shifan for his Japanese disciple Enni Ben'en. This masterpiece of Zen calligraphy documents a pivotal moment in the transmission of Zen Buddhism from China to Japan, and stands as one of the finest examples of Southern Song dynasty calligraphy preserved in Japan.

Discover the National Treasure bokuseki (Zen calligraphy) by Mi'an Xiangjie, a revered Southern Song dynasty Chan master. This sole surviving work, housed at Ryōkōin in Kyoto's Daitoku-ji, inspired a dedicated tea room and centuries of devotion from Zen monks and tea masters alike.

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.

Discover Hyōnen-zu, a National Treasure ink painting by Josetsu at Taizō-in Temple in Kyoto's Myōshin-ji complex. Learn about this 15th-century Zen masterpiece depicting the famous riddle of catching a catfish with a gourd.

A National Treasure ink scroll at Konchi-in, Kyoto, dated 1413: an imagined valley retreat under poems by six Zen monks, Japan's oldest surviving studio painting.

Discover the Hōjō Shōhekiga at Jukō-in, Daitoku-ji Temple in Kyoto — 46 panels of National Treasure sliding door paintings by Kanō Eitoku and his father Shōei. Learn about these Momoyama-era masterpieces, their connection to Sen no Rikyū, and how to visit during special exhibitions.

Discover the Important Cultural Property "Hotei-zu" (Painting of Hotei) by Kano Masanobu, founder of the renowned Kano school, with a poetic inscription by Zen monk Keijo Shūrin. Learn about this exquisite Muromachi-period ink painting owned by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs in Kyoto.

Discover the National Treasure "Autumn Pasture with Cattle" (Akino Bokugyu-zu), a masterpiece of Southern Song Chinese painting attributed to court artist Yan Ciping. Housed at the Sen-oku Hakukokan Museum in Roppongi, Tokyo, this exquisite silk scroll once belonged to the Ashikaga Shogun's famed Higashiyama Collection.

Held at the Kyushu National Museum, this Important Cultural Property is a Yuan-dynasty Chinese tea bowl from the 13th–14th century. A rare kiln effect at the boundary of its black and brown glazes produces a silvery 'rainbow' band that gave the bowl its name. Its provenance traces back to the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa.