National Treasures of Shiga

Discover Hikone Castle, one of Japan's five national treasure castles. Experience authentic samurai architecture, beautiful gardens, and 400 years of history on the shores of Lake Biwa.

Explore the 7th-century Sūfukuji Temple reliquary treasures at Kyoto National Museum - nested gold and silver containers with Buddha's relics that reveal Emperor Tenji's lost capital and early Japanese Buddhism's international connections.

Experience Japan's most sacred Buddhist temple where an eternal flame has burned since 788 CE. Konpon Chudo at Enryaku-ji offers visitors unique architecture, stunning mountain views, and a rare glimpse into traditional restoration crafts during its historic renovation project through 2031.

Discover Ōsasahara Shrine's National Treasure main hall in Yasu, Shiga Prefecture. Built in 1414, this masterpiece of Muromachi-period architecture features exquisite Higashiyama-culture carvings and a serene atmosphere far from the tourist crowds.

Discover Onjoji Kondo, a National Treasure rebuilt in 1599 by Kitamandokoro. This architectural marvel near Lake Biwa showcases Momoyama period elegance with its cypress bark roof and traditional Tendai Buddhist design.

Discover the magnificent Shinra Zenshin-do Hall, a 14th-century National Treasure showcasing classic nagare-zukuri architecture. Learn about its connection to samurai history and how to visit this hidden gem near Lake Biwa.

Discover the Kangakuin Guest Hall, a 1600 National Treasure featuring magnificent Kano Mitsunobu paintings and early shoin-style architecture. Learn about special viewing, access from Kyoto, and Lake Biwa attractions.

Experience the 13th-century National Treasure Rokudo-e paintings at Shojuraigo-ji Temple in Otsu. These 15 silk scrolls depicting Buddhist cosmology offer unique insights into medieval Japanese spirituality, just 30 minutes from Kyoto.

Discover the Hōsōge Maki-e Kyōbako, a National Treasure of Japan from the Heian period. This exquisite lacquered sutra box at Enryaku-ji Temple showcases the pinnacle of togidashi maki-e craftsmanship with gold and silver arabesque designs.

Explore Japan's National Treasure Rokusoenen-den, an 803 CE Tang Dynasty manuscript at Enryaku-ji Temple. Learn about Huineng's revolutionary Zen teachings and plan your visit to Mount Hiei's UNESCO World Heritage site.

Discover Gobu Shinkan, a rare National Treasure scroll of esoteric Buddhist iconography preserved at Miidera Temple in Shiga. This 9th-century Tang Dynasty masterpiece features stunning ink drawings of Vajradhatu deities, brought from China by the monk Enchin in 855.

A National Treasure cast in 858 on Mt. Hiei, this bell bears a dated mirror-script inscription and is Japan's sixth oldest dated bell, now at the Sagawa Art Museum.

Built in 1194 through the patronage of Minamoto no Yoritomo, the Tahōtō of Ishiyama-dera in Ōtsu is the oldest two-storied pagoda in Japan whose date of construction can be firmly confirmed. Its perfectly balanced form — a square lower story and a circular upper story — has earned it a place among Japan's Three Famous Pagodas, and it is a designated National Treasure. Inside are a seated statue of Dainichi Nyorai by the great sculptor Kaikei and early Kamakura pillar paintings.

The Main Hall of Ishiyamadera in Ōtsu, Shiga, is the oldest wooden building in the prefecture — a National Treasure uniting a 1096 inner sanctum with a cliff-hanging outer hall donated by Yodo-dono in 1602. Built on a natural-monument wollastonite outcrop, it preserves the Genji-no-Ma chamber where Murasaki Shikibu is said to have conceived The Tale of Genji, and remains a living icon of Japanese literary and Buddhist heritage.

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.

Discover Kongōrinji Main Hall (Daihikaku), a National Treasure and masterpiece of Kamakura-era Japanese architecture nestled in the mountains of Aisho, Shiga. One of the Koto Sanzan temples, it offers breathtaking autumn foliage, historic gardens, and centuries of Buddhist heritage.

Discover the Saimyoji Three-Story Pagoda, a National Treasure in Shiga Prefecture's Koto Sanzan temple complex. This Kamakura-period masterpiece features exquisite cypress-bark roofing and rare polychrome Buddhist murals that have survived over 700 years.

Explore the Saimyoji Main Hall, a Kamakura-period masterpiece and one of Japan's first National Treasures. Nestled in Shiga's Koto Sanzan mountains, this nail-free cypress temple offers ancient Buddhist art, stunning gardens, and spectacular autumn foliage.

Discover the Jorakuji Three-Story Pagoda, a National Treasure built in 1400 in Konan City, Shiga Prefecture. Explore this masterpiece of Muromachi-period pure Japanese-style architecture, part of the Konan Sanzan temple trio near Lake Biwa.

The Main Hall of Jorakuji Temple in Konan City, Shiga Prefecture, is a National Treasure rebuilt in 1360. This magnificent Nanbokucho-period structure houses Important Cultural Property statues including the Thousand-Armed Kannon and Twenty-Eight Guardian Deities, alongside a National Treasure three-story pagoda amid spectacular autumn foliage.

Shiga’s registered properties across designations, with featured heritage and travel notes.

The complete kokuhō catalogue — browse by prefecture, period, and category.

Nationwide jūyō bunkazai — architecture, sculpture, painting, crafts, and documents.