Muromachi

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 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 Kuwanomi-ji Temple Main Hall, a nationally designated Important Cultural Property from the early Muromachi period. Explore its elegant cypress bark architecture, healing Buddha legend, and rich connection to samurai history in Shiga Prefecture.

The Main Hall of Ikuwa Shrine in Yasu City, Shiga Prefecture, is an Important Cultural Property dating from the early Muromachi period (c. 1333–1392). Built in the ichikensha nagare-zukuri style with a hinoki cypress bark roof, it enshrines Fujiwara no Tadashige, a legendary lord who slew a great serpent and reclaimed marshland for the local community. The shrine grounds also house the Kamakura-period Kasuga Shrine subsidiary hall, another Important Cultural Property.

The honden of Isasa Shrine, located along the old Nakasendo highway in Kusatsu City, Shiga Prefecture, is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property built in 1468 during the Muromachi period. This elegant single-bay flowing-gable structure with a hinoki bark roof features exquisite openwork carvings and is just an eight-minute walk from JR Kusatsu Station.

Built in 1347 as Onjō-ji's main hall beside Lake Biwa, it was carried up Mount Hiei by Hideyoshi in 1595 and is now Enryaku-ji's oldest surviving building.

Oisugi Shrine Main Hall in Kusatsu, Shiga, is a 1452 nagare-zukuri hall with painted carvings, designated in 1906, and host to the UNESCO Sanyare Odori.

The 1427 Main Hall of Shinohara Shrine in Yasu, Shiga, stands beside a National Treasure. This Important Cultural Property is nicknamed the Rice-Cake Shrine.

Discover the Main Hall of Ozu Shrine in Moriyama, Shiga Prefecture—a nationally designated Important Cultural Property dating from the late Muromachi period. Explore its elegant cypress-bark roof, one of Japan's three great deity statues, and the vibrant Naginata Festival held every May 5.

Oda Shrine's two-story Romon Gate in Omihachiman, Shiga, is a 14th-century Important Cultural Property, its cypress-bark roof and Muromachi form intact.

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.

The main hall of Jishu Shrine in Katsuragawa, Otsu, is the only three-bay Kasuga-style shrine in Shiga. Rebuilt in 1502, it guards the Tendai temple of Myoo-in.

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.

Discover the Shingu Shrine Front Gate (Shingu Jinja Omote-mon), a nationally designated Important Cultural Property built in 1485 in Koka City, Shiga Prefecture. This thatched-roof gate with exquisite Muromachi-period carvings stands at the heart of Japan Heritage ninja country.

Discover the Main Hall of Shingu Shrine in Kusatsu, Shiga — an Important Cultural Property built in 1523. Admire its rare karahafu gable, exquisite kaerumata carvings, and a relocated Zeze Castle gate along the historic Tokaido highway.

Sekishin-ji's main hall in Kusatsu, rebuilt around 1359, blends Japanese and Zen styles. It stands at Yabase, the Lake Biwa port behind the proverb isogaba maware.

Discover the National Treasure main hall of Zensuiji Temple in Konan, Shiga Prefecture. This 14th-century Tendai Buddhist temple houses over 30 Buddhist statues, sacred healing water, and stunning autumn foliage as part of the Konan Sanzan temple trio.

Discover the Sōkenji Three-Story Pagoda, an Important Cultural Property of Japan built in 1454 and relocated by Oda Nobunaga to Azuchi Castle. Explore its Muromachi-period architecture, rich history, and stunning hilltop setting overlooking Lake Biwa.

The Main Hall of Daigyoji Shrine, located within the grounds of Enkoji Temple in Kunobe, Yasu City, Shiga Prefecture, is a mid-Muromachi period (c. 1466) shrine built in the ikkensha nagare-zukuri style with a hinoki cypress bark roof. Designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1943, this exquisite structure features refined transom carvings and ornamental panels. Together with Enkoji Temple's own Important Cultural Properties, the site offers a rare glimpse into the medieval tradition of shinbutsu-shūgō, the harmonious coexistence of Shinto and Buddhist worship.