Meiji

A Southern Song tea bowl in Tokyo, known as the Inaba Tenmoku. Another bowl of the very same name here was listed on exactly the same day as this one.

A Southern Song-period silk painting of a quail bearing the "Zakkashitsu-in" connoisseurship seal of Shogun Ashikaga Yoshinori, this Important Cultural Property descends from the celebrated Higashiyama lineage of Chinese paintings cherished by the Ashikaga shogunal house, and is privately preserved in Tokyo as a quiet witness to Japan's medieval engagement with classical Chinese art.

Discover the Pigeon on a Peach Branch (Momohato-zu), a Japanese National Treasure attributed to Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song Dynasty. This exquisite silk painting from 1107 showcases the boneless (mokkotsu) technique, Slender Gold calligraphy, and a provenance tracing back to Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.

Held by the Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tsushin Zenran (320 volumes) and Zoku Tsushin Zenran (1,784 volumes) form Japan's first systematic compilation of diplomatic records. Covering the turbulent decade from 1859 to 1868, these approximately 2,000 volumes contain primary documents on Perry's arrival, the Namamugi Incident, and other pivotal Bakumatsu events. Designated an Important Cultural Property in 2016, related materials can be viewed free of charge at the Exhibition Room on the 5th floor of Mori JP Tower in Azabudai Hills, Tokyo.

Self-taught photographer Yokoyama Matsusaburo learned his craft to portray his mother. These 83 objects, kept by one Hakodate family, survive from early Meiji Japan.

Calligraphy by the Southern Song Chan master Xutang Zhiyu on wax-coated paper, an Important Cultural Property prized as a tea-room scroll, privately held in Tokyo.

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.

Standing in Tokyo's Kita Ward, the Former Brewing Experiment Station No. 1 Factory is a magnificent 1904 brick building that became the cradle of modern Japanese sake. Designed by Tsumaki Yorinaka, one of the three great architects of the Meiji era, the building drew inspiration from German breweries and incorporated cutting-edge technology including cavity walls, vaulted ceilings, and a rare white glazed-brick koji room. Designated a Nationally Important Cultural Property in 2014, this striking red-brick complex—commonly known as the Akarenga Sake Brewery—offers a vivid window into Japan's Meiji-era industrial heritage.

Built in 1910 as the Imperial Guards command office, this Kitanomaru Park landmark is a rare Meiji brick survivor and a scene of the 1945 surrender-night coup.

The Former Western-style Rest House within Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is an Important Cultural Property built in 1896 as a resting place for the Imperial family during visits to the garden's greenhouses. Designed by the Imperial Household Ministry's Construction Bureau in the American Stick Style, this elegant single-story wooden building is the sole surviving imperial garden facility from the Meiji and Taisho periods. Reopened to the public in December 2024 after renovation.

Made in 1878 at a government works and moved to Fukagawa in 1929, this 15.2-metre bridge pairs a cast iron arch with wrought iron ties, unique among survivors.

Built in 1890 in Ueno Park, Tokyo, and designated an Important Cultural Property in 1988, this wooden hall still houses Japan's oldest concert pipe organ.

Discover the State Guest House Akasaka Palace, Japan's sole Neo-Baroque palace and first modern National Treasure. Explore its stunning Meiji-era architecture, lavish state rooms with cloisonné art, and beautiful gardens in central Tokyo.

Discover Nihonbashi, Tokyo's historic stone bridge and designated Important Cultural Property. Learn about its Edo-period origins, Renaissance-style architecture, mythical kirin statues, and the exciting expressway removal project restoring blue skies by 2040.

Standing to the left of the Tokyo National Museum's Main Building, the Hyokeikan is a Neo-Baroque Important Cultural Property completed in 1908. Designed under Katayama Tokuma and funded entirely by public donations to celebrate Emperor Taisho's wedding, it was Japan's first full-scale art museum. Verdigris domes, a-un lion statues, and a sixteen-pointed star mosaic floor of French marble showcase the finest Meiji-era Western architecture.

Cast in 1878 by the Ministry of Industry's Akabane Works, the Iron Gate of Myōhō-ji Temple in Suginami, Tokyo is a rare nationally Important Cultural Property that fuses Japanese tradition with Western design—a poetic monument to Japan's industrial awakening.

Standing quietly on the Meiji Gakuin campus in Tokyo's Shirokanedai, Imbrie Hall is the oldest surviving missionary residence in the city. Completed around 1889, this two-story wooden house reflects American Gothic Revival style and was designated a National Important Cultural Property in 1998. Alongside the Memorial Hall and Chapel, it forms a rare Meiji-era architectural ensemble, seven minutes on foot from Shirokanedai Station. The exterior can be viewed freely.

Built at Glasgow in 1874, the Meiji Maru is the only iron ship left in Japan and the first vessel listed as an Important Cultural Property. Entry is free.

A small dozo tool store beside the Isego rice shop in Sengoku, Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo, registered in 2003. Mortar render scored into stone-like joints gives it weight.

An early Meiji rice shop in Sengoku, Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo, registered in 2003. Low dashigeta eaves and lattice windows survive, and the family still sells rice here.