List of National Treasures of Japan (ancient documents)

National treasures of Japan

National Treasures are the most precious of Japan's Tangible Cultural Properties, as determined and designated by the Agency for Cultural Affairs...

" has been used in Japan to denote cultural properties

Cultural Properties of Japan

As defined by the Japanese government's Agency for Cultural Affairs, the are tangible properties and intangible properties created or developed in JapanDespite the official definition, some Cultural Properties of Japan were created in China, Korea or other...

since 1897.
The definition and the criteria have changed since the introduction of the term. These ancient documents adhere to the current definition, and have been designated National Treasures since the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties came into effect on June 9, 1951. The items are selected by the Agency for Cultural Affairs

Agency for Cultural Affairs

The is a special body of the Japanese Ministry of Education . It was set up in 1968 to promote Japanese arts and culture. As of April 2007, it is led by the Commissioner for Cultural Affairs, Tamotsu Aoki....

, a special body of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Japan)

The , also known as MEXT or Monkashō, is one of the ministries of the Japanese government.The Meiji government created the first Ministry of Education in 1871....

, based on their "especially high historical or artistic value". "Ancient documents" is one of thirteen categories of National Treasures recognized by the agency. The list presents 60 documents or sets of documents from classical to early modern Japan, from the Asuka period

Asuka period

The , was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710 , although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period...

to the Meiji period

Meiji period

The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...

. The actual number of items is more than 60 because groups of related objects have been combined into single entries. The list contains items of various type such as letters, diaries, records or catalogues, certificates, imperial decrees, testaments and maps. The documents record early Japanese government and Buddhism including early Japanese contact with China, the organization of the state and life at the Japanese imperial court. They are housed in 14 Japanese cities in temples (35), museums (13), libraries or archives (5), shrines (3), universities (2) and in private collections (2). Most entries (28) in the list are located in Kyoto

Kyoto

is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...

. The documents in this list were made predominantly with a writing brush on paper and, in many cases, present important examples of calligraphy

Calligraphy

Calligraphy is a type of visual art. It is often called the art of fancy lettering . A contemporary definition of calligraphic practice is "the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious and skillful manner"...

.

Writing was physically introduced to Japan from China in the form of inscribed artefacts at the beginning of the Christian era. Examples, some of which have been designated as archaeological National Treasures, include coins of the reign of Wang Mang

Wang Mang

Wang Mang , courtesy name Jujun , was a Han Dynasty official who seized the throne from the Liu family and founded the Xin Dynasty , ruling AD 9–23. The Han dynasty was restored after his overthrow and his rule marks the separation between the Western Han Dynasty and Eastern Han Dynasty...

(AD 8–25), a 1st century gold seal from Shikanoshima, a late 2nd century iron sword from the Tōdaijiyama burial mound

Todaijiyama Sword

Tōdaijiyama Sword, also known as Tōdaijiyama Kofun Iron Sword in Japan is an ancient iron sword excavated in Tōdaijiyama kofun in Nara Prefecture, Japan. The sword was forged in China in the 2nd century and the oldest inscribed iron sword excavated in Japan...

, the Seven-Branched Sword

Seven-Branched Sword

The Seven-Branched Sword , also known as the Seven-Pronged Sword, the Seven-Branched Knife, the Seven-Pronged Spear, Nanatsusaya no Tachi in Nihon shoki, Chiljido in Korea is a 74.9 cm long iron sword with six branch-like protrusions along the central blade originally made in Baekje Korea,...

with inscription from 369 and a large number of bronze mirrors—the oldest dating to the 3rd century. All of these artefacts originated on the continent, most likely in China. However, the written inscriptions on them may not have been recognized as writing but instead may have been mistaken for decorations by the Japanese. When the Japanese later manufactured locally copies of original Chinese mirrors, they may have continued to believe the written inscriptions to be merely decorative.

The concept of writing came to Japan from the Korean kingdom of Baekje

Baekje

Baekje or Paekche was a kingdom located in southwest Korea. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla....

in the form of classical Chinese books likely written on paper and in the form of manuscript rolls (kansubon). This probably happened at the beginning of the 5th century (around 400), and certainly during the 6th century. According to legend the scholar Wani

Wani (scholar)

Wani is a semi-legendary scholar who is said to have been offered as a tribute to Japan by Baekje of southwestern Korea during the reign of Emperor Ōjin. He used to be associated with the introduction of the Chinese writing system to Japan....

introduced the Chinese writing system as well as Confucianism

Confucianism

Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han...

to Japan. The oldest texts of Japanese origin, which show a clear understanding of the concept of writing, date to the 5th century and are—like most texts from before 700—inscriptions on stone or metal.
Examples include three archaeological National Treasures: Suda Hachiman Shrine Mirror

Suda Hachiman Shrine Mirror

The in Hashimoto, Wakayama, Japan is a National Treasure of Japan. It was cast with 48 Chinese characters around the fifth century. It is an important artifact for the research in Japanese archaeology and Old Japanese language.-Inscriptions:The mirror says...

from about the 5th century, which is a poor copy of a Chinese original, the Inariyama Sword

Inariyama Sword

The iron or was excavated at the Inariyama Kofun in 1968. Inariyama Kofun is located in Saitama Prefecture. In 1978, X-ray analysis revealed a gold-inlaid inscription that comprises more than 115 Chinese characters. This sword was described as the discovery of the century for the study of...

from 471 or 531 and the Eta Funayama burial mound sword from about the 5th century. The abrupt transition from an unfamiliarity with writing to reading and writing complicated works in a foreign language required the earliest Japanese texts be composed and read by people from the continent such as Wani. Inscriptions on both swords show Koreanisms suggesting that Korean scholars and their descendants were involved in writing activity in Japan. The Inariyama Sword is also the oldest example of man'yōgana use, a writing system

Writing system

A writing system is a symbolic system used to represent elements or statements expressible in language.-General properties:Writing systems are distinguished from other possible symbolic communication systems in that the reader must usually understand something of the associated spoken language to...

that employs Chinese character

Chinese character

Chinese characters are logograms used in the writing of Chinese and Japanese , less frequently Korean , formerly Vietnamese , or other languages...

s to represent the Japanese language

Japanese language

is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...

. Soon after the introduction of writing, scribes were appointed to the provinces to "record events and report conditions".

While writing in Japan was limited during the 5th and 6th centuries, the number of documents written locally increased in the 7th century; though most of them have been lost. By the end of the 7th century increased cultural dependence on China caused reading and writing, particularly in government and religion, to become an integral part of Japanese life. There were two major factors for this development: starting with the Taika Reforms (645–649) and continuing with the Asuka Kiyomihara Code

Asuka Kiyomihara Code

The refers to a collection of governing rules compiled and promulgated in 689, one of the first, if not the first collection of Ritsuryō laws in classical Japan...

(689) and censuses from 670 and 690, a Chinese style centralised state was formed, requiring the need for a large number of officials who were literate and educated in, among others, Confucian texts at the Daigakuryo ("University") founded under Emperor Tenchi. The second factor was the increasing popularity of Buddhism, which had been introduced to Japan in the mid-6th century and strongly promoted by Prince Shōtoku

Prince Shotoku

, also known as or , was a semi-legendary regent and a politician of the Asuka period in Japan who served under Empress Suiko. He was a son of Emperor Yōmei and his younger half-sister Princess Anahobe no Hashihito. His parents were relatives of the ruling Soga clan, and was involved in the defeat...

(574–622). The Sangyō Gisho

Sangyo Gisho

The , literally "Annotated Commentaries on the Three Sutras," is the title of three annotated commentaries on important Buddhist sutras: , , and .-Hokke Gisho:...

("Annotated Commentaries on the Three Sutras"), traditionally attributed to Prince Shōtoku, is the oldest extant Japanese text of any length. Buddhism required the study of sutras written in Chinese and the state founded a Sutra Copying Bureau (shakyōjo) before 727.Probably much before this date. The oldest Japanese books are two chronicles, Kojiki

Kojiki

is the oldest extant chronicle in Japan, dating from the early 8th century and composed by Ō no Yasumaro at the request of Empress Gemmei. The Kojiki is a collection of myths concerning the origin of the four home islands of Japan, and the Kami...

and Nihon Shoki

Nihon Shoki

The , sometimes translated as The Chronicles of Japan, is the second oldest book of classical Japanese history. It is more elaborate and detailed than the Kojiki, the oldest, and has proven to be an important tool for historians and archaeologists as it includes the most complete extant historical...

, from the early 8th century. While the phonogram orthography enjoyed increasing popularity during the 8th century, it was not yet used for longer prose. The modern kana

Kana

Kana are the syllabic Japanese scripts, as opposed to the logographic Chinese characters known in Japan as kanji and the Roman alphabet known as rōmaji...

, notably hiragana

Hiragana

is a Japanese syllabary, one basic component of the Japanese writing system, along with katakana, kanji, and the Latin alphabet . Hiragana and katakana are both kana systems, in which each character represents one mora...

and katakana

Katakana

is a Japanese syllabary, one component of the Japanese writing system along with hiragana, kanji, and in some cases the Latin alphabet . The word katakana means "fragmentary kana", as the katakana scripts are derived from components of more complex kanji. Each kana represents one mora...

were developed in the Heian period

Heian period

The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...

Statistics

Almost half of all entries in the list are located in Kyoto

Kyoto

Prefecture	City	National Treasures
Chiba Chiba Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...	Sakura Sakura, Chiba is a city located in northern Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2011, the city had an estimated population of 172,176 and a population density of 1660 persons per km². The total area was 103.59 km².-Geography:...	2
Fukuoka Fukuoka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....	Fukuoka Fukuoka, Fukuoka is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...	1
Gifu Gifu Prefecture is a prefecture located in the Chūbu region of central Japan. Its capital is the city of Gifu.Located in the center of Japan, it has long played an important part as the crossroads of Japan, connecting the east to the west through such routes as the Nakasendō...	Motosu Motosu, Gifu is a city located in the south west of Gifu Prefecture, Japan.As of July 2011, the city has an estimated population of 34,997. The total area is 374.57 km².-History:On October 28, 1891, the Mino-Owari earthquake, the largest earthquake to hit Japan, struck...	1
Kyoto Kyoto Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Kyoto.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Kyoto prefecture was known as Yamashiro....	Kyoto	28
	Miyazu Miyazu, Kyoto is a city located in Kyoto, Japan.As of May 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 21,512 with 8,360 households and the density of 127.06 persons per km². The total area is 169.31 km²....	1
Nara Nara Prefecture is a prefecture in the Kansai region on Honshū Island, Japan. The capital is the city of Nara.-History:The present-day Nara Prefecture was created in 1887, making it independent of Osaka Prefecture....	Nara Nara, Nara is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture...	3
Osaka Osaka Prefecture is a prefecture located in the Kansai region on Honshū, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Osaka. It is the center of Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area.- History :...	Kawachinagano Kawachinagano, Osaka is a city located in Osaka, Japan.As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 112,696 and the density of 1,030 persons per km². The total area is 109.61 km².The city was founded on April 1, 1954.-Claims to fame:...	1
	Shimamoto Shimamoto, Osaka is a town consisting of the entirety of Mishima District, Osaka, Japan.As of 2009, the town has an estimated population of 29,003 and a density of 1,730 persons per km². The total area is 16.78 km²....	1
Shiga Shiga Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan, which forms part of the Kansai region on Honshu Island. The capital is the city of Ōtsu.- History :Shiga was known as Ōmi Province or Gōshū before the prefectural system was established...	Ōtsu Otsu, Shiga is the capital city of Shiga, Japan. The city was founded on October 1, 1898. As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 338,629 with an average age of 40.7 years and a population density of 905.28 persons per km²...	8
Shizuoka Shizuoka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...	Makinohara Makinohara, Shizuoka is a city located in western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 48,745 and a density of 436 persons per km². The total area was 111.68 km².-Geography:...	1
Tochigi Tochigi Prefecture is a prefecture located in the Kantō region on the island of Honshū, Japan. The capital is the city of Utsunomiya.Nikkō, whose ancient Shintō shrines and Buddhist temples UNESCO has recognized by naming them a World Heritage Site, is in this prefecture...	Ōtawara Otawara, Tochigi is a city located in eastern Tochigi Prefecture, Japan which is in the northern part of the Kantō region north of Tokyo. Otawara is approximately 40 kilometers north of Utsunomiya, the capital of Tochigi, and approximately 50 km east of the historic city of Nikkō...	1
Tokyo	Tokyo	10
Wakayama Wakayama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the Kii Peninsula in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Wakayama.- History :Present-day Wakayama is mostly the western part of the province of Kii.- 1953 Wakayama Prefecture flood disaster :...	Kōya Koya, Wakayama is a town located on a plateau atop Mt. Koya in Ito District, Wakayama, Japan. The town is known as the headquarters of the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism....	1
Yamagata Yamagata Prefecture -Fruit:Yamagata Prefecture is the largest producer of cherries and pears in Japan. A large quantity of other kinds of fruits such as grapes, apples, peaches, melons, persimmons and watermelons are also produced.- Demographics :...	Yonezawa Yonezawa, Yamagata is a city located in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 91,704 and the population density of 167 persons per square kilometer...	1

PeriodOnly the oldest period is counted, if a National Treasure consists of items from more than one period.	National Treasures
Asuka period Asuka period The , was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710 , although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period...	1
Nara period Nara period The of the history of Japan covers the years from AD 710 to 794. Empress Gemmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō . Except for 5 years , when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capital of Japanese civilization until Emperor Kammu established a new capital, Nagaoka-kyō, in 784...	7
Heian period Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...	32
Tang Dynasty Tang Dynasty The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...	1
Kamakura period Kamakura period The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....	16
Yuan Dynasty Yuan Dynasty The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...	1
Nanboku-chō period	1
Momoyama period	1

Usage

The table's columns (except for Content and Images) are sortable pressing the arrows symbols. The following gives an overview of what is included in the table and how the sorting works.

Name: the name as registered in the Database of National Cultural Properties
Author: name of the author(s)
Content: information about the type of document and its content
Date: period and year; The column entries sort by year. If only a period is known, they sort by the start year of that period.
Format: principal type, technique and dimensions; The column entries sort by the main type: scroll (includes handscrolls and letters), collection (sets of items) and other (includes textiles, hanging scrolls, stone inscriptions and folding books 帖)
Present location: "building-name temple/museum/shrine-name town-name prefecture-name"; The column entries sort as "prefecture-name town-name".
Image: picture of the document or of a characteristic document in a group of documents

Treasures

Name	Authors	Content	Date	Present location
33 document boxes are attached to the nomination.		Large scale collection of documents of the Shimazu clan Shimazu clan The were the daimyō of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan.The Shimazu were identified as one of the tozama or outsider daimyō clans in contrast with the fudai or insider clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of the Tokugawa clan,The Shimazu were... covering among others politics, diplomacy, social economy and inheritance	0794Heian period Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height... to Meiji period Meiji period The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...	Historiographical Institute of the University of Tokyo, Tokyo Tokyo , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
A survey document (海部氏勘注系図) of one rolled scroll is attached to the nomination.		Oldest extant Japanese family tree	0794Heian period Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...	Kyoto Miyazu Kono Shrineprivate, Kono Shrine Kono Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Miyazu, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.-External links:... , Miyazu Miyazu, Kyoto is a city located in Kyoto, Japan.As of May 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 21,512 with 8,360 households and the density of 127.06 persons per km². The total area is 169.31 km².... , Kyoto Kyoto Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Kyoto.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Kyoto prefecture was known as Yamashiro....
	Duarte de Menezes Duarte de Menezes Dom Duarte de Menezes , was a 16th C. Portuguese nobleman and colonial officer, governor of Tangier from 1508 to 1521 and 1536 to 1539 and governor of Portuguese India from 1522 to 1524.- Background :...	Letter from Duarte de Menezes Duarte de Menezes Dom Duarte de Menezes , was a 16th C. Portuguese nobleman and colonial officer, governor of Tangier from 1508 to 1521 and 1536 to 1539 and governor of Portuguese India from 1522 to 1524.- Background :... , viceroy of Portuguese India Portuguese India The Portuguese Viceroyalty of India , later the Portuguese State of India , was the aggregate of Portugal's colonial holdings in India.The government started in 1505, six years after the discovery of a sea route to India by Vasco da Gama, with the nomination of the first Viceroy Francisco de... to daimyo Daimyo is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings... Toyotomi Hideyoshi Toyotomi Hideyoshi was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle... concerning the suppression of Christians in Japan	1588-04Azuchi-Momoyama period Azuchi-Momoyama period The came at the end of the Warring States Period in Japan, when the political unification that preceded the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate took place. It spans the years from approximately 1573 to 1603, during which time Oda Nobunaga and his successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, imposed order... , April 1588	Kyoto Kyoto Myohoin, Kyoto Kyoto is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
		Agricultural records of villages in the of Etchū Province Etchu Province was an old province in central Honshū, on the Sea of Japan side. It was sometimes called , with Echizen and Echigo Provinces. It bordered Echigo, Shinano, Hida, Kaga, and Noto provinces... . It is a valuable resource for the study of an area under the Ritsuryō Ritsuryo is the historical law system based on the philosophies of Confucianism and Chinese Legalism in Japan. The political system in accord to Ritsuryō is called "Ritsuryō-sei"... law in the 8th to 10th century.	0751Nara period Nara period The of the history of Japan covers the years from AD 710 to 794. Empress Gemmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō . Except for 5 years , when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capital of Japanese civilization until Emperor Kammu established a new capital, Nagaoka-kyō, in 784... and Heian Period Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height... , 751–901	Shiga Otsu IshiyamaderaIshiyama-dera Ishiyama-dera is a Shingon temple in Ōtsu in Japan's Shiga Prefecture. It was constructed around 762 CE, and is said to have been founded by Rōben. The temple contains a number of cultural assets... , Ōtsu Otsu, Shiga is the capital city of Shiga, Japan. The city was founded on October 1, 1898. As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 338,629 with an average age of 40.7 years and a population density of 905.28 persons per km²... , Shiga Shiga Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan, which forms part of the Kansai region on Honshu Island. The capital is the city of Ōtsu.- History :Shiga was known as Ōmi Province or Gōshū before the prefectural system was established...
	Enchin Enchin ' was a Japanese Buddhist monk the founder of the Jimon School of Tendai Buddhism, and Chief Abbot of Miidera at the foot of Mount Hiei... and others	DocumentsThe eight rolled scrolls are: , 31.2 – , 29.3 – , 29.4 – , 31.2 –, 27.8 – , 31.2 –, 30.5 – , 30 – , 30.3 – , 29.6 – surrounding Enchin Enchin ' was a Japanese Buddhist monk the founder of the Jimon School of Tendai Buddhism, and Chief Abbot of Miidera at the foot of Mount Hiei... 's trip to China (953–958) containing information on his activities as well as on Sino-Japanese relations in the mid-9th century. They are also of interest for the study of calligraphy Calligraphy Calligraphy is a type of visual art. It is often called the art of fancy lettering . A contemporary definition of calligraphic practice is "the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious and skillful manner"... .	0800Heian Period Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height... and Tang Dynasty Tang Dynasty The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire... , 9th–10th century	Tokyo Tokyo National MuseumTokyo National Museum Tokyo National Museum Established 1872, the , or TNM, is the oldest and largest museum in Japan. The museum collects, houses, and preserves a comprehensive collection of art works and archaeological objects of Asia, focusing on Japan. The museum holds over 110,000 objects, which includes 87 Japanese National Treasure... , Tokyo Tokyo , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
	Ono no Michikaze (transcription), Fujiwara Hirofumi (composer)	Letter promoting Enchin Enchin ' was a Japanese Buddhist monk the founder of the Jimon School of Tendai Buddhism, and Chief Abbot of Miidera at the foot of Mount Hiei... , the teacher of Zōmyō, abbot of Enryaku-ji Enryaku-ji thumb\|300px\|Konpon Chū-dō , Enryaku-ji's main hall is a Tendai monastery located on Mount Hiei in Ōtsu, overlooking Kyoto. It was founded during the early Heian period. The temple complex was established by Saichō , also known as Dengyō Daishi, who introduced the Tendai sect of Mahayana Buddhism... , 36 years after his death to the highest ecclesiastical rank: Great Master of the Dharma Seal (Hōin Daikashō) and granting the posthumous name: hishō Daishi	0927-12-27Heian period Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height... , December 27, 927	Tokyo Tokyo National MuseumTokyo National Museum Tokyo National Museum Established 1872, the , or TNM, is the oldest and largest museum in Japan. The museum collects, houses, and preserves a comprehensive collection of art works and archaeological objects of Asia, focusing on Japan. The museum holds over 110,000 objects, which includes 87 Japanese National Treasure... , Tokyo Tokyo , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
		A map showing a Shōen Shoen A was a field or manor in Japan. The Japanese term comes from the Tang dynasty Chinese term zhuangyuan.Shōen, from about the 8th to the late 15th century, describes any of the private, tax-free, often autonomous estates or manors whose rise undermined the political and economic power of the... or manor in the Nara period. The depicted area is about 1,100m (NS) by 700m (EW).	0750Nara period Nara period The of the history of Japan covers the years from AD 710 to 794. Empress Gemmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō . Except for 5 years , when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capital of Japanese civilization until Emperor Kammu established a new capital, Nagaoka-kyō, in 784... , second half of 8th century	National Museum of Japanese History National Museum of Japanese History The is a history museum in Sakura, Chiba, Japan.-See also:* List of National Treasures of Japan *List of National Treasures of Japan... , Sakura Sakura, Chiba is a city located in northern Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2011, the city had an estimated population of 172,176 and a population density of 1660 persons per km². The total area was 103.59 km².-Geography:... , Chiba Chiba Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...

} or List of individuals admitted into the mysteries of Shingon BuddhismA one rolled scroll imperial letter by Emperor Go-Uda

Emperor Go-Uda

Emperor Go-Uda was the 91st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession...

on the endowment of temple properties is attached to the nomination.
| Kūkai

Kukai

Kūkai , also known posthumously as , 774–835, was a Japanese monk, civil servant, scholar, poet, and artist, founder of the Shingon or "True Word" school of Buddhism. Shingon followers usually refer to him by the honorific titles of and ....

| List of people and deities who underwent the Abhiseka ritual at (now Jingo-ji

Jingo-ji

is a Buddhist temple in Kyoto. It stands on Mount Takao to the northwest of the center of the city. The temple adheres to Shingon Buddhism. Its honzon is a statue of Yakushi Nyorai, the Buddha of Healing or "Medicine Buddha"....

) in 812, presided by Kūkai
| Heian period

Heian period

, 812
|
| Jingo-ji

Jingo-ji

, Kyoto

Kyoto

|
|-
|
|
| Document containing the reason and circumstances of the establishment of Kanshin-ji temple and a list of the temple's assets from that time
| Heian period

Heian period

, September 15, 883
|
| Kanshin-ji

Kanshin-ji

is a temple in Kawachinagano, Osaka, Japan.- Cultural Properties :National Treasures*Golden Hall*Mokuzō Nyoirinkan-nonzazō*Kanshin-ji EngishizaichōImportant Cultural Properties*Shoin*Tatekakenotō*Kariteimotendō- See also :*Mount Kongō*Kongōbu-ji...

, Kawachinagano

Kawachinagano, Osaka

is a city located in Osaka, Japan.As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 112,696 and the density of 1,030 persons per km². The total area is 109.61 km².The city was founded on April 1, 1954.-Claims to fame:...

, Osaka

Osaka Prefecture

is a prefecture located in the Kansai region on Honshū, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Osaka. It is the center of Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area.- History :...

|
|-
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| Inventory of Kanzeon-ji

Kanzeon-ji

is a seventh-century Buddhist temple in Dazaifu, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Once the most important temple in Kyushu, its bell is one of the oldest in the country and has been designated a National Treasure. In 1996 the Ministry of the Environment designated its sound as one of the 100 Soundscapes...

| Heian period

Heian period

, October 1, 905
|
| Tokyo University of the Arts, Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

|
|-
| One bound registration book is attached to the nomination.
| Emperor Kameyama

Emperor Kameyama

was the 90th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1259 through 1274.-Genealogy:...

| Document on the foundation of Nanzen-ji

Nanzen-ji

, or Zuiryusan Nanzen-ji, formerly , is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan. Emperor Kameyama established it in 1291 on the site of his previous detached palace. It is also the headquarters of the Nanzen-ji branch of Rinzai Zen...

, formerly
| Kamakura period

Kamakura period

The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....

, March 5, 1299
|
| Nanzen-ji

Nanzen-ji

, Kyoto

Kyoto

|
|-
|
| Fujiwara no Teika

Fujiwara no Teika

Fujiwara no Teika , also known as Fujiwara no Sadaie or Sada-ie, was a Japanese poet, critic, calligrapher, novelist, anthologist, scribe, and scholar of the late Heian and early Kamakura periods...

| Diary in classical Chinese

Classical Chinese

Classical Chinese or Literary Chinese is a traditional style of written Chinese based on the grammar and vocabulary of ancient Chinese, making it different from any modern spoken form of Chinese...

of a visit with Emperor Go-Toba

Emperor Go-Toba

was the 82nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1183 through 1198....

and Minamoto no Michichika to
| Kamakura period

Kamakura period

The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....

, October, 1201
|
| Mitsui Memorial Museum

Mitsui Memorial Museum

The is an art museum in Tokyo's Nihonbashi district.-Collection:The museum's collection includes items used in the Japanese tea ceremony as well as Eastern antiques. The current exhibition is entitled Treasures of Tokugawa Ieyasu....

, Tokyo

Tokyo

|
|-
|
| Emperor Go-Uda

Emperor Go-Uda

Emperor Go-Uda was the 91st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession...

| Chronicle in the almanac in the emperor's own handwriting
| Kamakura period

Kamakura period

The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....

, 1319
|
| National Museum of Japanese History

National Museum of Japanese History

The is a history museum in Sakura, Chiba, Japan.-See also:* List of National Treasures of Japan *List of National Treasures of Japan...

, Sakura

Sakura, Chiba

is a city located in northern Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2011, the city had an estimated population of 172,176 and a population density of 1660 persons per km². The total area was 103.59 km².-Geography:...

, Chiba

Chiba Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...

|
|-
|
| Emperor Go-Uda

Emperor Go-Uda

Emperor Go-Uda was the 91st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession...

| Testament of Emperor Go-Uda

Emperor Go-Uda

Emperor Go-Uda was the 91st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession...

with handprints
| Kamakura period

Kamakura period

The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....

, 1308
|
| Daikaku-ji

Daikaku-ji

is a Shingon Buddhist temple in Ukyō-ku, a western ward in the city of Kyoto, Japan. The main images are of the Five Wisdom Kings, centered on Fudō. It was a villa of Emperor Saga, and later, retired Emperor Go-Uda conducted his cloistered rule from here. A school of ikebana, the Saga Goryū,...

, Kyoto

Kyoto

|
|-
|
| Emperor Go-Uda

Emperor Go-Uda

Emperor Go-Uda was the 91st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession...

| Imperial letter praying for the growth of Tō-ji

To-ji

is a Buddhist temple of the Shingon sect in Kyoto, Japan. Its name means East Temple, and it once had a partner, Sai-ji . They stood alongside the Rashomon, the gate to the Heian capital. It is formally known as which indicates that it previously functioned as a temple providing protection for the...

temple, written in the emperor's own handwriting one year after entering the priesthood
| Kamakura period

Kamakura period

The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....

, February 12, 1308
|
| Tō-ji

To-ji

, Kyoto

Kyoto

|
|-
|
| Emperor Go-Uda

Emperor Go-Uda

Emperor Go-Uda was the 91st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession...

| Three letters in the emperor's own handwriting addressed to a monk of , Daigo-ji

Daigo-ji

is a Shingon Buddhist temple in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan. Its main devotion is Yakushi. Daigo, literally "ghee," is used figuratively to mean "crème de la crème" and is a metaphor of the most profound part of Buddhist thoughts.- History :...

, with the intention of unifying the Ono (小野) and Hirosawa (広沢) branches of the Shingon

Shingon Buddhism

is one of the mainstream major schools of Japanese Buddhism and one of the few surviving Esoteric Buddhist lineages that started in the 3rd to 4th century CE that originally spread from India to China through traveling monks such as Vajrabodhi and Amoghavajra...

sect
| Kamakura period

Kamakura period

The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....

, 1309
|
| Daigo-ji

Daigo-ji

, Kyoto

Kyoto

|
|-
|
| Emperor Go-Saga

Emperor Go-Saga

Emperor Go-Saga was the 88th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession...

| Only extant letter of Emperor Go-Saga, addressed to the cloistered Prince Doshin of Ninna-ji
| Kamakura period

Kamakura period

The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....

, April 15, 1246
|
| Ninna-ji

Ninna-ji

is the head temple of the Omuro school of the Shingon Sect of Buddhism. Located in western Kyoto, Japan, it was founded in AD 888 by the retired Emperor Uda. It is part of the "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto", a UNESCO World Heritage Site.-History:...

, Kyoto

Kyoto

|
|-
|
| Emperor Go-Daigo

Emperor Go-Daigo

Emperor Go-Daigo was the 96th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession....

| Will in the emperor's own handwriting
| Kamakura period

Kamakura period

The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....

, August 24, 1333
|
| Daitoku-ji

Daitoku-ji

is a Buddhist temple, one of fourteen autonomous branches of the Rinzai school of Japanese Zen. It is located in Kita-ku, Kyoto, Japan. The "mountain name" , who is known by the title Daitō Kokushi, or "National Teacher of the Great Lamp," that he was given by Emperor Go-Daigo...

, Kyoto

Kyoto

|
|-
|
| transcription by Emperor Go-Daigo

Emperor Go-Daigo

Emperor Go-Daigo was the 96th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession....

| Certificate of highest confirmation in Esoteric Buddhism given by the priest Kūkai

Kukai

to his disciple Shinga
| Nanboku-chō period, June 16, 1339
|
| Daigo-ji

Daigo-ji

, Kyoto

Kyoto

|
|-
|
| Emperor Go-Toba

Emperor Go-Toba

was the 82nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1183 through 1198....

| Will and testament in the emperor's own handwriting with handprints
| Kamakura period

Kamakura period

The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....

, February 9, 1239
|
| Minase Shrine

Minase Shrine

is a Shinto Shrine in Shimamoto, OsakaThe Shrine is dedicated to the veneration of the kami of Emperor Go-Toba, Emperor Tsuchimikado and Emperor Juntoku. In the struggle with the Kamakura shogunate, the three historical figures are united by one common factor—each was overpowered and banished...

, Shimamoto

Shimamoto, Osaka

is a town consisting of the entirety of Mishima District, Osaka, Japan.As of 2009, the town has an estimated population of 29,003 and a density of 1,730 persons per km². The total area is 16.78 km²....

, Osaka

Osaka Prefecture

is a prefecture located in the Kansai region on Honshū, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Osaka. It is the center of Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area.- History :...

|
|-
|
| Fujiwara no Moromichi

Fujiwara no Moromichi

, son of Morozane, was a kugyo during the late Heian period. He was a head of the Fujiwara clan and served as kampaku and udaijin. He was also known as Go-nijyo dono or Nijyo-kampaku...

(also known as Go-Nijō Dono) and Fujiwara no Yorinaga

Fujiwara no Yorinaga

, of the Fujiwara clan, held the position of Imperial Palace Minister of the Right.Born in 1120, Yorinaga ascended quickly through the political ranks achieving formidable office by the age of 17...

(transcription)
| Diary of Fujiwara no Moromichi consisting of one volume in his own handwriting covering parts of the year 1093 and 29 volumes transcribed by Fujiwara no Yorinaga
| late Heian period

Heian period

, 1083–1099
|
| Yōmei Bunko, Kyoto

Kyoto

|
|-
| Attached to the nomination are an excerpt of the history of an enshrinement hall (御堂御記抄) consisting of five rolled scrolls and one hanging scroll; and an inventory of an enshrinement hall (御堂御暦記目録) consisting of one single-sheet letter.
| Fujiwara no Michinaga

Fujiwara no Michinaga

represents the highpoint of the Fujiwara regents' control over the government of Japan.-Early life:He was the fourth or fifth son of Fujiwara no Kaneie by his wife Tokihime, daughter of Fujiwara no Nakamasa...

| Diary of Fujiwara no Michinaga consisting of 14 volumes in his own handwriting and 12 other volumes. It covers the years from 998 to 1021 with interruptions.
| Heian period

Heian period

, 998–1021
|
| Yōmei Bunko, Kyoto

Kyoto

|
|-
|
|
| Catalogue of treasures and historical record of Kōryū-ji

Koryu-ji

is a Shingon temple in Uzumasa, Ukyō Ward, Kyoto, Japan. The temple is also known by the names and , and was formerly known as , and .Kōryū-ji is said to be the oldest temple in Kyoto, having been constructed in 603 by Hata no Kawakatsu upon receiving a Buddhist statue from Prince Shōtoku...

| Heian period

Heian period

|
| Kōryū-ji

Koryu-ji

, Kyoto

Kyoto

|
|-
|
|
| Authentic register of property changes of Kōryū-ji

Koryu-ji

temple
| Heian period

Heian period

|
| Kōryū-ji

Koryu-ji

, Kyoto

Kyoto

|
|-
| Attached to the nomination is a donation letter from June 21, 1341.
| Saichō

Saicho

was a Japanese Buddhist monk credited with founding the Tendai school in Japan, based around the Chinese Tiantai tradition he was exposed to during his trip to China beginning in 804. He founded the temple and headquarters of Tendai at Enryaku-ji on Mt. Hiei near Kyoto. He is also said to have...

| Catalogue of articles brought back to Japan by Kūkai

Kukai

from his trip to Tang Dynasty

Tang Dynasty

The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...

China
| Heian period

Heian period

, 9th century
|
| Tō-ji

To-ji

, Kyoto

Kyoto

|
|-
| Attached to the nomination are a donation and an escort letter.
| Kūkai

Kukai

| Three letters from Kūkai

Kukai

to Saichō

Saicho

mounted as a scroll
| Heian period

Heian period

, 9th century
|
| Tō-ji

To-ji

, Kyoto

Kyoto

|-
| Attached to the nomination is one hanging scroll of a letter by
| Emperor Takakura

Emperor Takakura

Emperor Takakura was the 80th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1168 through 1180.-Genealogy:...

| Only extant letter of Emperor Takakura
| Heian period

Heian period

, November 13, 1178
|
| Ninna-ji

Ninna-ji

, Kyoto

Kyoto

|
|-
|
| Emperor Saga

Emperor Saga

was the 52nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Saga's reign spanned the years from 809 through 823.-Traditional narrative:...

| Document in the emperor's own handwriting to the priest , after his vow to follow the precepts, certifying that Kōjō had undergone the rite known as Bosatsu-kai
| Heian period

Heian period

, April 14, 823
|
| Enryaku-ji

Enryaku-ji

thumb|300px|Konpon Chū-dō , Enryaku-ji's main hall is a Tendai monastery located on Mount Hiei in Ōtsu, overlooking Kyoto. It was founded during the early Heian period. The temple complex was established by Saichō , also known as Dengyō Daishi, who introduced the Tendai sect of Mahayana Buddhism...

, Ōtsu

Otsu, Shiga

is the capital city of Shiga, Japan. The city was founded on October 1, 1898. As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 338,629 with an average age of 40.7 years and a population density of 905.28 persons per km²...

, Shiga

Shiga Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan, which forms part of the Kansai region on Honshu Island. The capital is the city of Ōtsu.- History :Shiga was known as Ōmi Province or Gōshū before the prefectural system was established...

|
|-
|
| Emperor Hanazono

Emperor Hanazono

Emperor Hanazono was the 95th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession...

, Emperor Fushimi

Emperor Fushimi

Emperor Fushimi was the 92nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession...

, Emperor Go-Daigo

Emperor Go-Daigo

Emperor Go-Daigo was the 96th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession....

|
| Kamakura period

Kamakura period

The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....

, 13th and 14th century
|
| Maeda Ikutokukai

Maeda Ikutokukai

The foundation is a public interest corporation established on February 26, 1926 for the management and preservation of the cultural heritage of the Maeda clan, rulers of the Kaga Domain. It is located in Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo...

, Tokyo

Tokyo

|
|-
|
| Ryōgen

Ryogen

' was a chief abbot of Enryakuji in the 10th century, and the founder of the tradition of sōhei warrior monks....

(Jie Daishi)
| Written by the 61 year old priest Ryōgen

Ryogen

' was a chief abbot of Enryakuji in the 10th century, and the founder of the tradition of sōhei warrior monks....

, entrusting everything to his pupil . Contains detailed instructions on the funeral service
| Heian period

Heian period

, May, 972
|
| , Kyoto

Kyoto

|
|-
|
|
| Family register of Kuga

Kuga, Yamaguchi

was a town in Kuga District, Yamaguchi, Japan.On March 20, 2006 Kuga, along with the towns of Mikawa, Miwa, Nishiki, Shūtō and Yū, and the village of Hongō, all from Kuga District, was merged into the expanded city of Iwakuni....

, Yamaguchi

Yamaguchi Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Yamaguchi, in the center of the prefecture. The largest city, however, is Shimonoseki.- History :...

from 908
| Heian period

Heian period

, 908
|
| Ishiyama-dera

Ishiyama-dera

is a Shingon temple in Ōtsu in Japan's Shiga Prefecture. It was constructed around 762 CE, and is said to have been founded by Rōben. The temple contains a number of cultural assets...

, Ōtsu

Otsu, Shiga

, Shiga

Shiga Prefecture

|
|-
| Attached to the nomination are 325 bound books or fourteen copies of a chronological record of successive generations and three covered containers.
|
| Collection of documents handed down in the Uesugi clan

Uesugi clan

The was a Japanese samurai clan, descended from the Fujiwara clan and particularly notable for their power in the Muromachi and Sengoku periods ....

| Kamakura period

Kamakura period

The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....

– Edo period

Edo period

The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....

|
| Yonezawa City Uesugi Museum, Yonezawa

Yonezawa, Yamagata

is a city located in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 91,704 and the population density of 167 persons per square kilometer...

, Yamagata

Yamagata Prefecture

-Fruit:Yamagata Prefecture is the largest producer of cherries and pears in Japan. A large quantity of other kinds of fruits such as grapes, apples, peaches, melons, persimmons and watermelons are also produced.- Demographics :...

|
|-
|
|
| Catalogue of items offered to the temple treasures by Emperor Uda

Emperor Uda

was the 59th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Uda's reign spanned the years from 887 through 897.-Name and legacy:Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was or Chōjiin-tei....

about ten days before his death
| Heian period

Heian period

, January 10, 950
|
| Ninna-ji

Ninna-ji

, Kyoto

Kyoto

Sadaijin

, most commonly translated as "Minister of the Left", was a government position in Japan in the late Nara and Heian periods. The position was consolidated in the Taihō Code of 702. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the initial appearance of the Sadaijin in the context of a central...

Minamoto no Toshifusa in his own handwriting
| Heian period

Heian period

, 1077 and 1081
|
| Maeda Ikutokukai

Maeda Ikutokukai

, Tokyo

Tokyo

|
|-
|
| Emperor Shōmu

Emperor Shomu

was the 45th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Shōmu's reign spanned the years 724 through 723.-Traditional narrative:...

|
| Nara period

Nara period

The of the history of Japan covers the years from AD 710 to 794. Empress Gemmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō . Except for 5 years , when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capital of Japanese civilization until Emperor Kammu established a new capital, Nagaoka-kyō, in 784...

, May 20, 749
|
| , Makinohara

Makinohara, Shizuoka

is a city located in western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 48,745 and a density of 436 persons per km². The total area was 111.68 km².-Geography:...

, Shizuoka

Shizuoka Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...

|
|-
| One rolled scroll, is attached to the nomination.
| Eisai

Eisai

Myōan Eisai was a Japanese Buddhist priest, credited with bringing the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism and green tea from China to Japan. He is often known simply as Eisai Zenji , literally "Zen master Eisai"....

| Document on the origin and meaning of the Ghost Festival

Ghost Festival

The Ghost Festival, also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, is a traditional Chinese festival and holiday celebrated by Chinese in many countries...

as transmitted from Song Dynasty

Song Dynasty

The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...

China
| Heian period

Heian period

, July 15, 1178
| , ink on colored paper, 35.3 centimetre
| , Fukuoka

Fukuoka

Fukuoka most often refers to the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture.It can also refer to:-Locations:* Fukuoka, Gifu, a town in Gifu Prefecture, Japan* Fukuoka, Toyama, a town in Toyama Prefecture, Japan...

, Fukuoka

Fukuoka Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....

Kamakura period

The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....

, October 1221
|
| Sennyū-ji

Sennyu-ji

, formerly written as , is a Buddhist temple in Higashiyama-ku in Kyoto, Japan. For centuries, Sennyū-ji was a mortuary temple for aristocrats and the imperial house. Located here are the official tombs of Emperor Shijō and many of the emperors who came after him....

, Kyoto

Kyoto

|
|-
|
| Kūkai

Kukai

| Document accompanying the present of four Tanuki

Tanuki

is the common Japanese name for the Japanese raccoon dog . They have been part of Japanese folklore since ancient times...

hair writing brushes to Emperor Saga

Emperor Saga

was the 52nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Saga's reign spanned the years from 809 through 823.-Traditional narrative:...

. According to this document, the brushes were meant to be used for regular

Regular script

Regular script , also called 正楷 , 真書 , 楷体 and 正書 , is the newest of the Chinese script styles Regular script , also called 正楷 , 真書 (zhēnshū), 楷体 (kǎitǐ) and 正書 (zhèngshū), is the newest of the Chinese script styles Regular script , also called 正楷 , 真書 (zhēnshū), 楷体 (kǎitǐ) and 正書 (zhèngshū), is...

, semi-cursive

Semi-cursive script

Semi-cursive script is a cursive style of Chinese characters. Because it is not as abbreviated as cursive, most people who can read regular script can read semi-cursive....

, cursive script

Cursive script (East Asia)

Cursive script , sometimes translated as Grass script is a style of Chinese calligraphy. Cursive script is faster to write than other styles, but difficult to read for those unfamiliar with it. It functions primarily as a kind of shorthand script or calligraphic style...

and for the hand-copying of sutras respectively.
| Heian period

Heian period

|
| Daigo-ji

Daigo-ji

, Kyoto

Kyoto

|
|-
|

|
| Various documents

Six documents related to his secular surname (family tree) and priestly rank
Five documents related to his trip to China (peaceful prayer and correspondence)
Five catalogues of sacred books and sutras obteined in China
Ten documents related to teaching Buddhism
Eight sacred books collected in China
Three documents in his own handwriting
Nine dated and signed messages

| Tang Dynasty

Tang Dynasty

, Heian period

Heian period

|
| Mii-dera

Mii-dera

', formally called ', is a Buddhist temple located at the foot of Mount Hiei, in the city of Ōtsu, in Shiga Prefecture. It is only a short distance from both Kyoto, and Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake. The head temple of the Tendai Jimon sect, it is something of a sister temple to Enryakuji, at...

, Ōtsu

Otsu, Shiga

, Shiga

Shiga Prefecture

|
|-
|
|
| Letter addressed to the Imperial Court wishing for an increase of the number of people allowed to enter the priesthood from 10 to 12 per year due to the establishment of Tendai

Tendai

is a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism, a descendant of the Chinese Tiantai or Lotus Sutra school.Chappell frames the relevance of Tendai for a universal Buddhism:- History :...

Buddhism
| Heian period

Heian period

, 9th century
|
| Enryaku-ji

Enryaku-ji

, Ōtsu

Otsu, Shiga

, Shiga

Shiga Prefecture

|
|-
|
| Saichō

Saicho

| Catalogue of sacred books brought back by Saichō

Saicho

from Tang Dynasty

Tang Dynasty

China
| Heian period

Heian period

, May 13, 805
|
| Enryaku-ji

Enryaku-ji

, Ōtsu

Otsu, Shiga

, Shiga

Shiga Prefecture

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|-
|
|
| Three letters on Saichō

Saicho

entering priesthood and his vow to follow the precepts
| Nara period

Nara period

, 780–783
|
| , Kyoto

Kyoto

(Sakyō-ku

Sakyo-ku, Kyoto

is one of the eleven wards in the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. It was created in 1929 when it was split off from Kamigyo-ku.It is located in the north-east corner of Kyoto city. In the east it borders the city of Ōtsu in Shiga Prefecture. In the south Sanjō Street separates it from...

)
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|-
|
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| Tang Dynasty

Tang Dynasty

passing permits for Saichō

Saicho

: from Ningbo

Ningbo

Ningbo is a seaport city of northeastern Zhejiang province, Eastern China. Holding sub-provincial administrative status, the municipality has a population of 7,605,700 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 3,089,180 in the built up area made of 6 urban districts. It lies south of the Hangzhou Bay,...

in 804 and from Taizhou

Taizhou, Zhejiang

Taizhou is a prefecture-level city in middle eastern Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China...

in 805
| Tang Dynasty

Tang Dynasty

, September 12, 804 and February 805
|
| Enryaku-ji

Enryaku-ji

, Ōtsu

Otsu, Shiga

, Shiga

Shiga Prefecture

|
|-
|
| Saichō

Saicho

| Letter known as from Saichō

Saicho

to , his favourite student at (now Jingo-ji

Jingo-ji

)
| Heian period

Heian period

, November 25, 813
|
| Nara National Museum

Nara National Museum

The is one of the pre-eminent national art museums in Japan.-Introduction:The Nara National Museum is located in Nara, which was the capital of Japan from 710 to 784. Katayama Tōkuma designed the original building, which is a representative Western-style building of the Meiji period and has been...

, Nara

Nara, Nara

is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture...

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|-
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| attributed to Fujiwara no Yukinari

Fujiwara no Yukinari

was a Japanese calligrapher during the Heian period. He was memorialized for his prowess in his chosen art by being remembered as one of the outstanding Three Brush Traces , along with Ono no Michikaze and Fujiwara no Sukemasa.-Life:...

| Letter valued for its continuous unbroken calligraphy

Calligraphy

| Heian period

Heian period

, 10th–11th century
|
| , Kyoto

Kyoto

|
|-
| Attached to the nomination are 94 document boxes donated by Maeda Tsunanori

Maeda Tsunanori

was a Japanese daimyo of the early Edo period who ruled the Kaga Domain....

in 1685.
|
| Huge collection of documents covering a lot of ground starting from Shōen

Shoen

A was a field or manor in Japan. The Japanese term comes from the Tang dynasty Chinese term zhuangyuan.Shōen, from about the 8th to the late 15th century, describes any of the private, tax-free, often autonomous estates or manors whose rise undermined the political and economic power of the...

or manor related documents and including documents on the economic history and the history of Buddhism
| 8th century Nara period

Nara period

– late Edo period

Edo period

The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....

|
| , Kyoto

Kyoto

Heian period

– Muromachi period

Muromachi period

The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate, which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi shogun, Ashikaga Takauji, two years after the brief Kemmu restoration of imperial...

|
| Tōdai-ji

Todai-ji

, is a Buddhist temple complex located in the city of Nara, Japan. Its Great Buddha Hall , the largest wooden building in the world, houses the world's largest bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana, known in Japanese simply as Daibutsu . The temple also serves as the Japanese headquarters of the ...

, Nara

Nara, Nara

is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture...

|
|-
| or Attached to the nomination is one hanging scroll by Konoe Iehiro

Konoe Iehiro

, son of regent Motohiro, was a kugyō or Japanese court noble of the Edo period . He held a regent position kampaku from 1707 to 1709 and from 1709 to 1712.A daughter of Emperor Reigen was his consort with whom he had children, among others:...

.
|
| Written from Shimonoseki on the way to Kyushu

Kyushu

is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....

where Sasaki had been appointed (Assistant secretary of Dazaifu Province). Addressed to .
| Heian period

Heian period

, 991
|
| Hatakeyama Memorial Museum of Fine Art

Hatakeyama Memorial Museum of Fine Art

The is a private museum in Tokyo, Japan centered around tea utensils. It holds old Japanese, Chinese and Korean works of art such as paintings, calligraphic writings, pottery, lacquer items and Noh costumes. Of the circa 1300 objects in the collection, 6 are National Treasures and 32 have been...

, Tokyo

Tokyo

|
|-
|
| Fujiwara no Tadamichi

Fujiwara no Tadamichi

was the eldest son of the Japanese regent Fujiwara no Tadazane and a member of the politically powerful Fujiwara clan. He was the father of Fujiwara no Kanefusa and Jien.In the Hōgen Rebellion of 1156, Tadamichi sided with the Emperor Go-Shirakawa....

| Collection of 25 letters composed as a style manual for letter writing
| Heian period

Heian period

, 12th century
|
| Kyoto National Museum

Kyoto National Museum

The is one of the three formerly imperially-mandated art museums in Japan. The museum is located in Higashiyama Ward in Kyoto. The collections of the Kyoto National Museum focus on pre-modern Japanese and Asian art....

, Kyoto

Kyoto

|
|-
|
|
| Granite stone monument in remembrance of Atai Ide, governor of Nasu, consisting of a standing main stone with a hat stone. The main stone bears a calligraphic

Japanese calligraphy

is a form of calligraphy, or artistic writing, of the Japanese language. For a long time, the most esteemed calligrapher in Japan had been Wang Xizhi, a Chinese calligrapher in the 4th century but after the invention of Hiragana and Katakana, the Japanese unique syllabaries, the distinctive...

inscription (8 lines of 19 characters) which is influenced by the Northern Wei

Northern Wei

The Northern Wei Dynasty , also known as the Tuoba Wei , Later Wei , or Yuan Wei , was a dynasty which ruled northern China from 386 to 534 . It has been described as "part of an era of political turbulence and intense social and cultural change"...

robust style.
| Asuka period

Asuka period

The , was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710 , although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period...

, end of the 7th century
|
| , Ōtawara

Otawara, Tochigi

is a city located in eastern Tochigi Prefecture, Japan which is in the northern part of the Kantō region north of Tokyo. Otawara is approximately 40 kilometers north of Utsunomiya, the capital of Tochigi, and approximately 50 km east of the historic city of Nikkō...

, Tochigi

Tochigi Prefecture

is a prefecture located in the Kantō region on the island of Honshū, Japan. The capital is the city of Utsunomiya.Nikkō, whose ancient Shintō shrines and Buddhist temples UNESCO has recognized by naming them a World Heritage Site, is in this prefecture...

|
|-
|
| (transcription of the original by Ennin

Ennin

Ennin , who is better known in Japan by his posthumous name, Jikaku Daishi , was a priest of the Tendai school.- Birth and origin :...

)
| Transcription of the 9th century original (lost) by Kanetane, a monk at , Kyoto

Kyoto

| Kamakura period

Kamakura period

The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....

, October 26, 1291 (post scriptum)
|
| private , Motosu

Motosu, Gifu

is a city located in the south west of Gifu Prefecture, Japan.As of July 2011, the city has an estimated population of 34,997. The total area is 374.57 km².-History:On October 28, 1891, the Mino-Owari earthquake, the largest earthquake to hit Japan, struck...

, Gifu

Gifu Prefecture

is a prefecture located in the Chūbu region of central Japan. Its capital is the city of Gifu.Located in the center of Japan, it has long played an important part as the crossroads of Japan, connecting the east to the west through such routes as the Nakasendō...

Kamakura period

The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....

, March 22, 1227
|
| Sennyū-ji

Sennyu-ji

, Kyoto

Kyoto

|
|-
|
| (1131–1195)
| Document requesting the restoration of Jingo-ji

Jingo-ji

temple from Emperor Go-Shirakawa

Emperor Go-Shirakawa

Emperor Go-Shirakawa was the 77th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession...

| early Kamakura period

Kamakura period

The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....

, before 1192
|
| Jingo-ji

Jingo-ji

, Kyoto

Kyoto

|
|-
| , ,
|
| Documents on the history, territory, function, etc. of Mount Kōya

Mount Koya

is the name of mountains in Wakayama Prefecture to the south of Osaka. Also, Kōya-san is a modifying word for Kongōbuji . There is no one mountain officially called Kōya-san in Japan....

including letters by Minamoto no Yoritomo

Minamoto no Yoritomo

was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan. He ruled from 1192 until 1199.-Early life and exile :Yoritomo was the third son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, heir of the Minamoto clan, and his official wife, a daughter of Fujiwara no Suenori, who was a member of the...

, Minamoto no Yoshitsune

Minamoto no Yoshitsune

was a general of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian and early Kamakura period. Yoshitsune was the ninth son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, and the third and final son and child that Yoshitomo would father with Tokiwa Gozen. Yoshitsune's older brother Minamoto no Yoritomo founded the Kamakura...

and Saigyō Hōshi
| Heian period

Heian period

– Azuchi-Momoyama period

Azuchi-Momoyama period

The came at the end of the Warring States Period in Japan, when the political unification that preceded the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate took place. It spans the years from approximately 1573 to 1603, during which time Oda Nobunaga and his successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, imposed order...

|
| Kongōbu-ji

Kongobu-ji

Kongōbuji is the ecclesiastic head temple of Koyasan Shingon Buddhism, located on , Wakayama prefecture, Japan. Its name means Temple of the Diamond Mountain...

, Kōya

Koya, Wakayama

is a town located on a plateau atop Mt. Koya in Ito District, Wakayama, Japan. The town is known as the headquarters of the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism....

, Wakayama

Wakayama Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located on the Kii Peninsula in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Wakayama.- History :Present-day Wakayama is mostly the western part of the province of Kii.- 1953 Wakayama Prefecture flood disaster :...

|
|-
|
| Fujiwara Nakamaro, Fujiwara Nagate, Koma Fukushin, Kamo Tsunotari and Kazuragi Henushi
| Record of the objects bequeathed to the Hōryū-ji

Hōryū-ji

is a Buddhist temple in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Its full name is Hōryū Gakumonji , or Learning Temple of the Flourishing Law, the complex serving as seminary and monastery both....

temple by Empress Kōken

Empress Koken

, also known as , was the 46th and the 48th emperor of Japan respectively, according to the traditional order of succession. Empress Kōken first reigned from 749 to 758, then she reascended the throne as Empress Shōtoku from 765 until her death in 770....

on occasion of the death of Emperor Shōmu

Emperor Shomu

was the 45th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Shōmu's reign spanned the years 724 through 723.-Traditional narrative:...

| Nara period

Nara period

, July 8, 756
|
| Tokyo National Museum

Tokyo National Museum

Established 1872, the , or TNM, is the oldest and largest museum in Japan. The museum collects, houses, and preserves a comprehensive collection of art works and archaeological objects of Asia, focusing on Japan. The museum holds over 110,000 objects, which includes 87 Japanese National Treasure...

, Tokyo

Tokyo

|
|-
| Attached to the nomination are one scroll of a supplementary manuscript, and 10 pages of the former binding mounted on one rolled scroll.
| Fujiwara no Teika

Fujiwara no Teika

Fujiwara no Teika , also known as Fujiwara no Sadaie or Sada-ie, was a Japanese poet, critic, calligrapher, novelist, anthologist, scribe, and scholar of the late Heian and early Kamakura periods...

| Comprehensive diary in classical Chinese

Classical Chinese

Classical Chinese or Literary Chinese is a traditional style of written Chinese based on the grammar and vocabulary of ancient Chinese, making it different from any modern spoken form of Chinese...

, covering the life of the author from age 18 to his death.
| Kamakura Period

Kamakura period

The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....

, ca. 1180–1241
|
| , Kyoto

Kyoto

Daigo-ji

Rigen Daishi
| Heian period

Heian period

, June 2, 907
|
| Daigo-ji

Daigo-ji

, Kyoto

Kyoto

|
|-
|
| Saichō

Saicho

| An inventory of 66 items that Saichō brought back from China and stored at Hiezan

Enryaku-ji

in 805
| Heian period

Heian period

, July 17, 811
|
| Enryaku-ji

Enryaku-ji

, Ōtsu

Otsu, Shiga

, Shiga

Shiga Prefecture

|
|-
|
| Zhao Mengfu

Zhao Mengfu

Zhao Mengfu courtesy name Ziang , pseudonyms Songxue , Oubo , and Shuijing-gong Dao-ren , was a prince and descendant of the Song Dynasty, and a Chinese scholar, painter and calligrapher during the Yuan Dynasty.He was recommended by the Censor-in-chief Cheng Jufu to pay an audience...

| Letters to the priest Zhongfeng Mingben (Chung Feng Ming Pen) in the style of Wang Xizhi

Wang Xizhi

Wang Xizhi was a Chinese calligrapher, traditionally referred to as the Sage of Calligraphy , who lived during the Jin Dynasty...

expressing Zhao Mengfu's deep love and respect to Zhongfeng
| Yuan Dynasty

Yuan Dynasty

The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...

, 14th century
|
| Seikadō Bunko Art Museum

Seikadō Bunko Art Museum

is a museum of East Asian art in Setagaya, Tokyo.-History:The core collection of the museum was created by Yanosuke Iwasaki , the second president of Mitsubishi in its earliest form. "Seikado" was the studio-name of this corporate leader....

, Tokyo

Tokyo

|
|-
|
|
| Map of rice fields in Naruto (today central Takaoka

Takaoka, Toyama

is a city situated in the northwest of Toyama Prefecture, Japan, and is the central city of its Western District. Takaoka covers the 8th largest surface area in Toyama prefecture and has the second largest population after Toyama City...

), a former manor of Tōdai-ji

Todai-ji

. The map had been in the possession of Tōdai-ji.
| Nara period

Nara period

, 759
|
| Nara National Museum

Nara National Museum

, Nara

Nara, Nara

is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture...

, Nara

Nara Prefecture

is a prefecture in the Kansai region on Honshū Island, Japan. The capital is the city of Nara.-History:The present-day Nara Prefecture was created in 1887, making it independent of Osaka Prefecture....

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|}