Shōsōin

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Shōsōin
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Shōsōin

Shōsōin, or treasure houses, are sections of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines used to house collections of Japanese art. Although locations range from northern Honshū to Kyūshū, the largest number of these treasure houses are in the Kansai region in the Kyoto-Nara-Osaka area.

While these collections are not open to the public, selections from the Nara National Museum are shown once a year in autumn.

The following shôsôin in Nara have notable collections:

The Hōryū-ji Treasure House houses famous Buddhist sculptures, which date from the Asuka period through the Kamakura period. Among the objects are the Kudara Kannon and the Tamamushi Shrine.

The Kōfuku-ji Treasure House has sculpture dating from the 7th century through the Kamakura period. There are pieces attributed to Kamakura sculptors such as Jōkei, Unkei, and Kōben.

In addition, temples on Mount Koya in Wakayama Prefecture preserves and displays objects in its Kōyasan Treasure House.

The following shôsôin in Kyoto have notable collections:

  • Daigoji Treasure House - opened in 1935
  • Kōryūji Treasure House - opened in 1922
  • Chion'in Treasure House

The Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima in the Inland Sea had a treasure house as early as 1896. This shōsōin housed Heian and Kamakura armor and Noh masks.

The Kamakura National Treasure House also holds a fine collection of Japanese art and sculpture.

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