List of National Treasures of Japan (ancient documents)
Last updated
Part of the ordination certificate of Enchin from 833
The term "National Treasure" has been used in Japan to denote cultural properties since 1897.[1][2] 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 June9, 1951. The items are selected by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, a special body of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, based on their "especially high historical or artistic value".[3][4] "Ancient documents" is one of thirteen categories of National Treasures recognized by the agency. The list presents 63 documents or sets of documents from classical to early modern Japan, from the Asuka period to the Meiji period. The actual number of items is more than 63 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 (6), shrines (4), universities (2) and in private collections (2). Most entries (28) in the list are located in Kyoto. The documents in this list were made predominantly with a writing brush on paper and, in many cases, present important examples of calligraphy.[4]
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 (AD 8–25), a 1st-century gold seal from Shikanoshima, a late 2nd century iron sword from the Tōdaijiyama burial mound, the Seven-Branched Sword with inscription from 369 and a large number of bronze mirrors—the oldest dating to the 3rd century.[5][6][7] 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.[5] When the Japanese later manufactured locally copies of original Chinese mirrors, they may have continued to believe the written inscriptions to be merely decorative.[8][9]
The concept of writing came to Japan from the Korean kingdom of Baekje in the form of classical Chinese books likely written on paper and in the form of manuscript rolls (kansubon).[5][10] This probably happened at the beginning of the 5th century (around 400), and certainly during the 6th century.[10][11] According to legend the scholar Wani introduced the Chinese writing system as well as Confucianism to Japan.[10] 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.[12] Examples include three archaeological National Treasures: Suda Hachiman Shrine Mirror from about the 5th century, which is a poor copy of a Chinese original, the Inariyama Sword from 471 or 531 and the Eta Funayama burial mound sword from about the 5th century.[13][14] 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.[10] The Inariyama Sword is also the oldest example of man'yōgana use, a writing system that employs Chinese characters to represent the Japanese language.[15] Soon after the introduction of writing, scribes were appointed to the provinces to "record events and report conditions".[16][17]
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.[11][18] 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.[18] There were two major factors for this development: starting with the Taika Reforms (645–649) and continuing with the Asuka Kiyomihara Code (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.[18] 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 (574–622).[18] The Sangyō Gisho ("Annotated Commentaries on the Three Sutras"), traditionally attributed to Prince Shōtoku, is the oldest extant Japanese text of any length.[19] Buddhism required the study of sutras written in Chinese and the state founded a Sutra Copying Bureau (shakyōjo) before 727.[nb 1][18] The oldest Japanese books are two chronicles, Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, 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, notably hiragana and katakana were developed in the Heian period.[20]
Statistics
Almost half of all entries in the list are located in Kyoto.
Map showing the location of ancient document National Treasures in Japan
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[4]
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
Format
Present location
Image
Documents of the Shimazu Family (島津家文書, Shimazu-ke Monjo)[21][nb 3]
—
Large scale collection of documents of the Shimazu clan covering among others politics, diplomacy, social economy and inheritance
bundle/batch. The total number of documents is 15,133 (848 rolled scrolls, 752 bound books, 2629 bound double-leaved (袋とじ, fukuro-toji) books, 2 hanging scrolls, 4908 single sheet letters, 160 maps of glued sheets, 207 single sheet maps)
etchū kuni kansō nōkoku kōtaiki zankan (越中国官倉納穀交替記残巻)[26][27]
—
Agricultural records of villages in the Tonami District (礪波郡) of Etchū Province. It is a valuable resource for the study of an area under the Ritsuryō law in the 8th to 10th century.
Sugaura documents (菅浦文書, sugaura monjo) and Illustrated map of Sugaura and Ōura Shimo manors (菅浦与大浦下庄堺絵図, sugaura to ōura shimo no shō sakai ezu)[28][29]
—
Documents of the history of Sugaura that are relevant for the study of the history of sō (惣), autonomous peasant communities in medieval Japan. The shōen map contains the boundaries of Sugaura and Ōura-shimo manors whose boundaries were contested at the time, but more prominently Chikubu Island in Lake Biwa with a temple-shrine complex (Jingū-ji).
Documents[nb 5] surrounding Enchin'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.
Letter promoting Enchin, the teacher of Zōmyō, abbot of Enryaku-ji, 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
Letter accompanying a prayer for the prosperity of Tō-ji temple, by Emperor Go-Uda (後宇多天皇宸翰東寺興隆条々事書御添状, Go-Uda-tennō shinkan Tō-ji kōryūjōjō kotogaki onsōjō)[42]
Three letters in the emperor's own handwriting addressed to a monk of Hōon-in (報恩院), Daigo-ji, with the intention of unifying the Ono (小野) and Hirosawa (広沢) branches of the Shingon sect
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
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.
Document in the emperor's own handwriting to the priest Kōjō (光定), after his vow to follow the precepts, certifying that Kōjō had undergone the rite known as Bosatsu-kai
Document accompanying the present of four tanuki hair writing brushes to Emperor Saga. According to this document, the brushes were meant to be used for regular, semi-cursive, cursive script and for the hand-copying of sutras respectively.
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 Buddhism
Certificate of priesthood for Saichō and related papers to and from the controller of priesthood (伝教大師度縁案並僧綱牒, Dengyō-daishi Doen-an narabini Sōgō Chō)[61]
—
Three letters on Saichō entering priesthood and his vow to follow the precepts
Documents and treasures of Tō-ji (東寺百合文書, Tō-ji hyakugō monjo)[64][nb 15]
—
Huge collection of documents covering a lot of ground starting from Shōen or manor related documents and including documents on the economic history and the history of Buddhism
Written from Shimonoseki on the way to Kyushu where Sasaki had been appointed Dazai no Daini (太宰大弐) (Assistant secretary of Dazaifu Province). Addressed to Fujiwara no Sanenobu (藤原誠信).
Stone in Nasu County (那須国造碑, nasu kokuzō hi)[67][68]
—
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 inscription (8 lines of 19 characters) which is influenced by the Northern Wei robust style.
Stone stele with an inscription commemorating repairs of Taga Castle in 762. It is one of four ancient stele and mentioned in Oku no hosomichi by Matsuo Bashō.
Document Issued by the Ministry of Civil Administration Notifying the Appointment of Enchin as Attendant Monk (円珍充内供奉治部省牒, enchin jūnai gubu jibu shōchō), 29.4–139.1cm (11.6–54.8in)
Certificate Issued by Government Headquarters in Dazaifu for Enchin (円珍大宰府公験, enchin dazaifu kugen), 31.2–56.1cm (12.3–22.1in), 27.8–39.3cm (10.9–15.5in)
Certificates Issued by Fuzhou for Enchin (円珍福州公験, enchin fukushū kugen), 31.2–56.1cm (12.3–22.1in), 30.5–134.0cm (12.0–52.8in)
Official Documents Issued by Taizhou and Wenzhou (円珍台州温州公験, enchin taishū unshū kugen), 30.0–338cm (11.8–133.1in)
Official Request from Sanuki Province (讃岐国司解, sanuki no kokushinoge), 30.3–266cm (11.9–104.7in)
Request from the Ōtomo Clan (大友氏屈請, ōtomoshi kusshō), 29.6–48.4cm (11.7–19.1in)
↑ A one rolled scroll imperial letter by Emperor Go-Uda on the endowment of temple properties is attached to the nomination.
↑ One bound registration book (南禅寺領諸国所々紛失御判物帖) is attached to the nomination.
↑ 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.
↑ Attached to the nomination is a donation letter from June 21, 1341.
↑ Attached to the nomination are a donation and an escort letter.
↑ Attached to the nomination is one hanging scroll of a letter by Shukaku Hosshinnō (守覚法親王)
↑ Attached to the nomination are 325 bound double-leaved (袋とじ, fukuro-toji) books or fourteen copies of a chronological record of successive generations and three covered containers.
↑ One rolled scroll, Origin and history of the construction of Seigan-ji (誓願寺建立縁起, seigan-ji kenritsu engi) is attached to the nomination.
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
↑ Attached to the nomination are 94 document boxes donated by Maeda Tsunanori in 1685.
↑ Attached to the nomination is one hanging scroll by Konoe Iehiro.
↑ Attached to the nomination are one scroll of a supplementary manuscript, and 10 pages of the former binding mounted on one rolled scroll.
Related Research Articles
A National Treasure is the most precious of Japan's Tangible Cultural Properties, as determined and designated by the Agency for Cultural Affairs. A Tangible Cultural Property is considered to be of historic or artistic value, classified either as "buildings and structures" or as "fine arts and crafts". Each National Treasure must show outstanding workmanship, a high value for world cultural history, or exceptional value for scholarship.
The Tokyo National Museum or TNM is an art museum in Ueno Park in the Taitō ward of Tokyo, Japan. It is one of the four museums operated by the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, is considered the oldest national museum in Japan, is the largest art museum in Japan. The museum collects, preserves, and displays a comprehensive collection of artwork and cultural objects from Asia, with a focus on ancient and medieval Japanese art and Asian art along the Silk Road. There is also a large collection of Greco-Buddhist art. As of April 2023, the museum held approximately 120,000 Cultural Properties, including 89 National Treasures, 319 Horyuji Treasures, and 649 Important Cultural Properties. As of the same date, the Japanese government had designated 902 works of art and crafts as National Treasures and 10,820 works of art and crafts as Important Cultural Properties, so the museum holds about 10% of the works of art and crafts designated as National Treasures and 6% of those designated as Important Cultural Properties. The museum also holds 2,651 cultural properties deposited by individuals and organisations, of which 54 are National Treasures and 262 are Important Cultural Properties. Of these, 3,000 cultural properties are on display at one time, with each changing for between four and eight weeks. The museum also conducts research and organizes educational events related to its collection.
The Nara National Museum is one of the pre-eminent national art museums in Japan.
The Kyoto National Museum is one of the major art museums in Japan. Located in Kyoto's Higashiyama ward, the museum focuses on pre-modern Japanese and Asian art.
Kōzan-ji (高山寺), officially Toganōsan Kōsan-ji (栂尾山高山寺), is a Buddhist temple of the Omuro sect of Shingon Buddhism in Umegahata Toganōchō, Ukyō Ward, Kyoto, Japan. Kōzan-ji is also known as Kōsan-ji and Toganō-dera. The temple was founded by the Shingon scholar and monk Myōe (1173–1232) and is renowned for its numerous national treasures and important cultural properties. The Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga, a group of ink paintings from the 12th and 13th centuries, are among the most important treasures of Kōzan-ji. The temple celebrates Biyakkōshin, Zenmyōshin and Kasuga Myōjin, as well as the temple's tutelary Shintō deity. In 1994, it was registered as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto".
Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga, commonly shortened to Chōjū-giga, is a famous set of four picture scrolls, or emakimono, belonging to Kōzan-ji temple in Kyoto, Japan. The Chōjū-giga scrolls are also referred to as Scrolls of Frolicking Animals and Scrolls of Frolicking Animals and Humans in English. Some think that Toba Sōjō created the scrolls; however, it seems clear from the style that more than one artist is involved. The right-to-left reading direction of Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga is traditional in East Asia, and is still common in Japan. Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga is also credited as the oldest work of manga. The scrolls are now entrusted to the Kyoto National Museum and Tokyo National Museum.
Kōyasan Reihōkan is an art museum on Kōya-san, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, preserving and displaying Buddhist art owned by temples on Kōya-san. The collection is centered around articles from the Heian and Kamakura periods and includes paintings, calligraphy, sutras, sculpture and Buddhist ritual objects. Among these are a set of the complete Buddhist canon (issaikyō), writings of Kūkai and Minamoto no Yoritomo, founder of the Kamakura Shogunate, mandalas and portraits of priests. The most valuable objects have been designated as National Treasure or Important Cultural Property.
Shaka rising from the Gold Coffin (絹本著色釈迦金棺出現図) is an anonymous hanging scroll from the 11th century depicting the resurrection of Shakyamuni Buddha as described in the Mahamaya Sutra.
The Higashiyama Treasure was a collection of important and valuable artefacts by the Ashikaga shogunate. It is named after the residence of the 8th shōgun of the Ashikaga shogunate, Ashikaga Yoshimasa (1436–1490), in the eastern hills of the capital city Kyoto. The items consisted mostly of karamono and consisted of ceramics, lacquerware, paintings, calligraphy, and others. It represented the pinnacle of Higashiyama culture.
Kongō-ji (金剛寺) is a Buddhist temple in Kawachinagano, Osaka, Japan. It is the head temple of the Shingon Omuro sect. and also known under its mountain-name as Amanosan Kongō-ji. It is the 7th temple on the Shin Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage (新西国三十三箇所) and is notable for the large number of designated cultural properties. The precincts of the temple were designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1934 with the area under protection expanded in 2011.
↑ Commission for the protection of cultural properties; Mainichi Shimbun; National Treasure Commission (1968). 原色版国宝: 上古・飛鳥・奈良原色版国宝: 桃山・江戶・明治[National Treasures in tricolor prints: Momoyama, Edo and Meiji periods]. National Treasures in tricolor prints, Commission for the protection of cultural properties (in Japanese). Vol.12. Mainichi Shimbun. p.136. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
↑ Akihiro, Watanabe (1989-12-20). "Fudokoku in the Heian Period". Shigaku Zasshi. 98 (12). The Historical Society of Japan: 1891–1937. ISSN0018-2478. Archived from the original on 2012-04-01. Retrieved 2010-01-03.
↑ 国宝・重要文化財（美術工芸品）の指定について～[Designation of National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties in the arts and crafts category](PDF) (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. 2018-03-09. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2018-03-10. Retrieved 2018-03-10.
↑ The Agency for Cultural Affairs. 円珍関係文書 文化遺産オンライン[Documents related to the priest Enchin, cultural heritage online] (in Japanese). Tokyo National Museum. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "National Treasures of Japan – Exhibition catalogure, April 10 – May 27, 1990, Tokyo National Museum". Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). 1990.
↑ Kyoto National Museum (1983). 弘法大師と密教美術弘法大師と密教美術: 入定1150年[Kobō Daishi and the Art of Esoteric Buddhism: 1150th anniversary of entering nirvana] (in Japanese). Asahi Shimbun. p.259. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
↑ 弘法大師筆尺牘三通[Three letters by Kūkai] (in Japanese). Kochi Shimbun. Archived from the original on 2008-06-16. Retrieved 2009-11-04.
↑ 嵯峨天皇宸翰光定戒牒[Ordination certificate of monk Kōjō] (in Japanese). Otsu City Museum of History. Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
↑ 周防国玖珂郡玖珂郷延喜八年戸籍残巻[Fragment of a census from 908 in Kuga, Kuga District, Suō Province] (in Japanese). Otsu City Museum of History. Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2009-05-08.
↑ 上杉家文書[Uesugi Family documents] (in Japanese). Yamagata. Archived from the original on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2010-01-07.
↑ Ishida, Mosaku (1964). Terry, Charles S. (ed.). Japanese Buddhist prints. H. N. Abrams. p.13. Retrieved 2010-01-07.
↑ 博物館情報: 誓願寺盂蘭盆縁起[Museum Information: Origin and history of Bon Festival at Seigan-ji] (in Japanese). Kyushu National Museum. Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2009-05-11.
↑ 狸毛筆奉献表[Surviving passages of memorial presented to Emperor Saga]. lincs (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2009-05-11.
↑ 智証大師関係文書典籍[Writings related to the priest Enchin] (in Japanese). Otsu City Museum of History. Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2010-01-08.
↑ 羯磨金剛目録[List of Ritual Implements of Esoteric Buddhism and other objects brought back by the Priest Saichō] (in Japanese). Ōtsu City Museum of History. Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2010-09-04.
↑ 越 中国射水郡鳴戸村墾田図[Map of rice fields in Naruto village, Imizu District, Etchū Province] (in Japanese). Nara National Museum. Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2010-07-02.
↑ 文化審議会答申 国宝・重要文化財（美術工芸品）の指定について[Council of Cultural Affairs: Designation of National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties in the Arts and Crafts category](PDF) (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. 2017-03-10. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2017-11-14. Retrieved 2017-11-13.
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