The term "National Treasure" has been used in Japan to denote cultural properties since 1897,[1] although the definition and the criteria have changed since the introduction of the term. The written materials in the list adhere to the current definition, and have been designated National Treasures according to the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties that came into effect on June 9, 1951. The items are selected by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology based on their "especially high historical or artistic value".[2] The list presents 107 entries from the Western Wei dynasty to the Meiji period with most dating to the period of Classical Japan and Mid-Imperial China from the 7th to 14th century. The total number of items is higher, however, since groups of related objects have been joined as single entries.
The list contains various types of written materials such as sutra copies, Buddhist commentaries and teachings, poetry and letters. Some of the designated objects originated in China, and were imported at a time when writing was being introduced to Japan. The items in this list were predominantly made with a writing brush on manuscript scrolls, which was the preferred medium until the advent of commercial printing and publishing in the 17th century. In many cases the manuscripts are noted examples of calligraphy. They are housed in temples, museums, libraries or archives, shrines, universities and in private collections.[3] The writings in this list represent about half of the 235 National Treasures in the category "writings". They are complemented by 71 Japanese and 57 Chinese book National Treasures of the and the .[3]
| Period[4] | National Treasures | |
|---|---|---|
| Western Wei | 1 | |
| Asuka period | 2 | |
| Tang dynasty | 6 | |
| Nara period | 23 | |
| Heian period | 33 | |
| Northern Song dynasty | 1 | |
| Goryeo | 1 | |
| Southern Song dynasty | 15 | |
| Kamakura period | 18 | |
| Yuan dynasty | 5 | |
| Nanboku-chō period | 2 |
The table's columns (except for Remarks and Image) are sortable pressing the arrows symbols. The following gives an overview of what is included in the table and how the sorting works.
The concept of writing came to Japan from the Korean kingdom of Baekje in the form of classical Chinese books and sutras, 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 in conjunction with the introduction of Buddhism in the 6th century.[5] The increasing popularity of Buddhism, strongly promoted by Prince Shōtoku (574–622), in the late-6th century and early-7th century was one of the factors[6] leading to a rise in the importance of writing. Buddhism required the study of sutras in Chinese. To satisfy the growing demand for them, imported Sui and Tang manuscripts were copied, first by Korean and Chinese immigrants, and later in the mid-7th century by Japanese scribes. The Sangyō Gisho ("Annotated Commentaries on the Three Sutras"), traditionally attributed to Prince Shōtoku, is the oldest extant Japanese text of any length. By 673 the entire Buddhist canon had been systematically copied. Not a single sutra survives from before the end of the 6th century. The oldest extant complete sutra copied in Japan dates to 686 and has been designated a National Treasure. During the 7th and 8th centuries, the copying of Buddhist texts, including sutras, dominated writing. Few Chinese secular or local Japanese works (which were rare) were copied. The state founded a Sutra Copying Bureau (shakyōjo) before 727[7] with highly specialized calligraphers, proofreaders and metal polishers to satisfy the large demand for Buddhist texts. Sutra copying was not only for duplication but also to acquire religious merit; thus nearly all Buddhist texts were hand-copied during the 8th century despite knowledge of printing.
The peak of sutra copying occurred in the Nara period at which time the Great Perfection of Wisdom (Daihannya) sutra and the Lotus Sutra were the sutras most often copied. Most of the sutras were written in black ink on paper dyed pale yellow.[8] However, some were made with gold or silver ink on indigo, purple or other colored paper—particularly the ones that were produced in 741 when Emperor Shōmu decreed Konkōmyō Saishōō sutras written in gold letters be distributed among provincial temples. Many sutra copies contain a colophon with the name of the sponsor—often somebody from the ruling class—and the reason of copying, usually related to the health or salvation of people or the state.
After the shakyōjo closed at the end of the 8th century, the imperial family and leading aristocrats continued to sponsor sutra copying. Because of an enhanced belief in the powers of the Lotus Sutra, more Heian period copies of this sutra exist than of all other sutras combined. Starting in the early Heian period, styles became flowery and ornate with lavish decorations as sutras were not used only in recitation but for dedication and sacrifice. Devotional sutra copying was more often undertaken by the initiator than in the Nara period. New forms of decoration came in fashion by the early-11th century including placing each character in the outline of a stupa, on lotus pedestals or next to depictions of Boddhisattvas. Sutras were increasingly furnished with frontispieces starting in the 11th century. Calligraphy shifted from Chinese to Japanese style. Sutra copying continued into the Kamakura and subsequent periods, but only rarely to comparable artistic effect. With the import of printed Song editions in the Kamakura period, hand-copying of the complete scriptures died out and sutra copying was only practiced for its devotional aspect. Fifty-one sutras or sets of sutras from the 6th century Western Wei to 14th century Nanboku-chō period have been designated National Treasures. Some of the oldest items in this list originated in China.[3]
| Name | Authors | Remarks | Date | Format | Present location | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| , Yamato edition[9] | attributed to Emperor Shōmu | Chapters 8 ("Vajra, the Daughter of King Prasenajit"), 9 ("Golden Wealth"), 10 ("Heavenly Flowers"), 11 ("Heavenly Jewels"), and the final lines of Chapter 48 ("Upagupta") of the Sutra of the Wise and Foolish, or Sutra of the Karma of the Wise and Foolish; total of 262 lines with eleven to fourteen characters per line; also known as after Emperor Shōmu; originally kept at Tōdai-ji in Yamato | Nara period, 8th century | Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo | |||
| attributed to Emperor Shōmu | Volumes 1 (419 lines), 2 (149 lines), 3 (18 lines); also known as after Emperor Shōmu | Nara period, 8th century | Maeda Ikutokukai, Tokyo | ||||
| [10] | attributed to Emperor Shōmu | Volumes 1 (461 lines), 2 (503 lines); also known as after Emperor Shōmu; formerly in the possession of Kaidan-in, Tōdai-ji | Nara period, 8th century | Hakutsuru Fine Art Museum, Kobe, Hyōgo | |||
| [11] | attributed to by Shōkadō Shōjō in a postscript from 1625 | 28 lines per page; also known as as the scroll is in possession of Hōgon-ji on Chikubu Island; paper decorated with gold and silver underdrawings of butterflies, birds, flowering plants, imaginary Buddhist flowers, and clouds; the introductory chapter of the same work, located at Hōgon-ji, has been designated as a National Treasure | Heian period, 10th century | Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo | |||
| [12] [13] | transcription by | 39 pages of 56 ruled lines with 32 characters per line; also known as ; handed down at Hōryū-ji | Tang dynasty, 694 | Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo | |||
| [14] | unknown | Oldest extant text using the Japanese dating system; 20 to 40 characters per line; originally in the possession of Tōdai-ji | Asuka period, 706[15] | Kyoto National Museum, Kyoto | |||
| vol. 32, [16] [17] [18] | Choi Sung-sak | Earliest copied sutra of the Goryeo dynasty and only surviving volume of a set of complete Buddhist scriptures, offered by Queen Heonae and Kim Chi-yang. The cover is decorated with a hōsōge flower pattern and the frontispiece with three bodhisattvas scattering flower offerings, both in silver paint. | Goryeo, 1006 | custody of Kyoto National Museum, Kyoto, Kyoto; owned by National Institutes for Cultural Heritage | |||
| [19] | Only extant portion of one thousand copies of the Senju sengen daranikyō made by Genbō; mentioned in the ; total of 109 lines; beginning of scroll is lost | Nara period, 741 | Kyoto National Museum, Kyoto | ||||
| [20] [21] | unknown (Sutra Copying Bureau) | One of the sutras enshrined in the state-sponsored "Temples for the Protection of the State by the Golden Light (of the) Four Heavenly Kings"; said to have been enshrined in Bingo Province | Nara period, 8th century, Tenpyō era after 741 | Nara National Museum, Nara, Nara | |||
| transcription by the priest Hōrin | Oldest hand-copied sutra in Japan | Asuka period, 686 | Agency for Cultural Affairs, Tokyo | ||||
| [22] | Fujiwara no Michinaga, Fujiwara no Moromichi | 79 papers | Heian period, 10th—11th century | One handscroll, | Kinpusen-ji, Yoshino, Nara | ||
| Fujiwara no Michinaga, Fujiwara no Moromichi | 200 papers | Heian period, 10th—11th century | One handscroll, | Kinpusen-ji, Yoshino, Nara | |||
| unknown (Sutra Copying Bureau) | One of the sutras enshrined in the state-sponsored "Temples for the Protection of the State by the Golden Light (of the) Four Heavenly Kings" founded by Emperor Shōmu | Nara period, 8th century | Reihōkan (owned by), Kōya, Wakayama | ||||
| unknown | Heian period | Saidai-ji, Nara, Nara | |||||
| or [23] | various (ten-odd people) | Formerly in the possession of Yakushi-ji | Nara period, 8th century | Fujita Art Museum, Osaka | |||
| unknown | Made on request of Prince Nagaya praying for the deceased Emperor Mommu | Nara period, 712 | , Kōka, Shiga | ||||
| unknown | Made on request of Prince Nagaya praying for the deceased Emperor Mommu; oldest extant manuscript of the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra | Nara period, 712 | , Kōka, Shiga | ||||
| unknown | Nara period, 762 | Saidai-ji, Nara, Nara | |||||
| vol. 6[24] | unknown | Transcription of a Chinese translation from 703, 12–13 characters per line | Nara period, 8th century | Nezu Art Museum, Tokyo | |||
| vol. 15 | unknown | 467 lines | Nara period, 8th century | Tōdai-ji, Nara, Nara | |||
| unknown | Volume three missing | Nara period, 8th century | Reihōkan (owned by), Kōya, Wakayama | ||||
| unknown | Nara period, 8th century | Reihōkan (owned by), Kōya, Wakayama | |||||
| vols. 1,2 | unknown | Oldest extant manuscript of this work; handed down in Ishiyama-dera | Nara period, 8th century | custody of (owned by Tenri University), Tenri, Nara | |||
| and [25] | Taira no Kiyomori and his younger brother Yorimori | First couple of lines of each scroll transcribed by Taira no Kiyomori, following lines by Yorimori; therefore also called | Heian period, 1170–1172 | Itsukushima Shrine, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima | |||
| [26] | unknown | Scrolls 11 to 69 of a 71 scroll manuscript; formerly in the possession of Tenkai, handed down in Rinnō-ji | Nara period (43 scrolls) and Heian period (16 scrolls) | Rinnō-ji, Nikkō, Tochigi | |||
| unknown | Centered around a 54 scroll sutra edition from the Tang period to which 17 scrolls were added during the Kamakura – Edo period | Nara period – Edo period | Hakutsuru Fine Art Museum, Kobe, Hyōgo | ||||
| or [27] | unknown | Large-scale collection of sutras, Buddhist regulations and sutra explanations initiated by Fujiwara no Kiyohira; dedicated to Chūson-ji and later presented to Kongōbu-ji by Toyotomi Hidetsugu; decorated with various pictures in gold and silver paint; a set of 15 similar scrolls that were part of the same collection remained at Chūson-ji and are a National Treasure | Heian period, February 1117 – March 1126 | Reihōkan (owned by Kongōbu-ji), Kōya, Wakayama | |||
| or [28] | unknown | Large-scale collection of sutras, Buddhist regulations and sutra explanations initiated by Fujiwara no Kiyohira; dedicated to Chūson-ji; each scroll's end page is decorated with a drawing in gold paint; 15 scrolls with alternating gold and silver letters are part of a set of up to 5,300 scrolls most of which are now in the possession of Kongōbu-ji and a National Treasure | Heian period, February 1117 – March 1126 | (Chūson-ji), Hiraizumi, Iwate | |||
| [29] | Kūkai | Next to each character there is an image of a Bodhisattva in-between the lines said to be drawn by Kūkai's mother, | Heian period | Zentsū-ji, Zentsūji, Kagawa | |||
| or | unknown | Below each character a lotus flower is drawn thereby equating each character with the Bodhisattva; endpapers decorated with an inside scene of a Buddhist memorial service in | late Heian period | custody of Yamato Bunkakan, Nara, Nara; owned by Kintetsu Corporation | |||
| [30] | unknown | Below each character a lotus flower is drawn just like Bodhisattvas are often depicted on a lotus pedestal; volume 6 missing | Heian period | , Aizumisato, Fukushima | |||
| unknown | Heian period, 11th century | Sensō-ji, Tokyo | |||||
| or [31] | Emperor Toba and others | Part of 30 scrolls (28 chapters of the Lotus Sutra plus introduction and postscript). | Heian period, 12th century | private, Tokyo | |||
| or | Fujiwara clan | Originally offered to Anrakuji-in on occasion of Emperor Toba entering priesthood, later transferred to Kunōji. Part of 30 scrolls (28 chapters of the Lotus Sutra plus introduction and postscript). | Heian period, 12th century | , Shizuoka, Shizuoka | |||
| vol. 6 | unknown | Heian period | Reihōkan (owned by Kongōbu-ji), Kōya, Wakayama | ||||
| Unkei | Part of an eight scroll set, scroll 1 has been lost and scroll 8 is in private hand and a National Treasure; Unkei was supported by a female sponsor named | Heian period, 1183 | Shinshōgokuraku-ji, Kyoto | ||||
| [32] [33] | unknown | Contains an inscription dated 1198. | Southern Song | Daigo-ji, Kyoto | |||
| vol. 8 | Unkei | Part of an eight scroll set, scroll 1 has been lost and scrolls 2 to 7 are located at Shinshōgokuraku-ji and a National Treasure; includes a postscript explaining the circumstances of the sutra transcription; Unkei was supported by a female sponsor named | Heian period, 1183 | private, Tokyo | |||
| , and [34] | unknown | Also called | Kamakura period | , Tokigawa, Saitama | |||
| ,,, and | unknown | Also called ; endpapers decorated with richly colored paintings on gold ground using ultramarine, verdigris, gold and silver paint and scarlet red | early Kamakura period | Hase-dera, Sakurai, Nara | |||
| Musō Soseki | Nanboku-chō period | Maeda Ikutokukai, Tokyo | |||||
| unknown | Collection of difficult to interpret Chinese words showing their Japanese pronunciation and meaning in Man'yōgana; only extant manuscript | Heian period, 794 | Agency for Cultural Affairs, Tokyo | ||||
| [35] | unknown | Sutra on Buddha entering nirvana; first scroll is a transcription from the late Heian period, fifth scroll a transcription from the Nara period; remaining three scrolls contain a postscriptum from 550 | Western Wei, 550 | Chion-in, Kyoto | |||
| vol. 3 | unknown | Sutra on the occurrence of heaven on earth | Tang dynasty, 673 | Chion-in, Kyoto | |||
| unknown | 34 characters per line instead of the usual 17 | Nara period, 710 | Reihōkan (owned by), Kōya, Wakayama | ||||
| [36] | unknown | Commentary on the ; one of the principal books of Shingon Buddhism; lower part of opening phrase of volume one features Chinese characters of Empress Wu | Tang dynasty, 618 | Ishiyama-dera, Ōtsu, Shiga | |||
| Southern Song, 1253 | Chishaku-in, Kyoto | ||||||
| unknown | Brought back from China by Saichō | Tang dynasty, 803 | Enryaku-ji, Ōtsu, Shiga | ||||
| Lanxi Daolong | Southern Song, 13th century | , Kyoto | |||||
| or [37] | attributed to by Shōkadō Shōjō in a postscript from 1625 | 28 lines per page; paper decorated with gold and silver underdrawings of butterflies, birds, flowering plants, imaginary Buddhist flowers, and clouds; the Expedient Means chapter of the same work, located at the Tokyo National Museum, has been designated as National Treasure | Heian period, 11th century | Hōgon-ji, Nagahama, Shiga | |||
| and or [38] | unknown | Thought to have formed a set together with the Lotus sutra | Heian period, 11th century | Nezu Art Museum, Tokyo |
Nara period Buddhism was dominated by six state-controlled sects. They were introduced from the mainland and centred around the ancient capitals in Asuka and Nara. These schools were generally academic in nature, closely connected with the court and represented a doctrine that was far removed from the daily life of the people. In 804, two Japanese monks Kūkai and Saichō travelled to China; on their return they established Tendai and Shingon Buddhism respectively. Unlike their predecessors both esoteric schools took into account the needs of the common people. Though their origins lay in China, with time they acquired local Japanese traits. Generally the 9th century was a time when Chinese learning thrived in Japan. Authors produced a wide variety of works in Chinese language, including commentaries and treatises on a variety of subjects.
A number of new sects appeared in Japan in the 12th and 13th centuries as a natural reaction to the difficult teachings of older schools and partially motivated by the notion of mappō.[39] Growing out of an Amida cult, the Jōdo Shinshū Pure Land school was founded in 1224 by Shinran, and attracted a following from all classes and occupations. Three years later, Dōgen introduced the Sōtō school of Zen Buddhism emphasizing meditation and dharma practice. The first truly Japanese school of Buddhism goes back to Nichiren's proclamation of his teachings in 1253. Nichiren Buddhism was exceptional for being militant and intolerant. The central focus of Nichiren's teaching was the veneration of the Lotus Sutra.
Fourteen treatises and commentaries of famous Japanese monks dating from the early Heian to the Kamakura period have been designated as National Treasures. These include three commentaries by Kūkai on two of the main mantras (Dainichikyō and Kongōhannyakyō) of Shingon Buddhism, works by Shinran discussing Pure Land Buddhism, mappō and Amida, a manual on zazen "seated meditation" by Dōgen and two works by Nichiren related to his teachings. In addition two large scale collection of documents from the Nara to the Meiji period are listed here as National Treasures.[3]
| Name | Authors | Remarks | Date | Format | Present location | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [40] [41] | Heian period to Meiji period, 12th–19th century | 16,692 (Shōmyō-ji) and 4,149 (Kanazawa Bunko) items | Shōmyō-ji and Kanazawa Bunko, Yokohama, Kanagawa | ||||
| and [42] | Kūkai | Sutras brought back from his 804 visit to Hui-kuo at China by Kūkai; box presented to Tō-ji by Emperor Daigo; originally there were 38 books, 8 of which have been lost | Heian period, 9th century; box from 919 | Ninna-ji, Kyoto | |||
| or [43] | Heian period, 10th century | Ishiyama-dera, Ōtsu, Shiga | |||||
| [44] [45] [46] | Kūkai | Segment of a commentary explaining the title of the Diamond Sutra. The full commentary was originally located in Sanbō-in before being cut in segments | Heian period, 9th century | Nara National Museum, Nara, Nara | |||
| [47] [48] | Written materials including sacred teachings and documents. The items comprise the ancestral heritage of Daigo-ji | Nara period to Meiji period, 8th–19th century | 69,378 items, ink on paper | Daigo-ji, Kyoto | |||
| [49] | Kūkai | Segment of a commentary explaining the title of the Diamond Sutra. The full commentary was originally located in Sanbō-in before being cut in segments. Considered to be a draft | Heian period, 9th century | Kyoto National Museum, Kyoto | |||
| Kūkai | early Heian period | Daigo-ji, Kyoto | |||||
| or Sangō Shiiki[50] | Kūkai | Comparative study of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism | Heian period, 797 | Reihōkan (owned by Kongōbu-ji), Kōya, Wakayama | |||
| [51] [52] | Nichiren | Explanation of the object of devotion in Nichiren's teaching and description of the practice for attaining Buddhahood; addressed to Toki Jonin, one of Nichiren's followers | Kamakura period, December 8, 1273 | Hokekyō-ji, Ichikawa, Chiba | |||
| or "On establishing the correct teaching for the peace of the land"[53] [54] [55] | Nichiren | In this writing Nichiren aims to clarify the cause of a large number of natural disasters such as famines, floods, landslides and earthquakes that troubled Japan and Kamakura around the 1250s. His conclusion is that people should embrace the correct teaching. Document submitted to Hōjō Tokiyori | Kamakura period, 1260 | Hokekyō-ji, Ichikawa, Chiba | |||
| or "A Teaching to the Western Land" or "Collections Showing the Way to the West"[56] [57] | Shinran | Compilation of Hōnen's (teacher of Shinran) words in the form of writings, letters and records of words or events | Kamakura period, 1256 | Senju-ji, Tsu, Mie | |||
| [58] | Shinran | With annotations between lines and on the margin | Kamakura period, 13th century | Nishi Hongan-ji, Kyoto | |||
| Shinran | With annotations between lines and on the margin | Kamakura period, 13th century | Nishi Hongan-ji, Kyoto | ||||
| , [59] | Shinran | Series of selections and commentaries on Buddhist sutras; intermediate draft and only extant manuscript of the Kyōgyōshinshō with earlier versions going back to 1224 | Kamakura period, 1235 | Ōtani sect of Jodo Shinshu, Kyoto | |||
| [60] | Shinran | Three collections of hymns praising the virtue of the bodhisattva and high priest: Jōdo Wasan (Hymns of the Pure Land), Kōso Wasan (Hymns of the Pure Land Masters) and the Shōzōmatsu Wasan (Hymns of the Dharma‐Ages)[61] | Kamakura period, 13th century | Senju-ji, Tsu, Mie | |||
| [62] [63] | Dōgen | Written six years after Dōgen's return from China | Kamakura period, 1233 | Eihei-ji, Eiheiji, Fukui |
Bokuseki is a type of Japanese calligraphy practiced by Zen monks or lay practitioners of Zen meditation.[64] Characterised by freely written bold characters, the style often ignores criteria and classical standards for calligraphy. The brush is moved continuously across the paper creating richly variated lines. Unlike other calligraphy, bokuseki is considered "religious art"—a manifestation of the artist's understanding of the Dharma. In this sense, the literal meaning of the word "bokuseki", translated as "ink trace", indicates the piece is considered to be a trace of the enlightened mind.
The bokuseki style developed from Song dynasty calligraphy. It was brought from China to Japan, together with Zen Buddhism, starting with Eisai in 1191. Late-12th century works imported from China were highly regarded in Japan; subsequently Japanese priests began producing their own bokuseki in the 13th and 14th centuries. Later bokuseki became part of the zen practice and served as meditation help. They were often mounted on hanging scrolls, and displayed in temples and tea rooms.[64] The master of the Japanese tea ceremony Sen no Rikyū considered them crucial to the tea ceremony in the sense that they put the participants in the right frame-of-mind. Bokuseki gained in importance through the chanoyu in the Muromachi and Momoyama periods. Daitō Kokushi and Musō Soseki, both from the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism, were the most famous bokuseki masters of the time.
The bokuseki style is present in a variety of Zen genres such as Buddhist sermons or Dharma talks (hōgo), certificates of enlightenment (inkajō), death verses (yuige), gatha verses (geju), poetry[65] (shi), letters, names and titles given to a monk by his master (jigo), exhortory sermons (shidōgo), gakuji,[66] inscriptions on Zen paintings (san) and Zen circles.[64] There are 23 bokuseki National Treasures of various types including inkajō, hōgo, letters and yuige. They date from the 12th to 14th centuries and have been mounted on hanging scrolls.[3]
| Name | Authors | Remarks | Date | Format | Present location | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [67] | Yuanwu Keqin | First half of an enlightenment certificate given to Yuanwu's disciple Huqiu Shaolong in recognition of his spiritual achievement. Oldest extant document written by a Chan master. Also known as | Northern Song, 1124 | One hanging scroll, ink on paper, 43.9cmx52.4cmcm (17.3inchesx20.6inchescm) | Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo | ||
| [68] | Dedicated to a brilliant Zen practitioner, possibly (1234–1306) | Southern Song, 13th century | One hanging scroll, ink on paper, 28.5cmx70cmcm (11.2inchesx30inchescm) | Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo | |||
| [69] | Three poems with seven characters per line dedicated to the Japanese monk Muin Genkai | Yuan dynasty, 14th century | One hanging scroll, ink on paper, 32.7cmx102.4cmcm (12.9inchesx40.3inchescm) | Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo | |||
| [70] | Note about the attainment of enlightenment. Written for a Japanese monk,, who had travelled to Liaoan Qingyu in China | Yuan dynasty, 1341 | One hanging scroll, ink on paper, 27.9cmx73.9cmcm (11inchesx29.1inchescm) | Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo | |||
| [71] | Dahui Zonggao | Letter from Dahui's exile in Meizhou to his friend, the lay practitioner Wuxiang | Southern Song, 12th century | One hanging scroll, ink on paper, 37.9cmx65.5cmcm (14.9inchesx25.8inchescm) | Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo | ||
| [72] | Wuzhun Shifan | Letter of thanks for Enni Ben'en's donation after the destruction of Wanshou Temple by fire. Also known as the "Calligraphy of the Board Gift" | Southern Song, 1243 | One hanging scroll, ink on paper, 32.1cmx100.6cmcm (12.6inchesx39.6inchescm) | Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo | ||
| Southern Song, around 1265 | One hanging scroll, ink on paper | Daitoku-ji, Kyoto | |||||
| [73] | Verification that Betsugen Enshi had been initiated into the ascetic practice | Yuan dynasty, 1325 | One hanging scroll, ink on paper, 37.7cmx99.2cmcm (14.8inchesx39.1inchescm) | Gotoh Museum, Tokyo | |||
| Song dynasty, Yuan dynasty | Two hanging scrolls, silk | , Kita-ku, Kyoto | |||||
| Document on the monk Getsurin Dōgō (1293–1351), student of Kurin Seimo and founder of Chōfuku-ji | Yuan dynasty, 1327 | One hanging scroll | , Ukyō-ku, Kyoto | ||||
| [74] | Afterword composed on a painting "Flowers and Insects" by Yi Yuanji | Yuan dynasty, 14th century | One hanging scroll, ink on paper, 30cmx118.4cmcm (10inchesx46.6inchescm) | Tokiwayama Bunko, Kamakura, Kanagawa | |||
| Written by Qingzhuo Zhengcheng, a high-ranking priest of Kennin-ji, on the day of his death which shows in the style of the writing | Nanboku-chō period, 1339 | One hanging scroll, ink on paper, 36.6cmx92.4cmcm (14.4inchesx36.4inchescm) | Tokiwayama Bunko, Kamakura, Kanagawa | ||||
| Highly praised by masters of the tea ceremony; a special place called Mittan toko had been designed for this scroll in the tea room inside the shoin at Ryōkō-in | Southern Song, 1179 | One hanging scroll, ink on paper, 27.3cmx102.1cmcm (10.7inchesx40.2inchescm) | , Kita-ku, Kyoto | ||||
| [75] | Presented to his fellow student,, by Mugaku Sogen, praising his enlightenment; written in the same year in which Mugaku Sogen moved to Japan following the Mongol invasion of China | Southern Song, Kamakura period, December 11, 1279 | Four hanging scrolls | Shōkoku-ji, Kyoto | |||
| [76] [77] | Wuzhun Shifan | Approbation certificate for the Japanese monk Enni Ben'en | Southern Song, 1237 | One hanging scroll, ink on paper | Tōfuku-ji, Kyoto | ||
| [78] | Wuzhun Shifan | Text to be read aloud at the ceremony | Southern Song, 13th century | One hanging scroll, ink on silk, 44.8cmx132.5cmcm (17.6inchesx52.2inchescm) | Gotoh Museum, Tokyo | ||
| Dahui Zonggao | Southern Song | One hanging scroll | Hatakeyama Memorial Museum of Fine Art, Tokyo | ||||
| [79] | (Rankei Dōryū/Lanxi Daolong) | The sermon, directed to the monks inside the temple, warns of procrastination and calls for devotion to studying. The regulations provide strict rules for the daily life of ascetic monks, from the time of washing to how to roll up a bamboo screen | Southern Song, Kamakura period | Two hanging scrolls, ink on paper, 85.2cmx41.4cmcm (33.5inchesx16.3inchescm) (sermon) and 85.5cmx40.7cmcm (33.7inchesx16inchescm) (regulations) | Kenchō-ji, Kamakura, Kanagawa, in custody at Kamakura Museum of National Treasures | ||
| / | Certificate for, student of Shūhō Myōchō | Kamakura period, Nanboku-chō period, 1330 | One hanging scroll | Myōshin-ji, Kyoto | |||
| or [80] | / | Instruction to priests about the recital of sutras | Kamakura period, Nanboku-chō period | One hanging scroll, ink on paper | , Kyoto | ||
| (nickname) | / | Kamakura period, Nanboku-chō period, 1329 | One hanging scroll, ink on paper | Myōshin-ji, Kyoto | |||
| / | Keiringe is a poem about nature's great harmony when Shūhō Myōchō looked at a copse in late fall; Nangakuge is a poem about the grandeur of Mount Heng and the admiration for the Chinese emperor | Kamakura period, 14th century | Two hanging scrolls | Masaki Art Museum, Tadaoka, Osaka | |||
| / | Kamakura period, Nanboku-chō period,May 13, 1330 | One hanging scroll | Daisen-in, Kyoto |
Kaishi, or futokorogami, were sheets of paper carried by high-ranking people folded in their kimonos at the breast. They were used for writing letters, or waka; similar sheets were employed during the tea ceremony. Papers came in a variety of sizes and colours, depending on the rank and sex of those using them. At court men wrote on white paper, while women wrote only on red kaishi paper. Eventually the paper format was standardized with sizes ranging from about 28cmx36cmcm (11inchesx14inchescm) to 36cmx56cmcm (14inchesx22inchescm). The folding style, labelling, and other stylistic features, differed from school to school. Four items from the Heian and Kamakura periods have been designated as National Treasures in the kaishi category. They are single sheets or sets of sheets mounted on hanging scrolls or bound in an album and contain poetry by Japanese rulers and famous poets.[3]
| Name | Authors | Remarks | Date | Format | Present location | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [81] | Emperor Go-Toba | Written on a pilgrimage to Kumano | Kamakura period, 1200 | One hanging scroll, 31.5cmx48.5cmcm (12.4inchesx19.1inchescm) | Nishi Hongan-ji, Kyoto | ||
| Emperor Go-Toba, Fujiwara no Ietaka and Jakuren | Written on a pilgrimage to Kumano | Kamakura period, 1201 | Yōmei Bunko, Kyoto | ||||
| [82] | various, among others Saigyō Hōshi and Jakuren | Collection of 28 poems on each chapter of the Lotus Sutra by as many famous poets and calligraphers of the late Heian period. Saigyō's poem was separated and mounted on a hanging scroll. A painting of a maple tree in autumn by Tosa Mitsuoki was added later and the poems were collected in an album around the same time | Kamakura period | Kyoto National Museum, Kyoto | |||
| [83] [84] | Fujiwara no Sukemasa | Oldest extant shikaishi, a poem written on kaishi paper (a paper folded and tucked inside the front of the kimono) | Heian period, 969 | The Kagawa Museum, Takamatsu, Kagawa |
Collections of exemplary calligraphy, or tekagami (lit. "mirror of the hands"), were created by cutting pages and sections of old books and scrolls of sutras, poems and letters, which were arranged in albums in a chronological order or according to social status. By the early-16th century, calligraphic connoisseurs of the Kohitsu house had practiced activities aimed at preserving ancient calligraphic works. Tekagami production appears to have started in the Momoyama period. These albums served as model books for calligraphy practice, the emulation of old styles, and as reference works for authentication in the growing antique market. Today, the selection of calligraphers, and the type of calligraphies in a tekagami, show the changing tastes in classical Japanese-style calligraphy over the years. Four tekagami containing works from the 8th century Nara to the 15th century Muromachi period have been designated as National Treasures.[3]
| Name | Authors | Remarks | Date | Format | Present location | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [85] | various | Together with the "Companions of Past Ages" and the "Moshiogusa Album of Exemplary Calligraphy" considered to be one of the three great albums of exemplary calligraphy | Nara period to Muromachi period, 8th – 15th century | MOA Museum of Art, Atami, Shizuoka | |||
| [86] | various | Together with the "Kanbokujō" and the "Moshiogusa Album of Exemplary Calligraphy" considered to be one of the three great albums of exemplary calligraphy | Nara period to Muromachi period, 8th – 15th century | Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo | |||
| [87] | various | Samples on the obverse side are arranged by status of the author (from emperors and crown princes down to poets). Handed down in the Kohitsu family in the Edo period. Together with the "Kanbokujō" and the "Companions of Past Ages" considered to be one of the three great albums of exemplary calligraphy | Nara period to Muromachi period, 8th – 15th century | Kyoto National Museum, Kyoto | |||
| [88] | various | Collection of calligraphy, imperial correspondence, and other works | Nara period to Muromachi period, 8th – 15th century | Yōmei Bunko, Kyoto |
In Japanese calligraphy the term originally referred to works by ancient calligraphers, or poets, on scrolls or bound books, created from between the 8th to 15th centuries. In today's use, the term mainly describes copies of poetry anthologies from the Heian to mid-Kamakura period.[89] Since they were made as artful daily items for the nobility, in addition to having a beautiful script, attention was given to the choice of paper (which was often decorated), the binding, mountings and even accompanying boxes.[89] Stylistically, kohitsu were written in Japanese kana in cursive script (sōgana). In the Momoyama and early Edo period, surviving kohitsu were often cut (kohitsu-gire), mounted on hanging scrolls and displayed in a tea room.[89] Six scrolls of kohitsu poetry collections from the mid-Heian period have been designated as National Treasures. They were made by two calligraphers: Fujiwara no Yukinari and Ono no Michikaze.[3]
| Name | Authors | Remarks | Date | Format | Present location | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [90] | Fujiwara no Yukinari | Collection of poems by the Chinese poet Bo Juyi | Heian period | Masaki Art Museum, Tadaoka, Osaka | |||
| [91] | Ono no Michikaze | Collection of poems by the Chinese poet Bo Juyi written in cursive, semi-cursive and regular script and representing the Japanese style halfway in its development | Heian period, 10th century | Masaki Art Museum, Tadaoka, Osaka | |||
| [92] | Ono no Michikaze | With a postscript by Fujiwara no Sadanobu from 1140. | Heian period, 10th century | Museum of the Imperial Collections, Tokyo | |||
| [93] | Fujiwara no Yukinari | Collection of eight poems from volume 65 of the Poetic Anthology of Bo Juyi. With a postscript by Yukinari and a colophon by Emperor Fushimi | Heian period, 1018 | Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo | |||
| and on the reverse side[94] | purportedly by Ono no Michikaze | Front: 48 Japanese poems on 1st–15th sheet and 12 (copies of) letters by Wang Xizhi on 16th–20th sheet all in simple cursive style. Poems on 1st sheet in hand of Ono no Michikaze, those on other sheets said to be by Fujiwara no Yukinari or possibly Emperor Fushimi Reverse: philosophical treaties in regular script covering 2nd–20th sheet | Heian period, 10th century | Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo | |||
| [95] | attributed to Fujiwara no Yukinari | The scroll, also known as Honnōji-gire, is written in Japanese style and contains compositions by Ono no Takamura, Sugawara no Michizane and Ki no Haseo | Heian period | Honnō-ji, Kyoto |
There are three National Treasures writings that do not fit in any of the above categories, all originating in China. Two are 7th century works: a copy of the Thousand Character Classic by Zhi Yong both in formal and cursive scripts, and a tracing copy of a letter by the famous Chinese calligrapher Wang Xizhi. The former work[96] is said to have been imported to Japan by the legendary scholar Wani in ancient times. One is a 13th-century set of large-scale letters (2 or 3 each) to be displayed on walls or above doorways.[3]
| Name | Authors | Remarks | Date | Format | Present location | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zhi Yong | Tang dynasty, 7th century | private, Kyoto | |||||
| (Chin.: Kong Shizhong Tie)[97] | unknown | Tracing copy of a letter by Wang Xizhi. In the letter Wang inquires after the well-being of a friend | Tang dynasty, during reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang (626–649) | Maeda Ikutokukai, Tokyo | |||
| [98] | Wuzhun Shifan sent these items from China to his student Enni when the latter was at Jōten-ji, Hakata | Southern Song dynasty, 13th century | Tōfuku-ji, Kyoto (partially entrusted to the Kyoto National Museum) |