Kamakura Museum (treasures of the Japanese medieval period)

The National Museum of Kamakura (Kamakura Kokuhoukan), built in 1928 in the precinct of the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine with architecture inspired by the wooden storehouses of the Nara period, is the official repository of the artistic treasures of the Kamakura period (1185-1333), the era when the city was the political capital of Japan and the epicentre of Zen Buddhism in the country. The permanent collection includes wooden and bronze sculptures of Buddha, bodhisattvas and guardian gods of the Kamakura and Muromachi periods, scroll paintings (emakimono) narrating the battles and legends of the shogunate, lacquered armour and Noh theatre masks. The collection of Kannon images from the region (from temples closed to the public or under restoration) is especially noteworthy. Admission costs 300 ¥ for adults. Hours: 9:00-16:30, closed on Mondays. It is inside the precinct of the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine, to the left after the main staircase.