Osaka, the capital city of Japan even older than Heijo-kyo (Nara) and Heian-kyo (Kyoto), is the only city in Japan that has remained at the forefront of history almost uninterruptedly from recorded history to the present day. Osaka was bombed during World War II and does not have a national museum, so it is often mistakenly thought to have "nothing old," but for example, it boasts the fourth-highest number of national treasures in Japan after Tokyo, Kyoto, and Nara among all prefectures.

With Osaka attracting attention after hosting the 2025 World Exposition (Osaka-Kansai Expo) last year, we hope to provide an opportunity for people both inside and outside the prefecture to once again learn about the historic region that has nurtured a rich culture. From Wednesday, April 1st to Tuesday, June 30th, 2026, we will be holding a public exhibition of arts and crafts, buildings, and more at 23 locations in Osaka Prefecture, including 18 national treasures and 61 important cultural properties that were formerly national treasures.

<Note 1> Under the "Ancient Shrines and Temples Preservation Law" enacted in 1897 and its successor, the "National Treasures Preservation Law" enacted in 1929, all cultural properties were designated as "national treasures" without distinction. However, under the "Cultural Properties Protection Law" enacted in 1950, all previous "national treasures" were temporarily deemed "important cultural properties," and only the most valuable cultural properties were redesignated as "national treasures." Cultural properties that were designated as "national treasures" before the enactment of the Cultural Properties Protection Law but are now designated as "important cultural properties" are commonly referred to as "former national treasures" to distinguish them from the current "national treasures."

<Note 2> For approximately 150 years, from the time the capital was moved to Naniwa following the Taika Reforms (645) until 793, Naniwa Palace was located in what is now Chuo Ward, Osaka City, and played a major role in Japan's ancient history as both the capital and a secondary capital.

<Note 3> Top 10 prefectures with the most national treasures (as of January 1, 2026) 1. Tokyo 293 2. Kyoto 242 3. Nara 208 4. Osaka 63 5. Shiga 57 6. Wakayama 36 7. Hyogo 21 8. Kanagawa 19 8. Hiroshima 19 10. Tochigi 17