As you come up stairs to the second floor, you encounter four massive shrine guardians holding bows and arrows. They have scary staring eyes and down turned mouths, and they present a truly dramatic sight. One of them is coloured black for reasons that aren’t apparent. These fellows date from 1323 and they’re in excellent condition. There are also some improbably large swords on this floor. Known as ōdachi, they have a total length of 180 cm and weigh 4,950 g. They must have dwarfed the men who carried them.

The top floor has elaborate armour belonging to Kōno Michinobu from 1190, shogun Minamoto Yoritomo from around the same time, and Kono Michinari from 1281. Unlike the bulky metal armour of the West, this samurai armour looks light and flexible. Most of the exhibits are in an excellent state of preservation. Some of the old swords were gaudily caparisoned, and one from 1166 is positively dandy in its proportions and decoration. The oldest sword on display is from the Heian around 950. It’s very small, thin and dainty looking. One corner features arrows of all varieties, some with feathers still attached. Not everything is well preserved however. There’s a section devoted to some knackered-looking swords, with pitifully worm-eaten handles, although the metal is still in perfect condition. The tanto daggers are tiny but viciously pointed and sharp.

The National Treasure Hall is a separate building. It has suits of armour belonging to all sorts of historical bigwigs, including the armour bodice that belonged to a female samurai who went by the name Ōhori Yasumochi no Musume Tsuruhime. Each suit of armour is housed in its own wood and glass case in a dimly lit room, creating a heavy and portentous atmosphere.