The Kyoto National Museum is one of Japan's oldest and most important museums of Japanese art and archaeology. Its collections, most of which date from the Heian period (794-1185) to the Edo period (1615-1868), comprise some of the nation's most significant masterworks, including entrusted treasures from temples and shrines. Exhibitions in the new Heisei Chishinkan Wing are rotated monthly, while major special exhibitions are held in the spring and autumn. The KNM also engages in research, surveys of temple and shrine collections, educational programs, conservation, and other activities.