Kofuku-ji

興福寺

Nara's landmark five-story pagoda and the Ashura statue in the National Treasure House. The family temple of the Fujiwara clan, just a short walk from Kintetsu Nara Station. A UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Kofuku-ji sits on a raised terrace a 5-minute walk east of Kintetsu Nara Station. It is the family temple of the Fujiwara clan, moved here from Asuka in 710 by Fujiwara no Fuhito when the capital was relocated to Heijō-kyō. It was at the height of its power during the Nara and Heian periods, and at one time had more than 170 buildings. After the anti-Buddhist movement in the early Meiji period, it fell into decline, but today it is inscribed as part of the “Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara” UNESCO World Heritage Site. Highlights include: the five-story pagoda, about 50 meters tall and the second-tallest wooden pagoda in Japan after Toji in Kyoto. Rebuilt in 1426, it is the most classic view in Nara when seen from the opposite bank of Sarusawa Pond, its reflection shimmering in the water. (Note: the pagoda is undergoing its first major repair in about 120 years, expected to finish around 2030, and is currently covered with scaffolding and screens.) The National Treasure House holds the Ashura statue, the most popular Buddhist sculpture in Japan. Made of dry lacquer in the Tenpyo period, it has three faces, six arms, and a youthful appearance. The museum also holds National Treasures such as the Eight Legion, the Ten Great Disciples, and the Thousand-Armed Kannon. It is one of the must-see museums in Nara. The Chukondo (Middle Golden Hall), rebuilt in 2018, recreates the vermilion pillars and blue lattice windows of the Tenpyo period. The Tokondo (East Golden Hall) stands alongside the five-story pagoda, and the Hokuendo (North Octagonal Hall) and Nan’endo (South Octagonal Hall) each have their own character. Admission: National Treasure House 700 yen, Tokondo 300 yen, Chukondo 500 yen, and a combined ticket for the National Treasure House and Tokondo costs 900 yen. Walking around the grounds is free. Allow about 1 hour. Getting there: go east from Exit 1 of Kintetsu Nara Station, or walk about 15 minutes from JR Nara Station. Note: photography is not allowed in the National Treasure House. The lanterns along Sarusawa Pond are lit in the evening, making it a pleasant walking route back to the station from Naramachi. On the third Friday and Saturday of May each year, the Takigi Noh performance is held here.

Kofuku-ji

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