Visit Nara

Right on the main road through Nara Park, World Heritage Kohfukuji Temple is marked by an impressive five storey pagoda, a symbol of Nara which still dominates the landscape. Without the usual grand front gate, the entrance is surprisingly low-key, indicated only by a sign board and a path leading to the main courtyard. The first building you encounter is the nondescript concrete National Treasure Museum, but don’t miss it: it is home to some of the best Buddhist carvings in Japan including the six-armed Ashura figure.

Just beyond is the Tokondo or East Golden Hall, which has an impressive Yakushi Nyorai Buddha. The five story pagoda next to the hall is the second tallest in Japan. The two octagonal halls and a second smaller pagoda look especially beautiful around sunset and when the temple is illuminated in February. They can also be accessed from the top of Sanjo Dori, next to Sarusawa Pond.

Established with the new capital in 710, it was the family temple of the powerful Fujiwara clan and covered most of what is now Nara Park, with over 150 buildings. In the Meiji period, during a wave of anti-Buddhist policies, much of the land was confiscated, but what remains is spectacular. Kohfukuji Temple is next to Nara National Museum, a few minutes walk from Todaiji Temple and Kasugataisha Shrine and just a few steps from the main shopping area. Directly opposite the temple complex, the Nara Prefectural Office has stunning views across Nara from the rooftop.