Yakushiji Temple

What to know

Yakushiji (薬師寺) was built by Emperor Tenmu in the late 7th century to pray for his ailing wife's recovery. As one of Japan's oldest temples, it features a strictly symmetrical layout: the main hall and lecture hall align on a central axis, flanked by two pagodas.

The main hall, rebuilt in the 1970s after a fire, houses a Yakushi Trinity, a masterpiece of Japanese Buddhist art. The East Pagoda, dating from 730, is the only original structure to survive the many fires that have struck the temple over the centuries. It appears to have six stories but actually has only three, like the West Pagoda.

The Genjo-sanzoin Garan, built in 1991, is a newer complex just north of the main area. It honors the 7th-century Chinese monk Genjo-sanzo, renowned for his travels to India and Central Asia. Yakushiji is the head temple of the Hosso Sect of Japanese Buddhism, which was deeply influenced by Genjo-sanzo's teachings.

The main building of Genjo-sanzoin Garan is a central octagonal hall enshrining some of Genjo-sanzo's remains. Behind it is a building displaying works by Hirayama Ikuo, one of Japan's most celebrated painters, who died in 2009. His paintings depict scenes from Genjo-sanzo's journeys, which inspired his art. However, this complex is open to the public only during special periods.

The temple is right next to Nishinokyo Station, accessible from Kintetsu Nara Station via the Kintetsu Nara Line to Yamato-Saidaiji Station, then transferring to the Kintetsu Kashihara Line. The trip takes about 25 minutes and costs 300 yen.

Buses 72, 78, and 98 run about three times per hour from Kintetsu Nara Station (20 minutes, 310 yen) and JR Nara Station (15 minutes, 310 yen) to Yakushiji. The closest stops are Yakushiji (for buses 72 and 78) and Yakushiji Chushajo (for bus 98).