Yakushiji Temple
457 Nishinokyocho, Nara, Kansai, 630-8563
Beautiful Yakushiji Temple in western Nara holds more than a millennium of spiritual and architectural history. Although the current main hall was rebuilt in the 1970s after a fire, the multitiered east pagoda dates from the year 730. This Buddhist temple is lesser-known by tourists than Nara’s other UNESCO-listed landmarks, because it lies beyond the ever-popular Nara Park.
The basics
With its red-and-white main hall flanked by two multitiered pagodas, Nara’s Yakushiji Temple might be exactly what springs to mind when you think of a typical East Asian Buddhist temple. It’s the head temple of Japan’s Hosso Sect of Buddhism, and its complex includes the addition of the Genjo-sanzoin Garan, which houses the remains of an important 7th-century Chinese monk. The site is important for spiritual visitors, but anyone can appreciate its architecture and art.
Many travelers visit the temple independently and combine it with nearby Toshodaiji Temple. Some guided tours of Nara include a stop at Yakushiji, though many focus more on Nara Park, so you may want to consider a customizable private tour.
Things to know before you go
- Entry to the temple is ticketed. Admission is lower-priced when the Genjo-sanzoin Garan section of the complex is closed.
- Tickets can only be purchased with cash, so make sure to bring some.
- Most of the complex is outdoors, so dress appropriately for the weather.
How to get there
Many visitors to the city head right to Nara Park and its nearby sights, but Yakushiji is further west, and easy to reach on the Kintetsu–Kashihara train line. It’s close to Nishinokyo Station, which is just north of the temple. If you’d rather take a bus, bus numbers 72, 78, and 98 connect to temple from Kintetsu Nara Station.
When to get there
The temple is open daily from morning until early evening. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing time. While the main temple doesn’t have any closing days, the Genjo-sanzoin Garan section is closed during several periods throughout the year (mid–January through February, July–September, except during the Obon festival in mid-August, and December).
Visit nearby Toshodaiji Temple
Many visitors combine a trip to Yakushiji with Toshodaiji, which is close by. The 8th-century temple is also significant in the development of Japanese Buddhism and has a distinct architectural style that is quite different from other temples in Nara. It was fully dismantled and renovated in the 2000s, so visitors can enjoy this spruced-up attraction.
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