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Home - Travel - Sightseeing Guide - Kansai - Nara
Kofukuji Temple	# 4   of 16 most visited sights in Nara
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The Eastern Golden Hall and Five Story Pagoda Kofukuji used to be the family temple of the Fujiwara, the most powerful family clan during much of the Nara and Heian Periods. The temple was established in Nara at the same time as the capital in 710. At the height of Fujiwara power, the temple consisted of over 150 buildings. Today a couple of buildings of great historic value remain, including a five story pagoda and a three story pagoda. At 50 meters, the five story pagoda is Japan's second tallest, just seven meters shorter than the five story pagoda at Kyoto's Toji Temple. Kofukuji's pagoda is both a landmark and symbol of Nara. It was first built in 730, and was most recently rebuilt in 1426. Northern Octagonal Hall Three Story Pagoda While entrance to Kofukuji's temple grounds is free and possible around the clock, there are two areas that require paying an entrance fee: Kofukuji's Treasure House and the Eastern Golden Hall. The Treasure House exhibits part of the temple's great art collection, including many old Buddhist statues. The Eastern Golden Hall, located just beside, features a large wooden statue of the Yakushi Buddha. Another pair of interesting buildings are the Northern and Southern Octagonal Halls. They both originally date back over a thousand years, and their present reconstructions were completed in 1789 and 1210 respectively. The buildings also house some of the temple's treasured artifacts, but are only open to the public a few days a year. More temple treasures were held at Kofukuji's main building, the Central Golden Hall, which is presently being reconstructed. The treasures are currently stored in a temporary building just behind the former main hall. Reconstruction of the Central Golden Hall is estimated to last until 2015. Construction Notice: As mentioned above, the Central Golden Hall is presently being reconstructed and scheduled to be completed in October 2018. Further reconstruction works around the hall are planned to continue until 2023. Despite the construction works, a visit to Kofukuji is still recommended. Reconstruction of the Central Golden Hall (as of March 2010) Any Questions? Ask them in our question forum.

How to get there

Kofukuji is a five minute walk from Kintetsu Nara Station, or a 20 minute walk from JR Nara Station. Kofukuji can also be reached from JR Nara Station by clockwise running loop bus number 2 or any of the buses bound for Kasuga Taisha (7 minutes, 180 yen). Get off at Kencho-mae bus stop. How to get to and around Nara

Hours and Fees

Hours: 9:00 to 17:00 (Treasure House and Eastern Golden Hall) Closed: No closing days Admission: 500 yen (Treasure House), 300 yen (Eastern Golden Hall)

Hotels and Ryokan

Sponsor Hotels Hotel New Wakasa 5 min walk to Todaiji Temple and Great Buddha. Wireless Internet in lobby. Rooftop open-air Jacuzzi. Private onsen baths. Asukaso A fine ryokan with hot spring bath offering views of the famous five-story pagoda. Located in the heart of Nara town.

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News and Reports

December 1, 2011 Nara Autumn Color Report by schauwecker Nara Autumn Color Report November 18, 2010 Nara Cherry Blossom Report April 3, 2010 Yoshino Cherry Blossom Report April 6, 2010 Nara Cherry Blossom Report March 26, 2010 Wakakusa Yamayaki January 23, 2010 Nara Autumn Color Report November 23, 2009 Nara Cherry Blossom Report April 3, 2009

Travel Community

Ratings for Kofukuji Temple: japan-guide.com Rating:   outstanding   User Rating (by 422 users): 81/100   recommended Popularity of Kofukuji Temple: Users who have been to Nara: 2748 Users who have been to Kofukuji Temple: 786 4th of 16 most visited sights in Nara. 60th of 726 most visited sights nationwide. Have you been to Kofukuji Temple? No - I have not been there yetYes - no ratingYes - highly recommendedYes - recommendedYes - mildly interestingYes - nothing specialYes - not recommended User Feedback We strive to keep japan-guide.com up-to-date and accurate, and are always looking for ways to improve the user experience. If you have any updates, suggestions, corrections or opinions, please let us know:

Tours and Packages

Nara Tours Various tours and travel packages for Nara and surroundings.

English Links

Kofukuji Temple English information on the official website.

Japanese Links

Kofukuji Temple Official website.