Kofukuji Temple — Five-Story Pagoda & Buddhist Treasures

Kofukuji (興福寺) is a UNESCO World Heritage temple founded in 669 AD as the clan temple of the powerful Fujiwara family, serving as one of Nara's Seven Great Temples. The temple's symbol is its five-story pagoda (50.1 meters tall, Japan's second-tallest wooden pagoda) which has burned and been rebuilt five times — the current structure dates to 1426. The pagoda and its reflection in Sarusawa Pond create Nara's most photographed scene.

The temple grounds are free to walk, creating an unusual openness compared to most major temples. The National Treasure Museum (国宝館) houses Japan's finest collection of Buddhist sculpture including the iconic three-faced, six-armed Ashura statue (阿修羅像) from 734 AD — one of the most beautiful Buddhist sculptures in existence, depicting a youth's face with a haunting, melancholic expression. The collection includes over 100 National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties, making it one of Japan's premier Buddhist art repositories. The temple suffered centuries of decline after Nara lost its capital status but has been undergoing restoration since the Meiji Period.