Kofukuji Temple

Kofukuji is one of the oldest and most important temple complexes of Nara. The temple was erected on a hill overlooking Lake Sarusawa as a sanctuary of the Fujiwara clan, the most influential clan of the Heian era.

Originated as a family temple Kofukuji already in the 20s of the VIII century became an official temple and maintained this status for centuries. A merciless time was cruel to him. The history of Kofukuji is filled with fire and destruction. Only during the XI century. the temple burned three times. As a result, of the 175 buildings that made up the complex, only a few precious buildings survived. Today we can see the Tokondo (East Pavilion), the octagonal Hokuendo Pavilion with a statue of Miroku bosatsu by Master Unkei, a three-tier and five-tier pagoda. The five-tier pagoda, almost 55 meters high, reflected in the waters of Lake Sarusawa, is visible from anywhere in the city. She became a symbol of Nara.

The temple exhibits remarkable creations of sculptors of different eras, starting from the VII century. and up to the XIII-XIV centuries. Many of them are among the best examples of Japanese sculpture. The core values of the Kofukuji temple are kept in the Kokuhokan treasury.

In the temple park live more than a thousand tame deer, considered sacred animals, messengers of the gods. There are tents all over the park where special cookies are sold. At the same time, they are not afraid of people at all, on the contrary, they can specifically follow a person with a demand for food.