Admission
Free
Nara, Nara Prefecture
At a Glance
The temple offers seven different types of goshuin temple stamps, with visitors often collecting five or six at once, creating long morning queues at the stamp station.
Kofuku-ji's five-story pagoda stands approximately 50 meters tall, making it one of Japan's tallest pagodas and serving as Nara's iconic landmark visible throughout the city.
This temple offers 2 different goshuin designs
Regular
Regular
Free
Arrive at the goshuin counter before 9:00 AM if you want multiple stamps. Each hall has its own numbered stamp (about 7 types), and visitors often request 5-6 stamps, leading to long waits.
The temple grounds are located just 5 minutes walk from Kintetsu Nara Station near Sarusawa Pond, making it an ideal first stop before heading deeper into Nara Park toward Todaiji Temple and Kasuga Taisha Shrine, and wild deer frequently roam the...
Check the current restoration status of the Five-Story Pagoda before your visit, as it undergoes periodic maintenance work that may affect viewing opportunities or require scaffolding around this iconic 50-meter landmark.
Photography is strictly prohibited inside the National Treasure Hall where the famous Ashura statue and other national treasure Buddhist statues are displayed, so plan to absorb these masterpieces with your own eyes rather than through a camera lens.
Visit at different times of day to experience how changing light transforms the temple's atmosphere, with morning offering crisp views of the architecture and late afternoon providing dramatic lighting that highlights different aspects of the...
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The divine spirits venerated at this sacred place
What this place is believed to grant
5 structures on the grounds
Fascinating facts about this place
The temple offers seven different types of goshuin temple stamps, with visitors often collecting five or six at once, creating long morning queues at the stamp station.
Kofuku-ji's five-story pagoda stands approximately 50 meters tall, making it one of Japan's tallest pagodas and serving as Nara's iconic landmark visible throughout the city.
Founded in 710 during the capital's move to Nara, Kofuku-ji served as the powerful Fujiwara clan's family temple, making it a center of both Buddhist practice and political influence throughout Japanese history.
The famous Ashura statue housed in the National Treasure Hall is so beloved that visitors often spend extended time mesmerized by its three faces and six arms, each expressing different emotions of youth and contemplation.
Seasonal celebrations and special occasions
Nehan-e (Nirvana Assembly)
Buddhist service commemorating the passing of the Buddha into nirvana.
Kanbutsu-e (Buddha’s Birthday)
The Flower Festival celebrating the birth of the Buddha, bathing his image in sweet tea.
Hōjō-e (Rite of Releasing Life)
Ceremony releasing captive fish and birds as an act of compassion.
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