Temples Southwest of Nara

Introducing Temples Southwest of Nara

While Nara City has some impressively ancient temples and Buddhist statues, if you want to go right back to the roots of Japanese Buddhism it’s necessary to head to three temples southwest of Nara: Hōryū-ji, Yakushi-ji and Tōshōdai-ji.

Hōryū-ji is one of the most important temples in all of Japan, largely for historical reasons. However, its appeal is more academic than aesthetic, and it’s quite a slog to get there. Thus, for most people we recommend a half-day trip to Yakushi-ji and Tōshōdai-ji, which are easy to get to from Nara and very pleasant for strolling.

If you do want to visit all three temples, we recommend heading to Hōryū-ji first (it’s the most distant from the centre of Nara) and then continuing by bus 52, 97 or 98 (¥560, 39 minutes) up to Yakushi-ji and Tōshōdai-ji, which are a 10-minute walk apart (for more on getting to/from these temples, see the respective entries). Obviously, this can also be done in reverse. Of all the buses that ply the southwest temple route, bus 97 is the most convenient, with English announcements and route maps.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009