# Horyu-ji, Nara > Horyu-ji is a temple founded by Prince Shotoku in 607. Its Golden Hall and five-storey pagoda are considered the world's oldest wooden buildings, and the temple was Japan's first UNESCO site. It stands 12 km from central Nara. A combined ticket is about ¥2,000. It opens at 8:00, closing at 16:30 from November to February. From Nara it's 12 minutes by JR. Web page: https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/horyu-ji - City: [Nara](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara), Japan - YesGo score: 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 2 h 30 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: About ¥2,000 — three precincts - Hours: 8:00–17:00; November–February to 16:30 - Closed: Open every day - Highlight: A 7th-century pagoda and Golden Hall - Where: Ikaruga, 12 km from central Nara - Getting there: JR from Nara to Horyuji, 12 minutes, then bus or 20 minutes on foot - Coordinates: 34.61444, 135.73417 - Facts checked: 09.11.2026 ## Key facts - **607** — the year Prince Shotoku founded the temple (source: en.wikipedia) - **Oldest** — wooden buildings in the world — the Golden Hall and pagoda (source: en.wikipedia) - **1993** — Japan's first UNESCO site — together with Himeji (source: en.wikipedia) - **3 precincts** — western, eastern and the treasure hall (source: en.wikipedia) - **Yumedono** — the octagonal Hall of Dreams in the eastern precinct (source: en.wikipedia) - **Kudara Kannon** — a famous statue in the treasure hall (source: en.wikipedia) - **≈ ¥2,000** — combined ticket (source: japan-guide.com) - **12 km** — from central Nara (source: travel guides) ## What is Horyu-ji? **Horyu-ji** is a Buddhist temple in the small town of **Ikaruga**, south-west of Nara. It was founded by **Prince Shotoku** in **607** — the same prince who founded Shitenno-ji in Osaka. Together with its neighbours, as the 'Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area', it became Japan's first UNESCO site in **1993**. Its greatest treasures are the **Golden Hall** and the **five-storey pagoda** in the western precinct. They're considered **the oldest surviving wooden buildings in the world**, more than 1,300 years old. Inside are statues as old as the buildings themselves. > **It's a separate trip** Horyu-ji isn't in Nara Park but 12 km from the centre. Allow half a day including travel. The ticket office closes earlier than in Nara: from November to February the temple closes at 16:30, so set off in the morning or straight after lunch. ## The temple's three precincts The temple has three parts, and according to guides a combined ticket for all three costs **about ¥2,000**. The **western precinct** (Sai-in) holds the Golden Hall and pagoda inside a covered gallery. The **treasure hall**, Daihozoin, is a modern building with the **Kudara Kannon** statue and the lacquered **Tamamushi** shrine. The **eastern precinct** (To-in) has the octagonal **Yumedono**, the 'Hall of Dreams', built on the site of Prince Shotoku's palace. Next to it is the small Chugu-ji nunnery with a wooden statue of the bodhisattva Miroku; entry there is separate, about ¥600. ## What to see - **The five-storey pagoda** — 7th century. - **The Golden Hall** with ancient statues. - **The treasure hall** — Kudara Kannon and Tamamushi. - **Yumedono** — the octagonal Hall of Dreams. - **Chugu-ji** — the Miroku statue. - **The pine avenue** to the South Gate. ## How to get to Horyu-ji 1. **From JR Nara** — JR Yamatoji line to Horyuji station, about 12 minutes. 2. **From Horyuji station** — about 20 minutes on foot, or bus 72 to Horyuji-sando. 3. **Bus 98** from JR and Kintetsu Nara stations to Horyuji-mae — about an hour, once an hour. 4. **Back to Nara** — bus 97 or JR. 5. **From Osaka** — JR Yamatoji line from Tennoji to Horyuji, about 30 minutes. ## Horyu-ji or Todai-ji | | Horyu-ji | Todai-ji | | --- | --- | --- | | Highlight | The oldest wooden buildings | The Great Buddha | | Where | 12 km from the centre | In Nara Park | | Entry | ≈ ¥2,000 | ¥800 | | Crowds | Few | Many | ## How long do you need? Allow **2–2.5 hours** for all three precincts: the grounds are large, and you'll want to linger in the treasure hall. With the journey from Nara, it's **half a day**. It's easy to do on the way: the JR line from Osaka runs through Horyuji station to Nara. Get off at Horyuji in the morning, see the temple and continue to Nara for the park and Todai-ji — that way you see the region's two great sanctuaries in one day. Around the temple are the quiet lanes of Ikaruga, with fields and old houses. It's noticeably calmer than central Nara: few tour groups, and no deer at all. ## Is Horyu-ji worth visiting? Yes, if you're interested in history and architecture: only here can you stand beside wooden buildings more than 1,300 years old. The YesGo take: the temple looks more modest and calmer than Todai-ji — no giant Buddha, no deer, and a pricier ticket. Without an interest in antiquity it can feel a little dull. But if you love history, Horyu-ji is the most important thing to see in the Nara region. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] About ¥2,000 for entry - [ ] Leave in the morning — closes 16:30 in winter - [ ] Bus timetable - [ ] Comfortable shoes - [ ] Chugu-ji next door ## Nara temples: compare and choose Temples and shrines in Nara rated by YesGo. - [Todai-ji](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/todai-ji) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ¥800 - [Kofuku-ji](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/kofuku-ji) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · grounds free; museum ≈ ¥900 - [Kasuga Taisha](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/kasuga-taisha) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · outer area free; corridors ¥700 - [Yakushi-ji](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/yakushi-ji) — YesGo score 32/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ¥1,000 - [Horyu-ji](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/horyu-ji) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ≈ ¥2,000 ## Ancient Nara in a day Horyu-ji in Ikaruga in the morning, Todai-ji's Great Buddha at midday, and the deer of Nara Park in the evening. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Horyu-ji](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/horyu-ji) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ≈ ¥2,000 2. [Todai-ji](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/todai-ji) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ¥800 3. [Nara Park](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/nara-park) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · free ## Good to know Horyu-ji is not Todai-ji or the temples of Nara Park: it stands in the separate town of Ikaruga. It is also written Horyuji. ## Tips - It's a half-day trip. - In winter it closes at 16:30. - Don't miss the treasure hall. - Chugu-ji needs a separate ticket. - Next: [Todai-ji](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/todai-ji). ## Questions ### How much is entry to Horyu-ji? About ¥2,000 for the combined ticket, according to guides. ### What are the opening hours? 8:00–17:00; until 16:30 from early November to late February. ### How do I get there from Nara? JR to Horyuji station, 12 minutes, then a bus or 20 minutes on foot. ### Why is Horyu-ji famous? Its Golden Hall and pagoda are the world's oldest wooden buildings. ### When was the temple founded? In 607, by Prince Shotoku. ### How long do you need? 2–2.5 hours, half a day with travel. ### Is it ever closed? No, the temple opens every day. ### What's nearby? Chugu-ji nunnery with its Miroku statue. ## How we checked The founding, precincts, oldest-building status and UNESCO are from Wikipedia; we don't cover the history of fires and rebuilding. Price and hours are from japan-guide.com, so they are marked 'being checked': other guides give a lower price (¥1,500). Time needed is the YesGo estimate. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Hōryū-ji — founding, precincts, oldest buildings, UNESCO - japan-guide.com — price, hours, access, Chugu-ji (unofficial; horyuji.or.jp didn't load on 09.11.2026) - Wikidata Q261932 — coordinates --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.