# Kofuku-ji, Nara

> Kofuku-ji is the Fujiwara clan's temple at the entrance to Nara Park and a UNESCO site. The grounds are free and always open. Paid areas are the museum with the three-faced Ashura statue (about ¥900) and two Golden Halls. The halls open 9:00–17:00. The five-storey pagoda is under scaffolding for restoration until 2034. It's 5 minutes on foot from Kintetsu-Nara station.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/kofuku-ji

- City: [Nara](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara), Japan
- YesGo score: 44/100 (Yes, if nearby)
- Time on site: 1 h
- Entry: grounds free; museum ≈ ¥900
- Opening hours: Grounds 24 hours; halls and museum 9:00–17:00, last entry 16:45
- With kids: Fine with kids
- Grounds: Free, always open
- National Treasure Museum: About ¥900
- Golden Halls: About ¥500 each; all three ≈ ¥1,600
- Hall hours: 9:00–17:00, last entry 16:45
- Pagoda: Under restoration scaffolding until 2034
- Getting there: 5 minutes on foot from Kintetsu-Nara
- Coordinates: 34.68321, 135.83130
- Facts checked: 09.11.2026

## Key facts

- **710** — the year the temple moved to Nara with the capital (source: japan-guide.com)
- **50 m** — height of the five-storey pagoda — Japan's second tallest (source: japan-guide.com)
- **1426** — the year the pagoda was last rebuilt (source: japan-guide.com)
- **2018** — the rebuilt Central Golden Hall opened (source: japan-guide.com)
- **Ashura** — a three-faced, six-armed statue — among Japan's most famous (source: japan-guide.com)
- **Fujiwara** — the clan whose family temple Kofuku-ji was (source: en.wikipedia)
- **2034** — until March — the pagoda's restoration under scaffolding (source: japan-guide.com)
- **Free** — temple grounds, around the clock (source: japan-guide.com)

## What is Kofuku-ji?

**Kofuku-ji** was the family temple of the **Fujiwara**, the most powerful aristocratic clan of the Nara and Heian periods. It moved to Nara in **710** along with the capital, and at its height had more than 150 buildings. Today it stands on the western edge of Nara Park, a few minutes from the station, and is part of the UNESCO-listed Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara.

The symbol of the temple and of Nara itself is the **five-storey pagoda**, **50 metres** tall — Japan's second-tallest wooden pagoda after the one at To-ji in Kyoto. The present structure dates from 1426. Next to it stand the **Central Golden Hall**, rebuilt at its original size and opened in **2018**, and the Eastern Golden Hall with its statue of the Healing Buddha.

> **The pagoda is under scaffolding** Since July 2023 the five-storey pagoda has been covered in scaffolding for a major restoration — according to guides, until March 2034. You can't see it against the sky for now, and the pagoda isn't open to visitors even in normal times. The Central Hall, the museum and the three-storey pagoda are open as usual.

## What's paid and what it costs

The temple grounds are **free** and open around the clock — you cross them on the way from the deer park. Three things charge entry: the **National Treasure Museum** (Kokuhokan) at about **¥900**, and the Central and Eastern Golden Halls at about ¥500 each, or about ¥1,600 for all three. We took these prices from guides.

The museum's star is the **Ashura** statue with three faces and six arms, one of Japan's best-loved Buddhist sculptures. Beside it are other 8th-century dry-lacquer statues. The halls and museum open 9:00 to 17:00, with last entry at 16:45.

## What to see

- **The National Treasure Museum** — the Ashura statue.
- **The Central Golden Hall** — vermilion, from 2018.
- **The Eastern Golden Hall** with its Yakushi statue.
- **The five-storey pagoda** — currently under scaffolding.
- **The three-storey pagoda** on the southern slope.
- **Sarusawa Pond** — just south of the temple.

## How to get to Kofuku-ji

1. **From Kintetsu-Nara** — about 5 minutes on foot east.
2. **From JR Nara** — about 20 minutes on foot, or the loop bus, 5–7 minutes.
3. **From Osaka** — Kintetsu from Osaka-Namba, about 40 minutes.
4. **From Kyoto** — Kintetsu, about 45 minutes.
5. **To Todai-ji** — about 15 minutes on foot through the park.

## Kofuku-ji or Todai-ji

|  | Kofuku-ji | Todai-ji |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Highlight | The Ashura statue, the pagoda | The Great Buddha |
| Grounds | Free, 24 hours | Free |
| Ticket | Museum ≈ ¥900 | ¥800 |
| From the station | 5 minutes | 20 minutes |

## How long do you need?

Allow **about an hour** for Kofuku-ji: walk the grounds, visit the museum for Ashura and see the Central Golden Hall. If you're in a hurry, 20 minutes on the free grounds is enough.

The temple is the first stop on the way from the station to the deer park and Todai-ji. In the evening, when the halls are closed, you can still walk the grounds freely — they're open around the clock.

Walk down to **Sarusawa Pond** south of the temple for the classic view of the temple above the water. Beyond the pond begins the old Naramachi quarter, with wooden houses and cafés.

## Is Kofuku-ji worth visiting?

Yes: it's on the way, the grounds are free, and the museum with Ashura holds one of Japan's finest collections of Buddhist sculpture.

The YesGo take: while the pagoda is under scaffolding, the temple's signature view is lost, which disappoints those who came for the postcard shot. But the museum makes up for it. If you love art, buy a museum ticket; if not, walk the grounds for free and head for the deer.

## Before you go: checklist

- [ ] About ¥900 for the museum
- [ ] Halls — last entry 16:45
- [ ] The pagoda is under scaffolding
- [ ] Sarusawa Pond — to the south
- [ ] The deer and Todai-ji next

## 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

## Nara in a day

The deer and Kofuku-ji in the morning, Todai-ji's Great Buddha at midday, and the lanterns of Kasuga Taisha in the afternoon. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

1. [Kofuku-ji](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/kofuku-ji) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · grounds free; museum ≈ ¥900
2. [Nara Park](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/nara-park) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · free
3. [Todai-ji](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/todai-ji) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ¥800
4. [Kasuga Taisha](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/kasuga-taisha) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · outer area free; corridors ¥700

## Good to know

Kofuku-ji in Nara is not the temples of the same name in Nagasaki and elsewhere. It is also written Kofukuji or Kohfukuji.

## Tips

- The grounds are free and always open.
- The highlight is the Ashura statue in the museum.
- The pagoda is under scaffolding until 2034.
- For the view over water: Sarusawa Pond.
- Next: [Nara Park](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/nara-park).

## Questions

### How much is entry to Kofuku-ji?

The grounds are free; the museum is about ¥900, the halls about ¥500.

### What are the opening hours?

Grounds always; halls and museum 9:00–17:00, last entry 16:45.

### Why is the pagoda under scaffolding?

It's being restored — according to guides, until March 2034.

### What is the Ashura statue?

A three-faced, six-armed 8th-century statue in the temple museum.

### How do I get there?

5 minutes on foot from Kintetsu-Nara station.

### Can I go inside the pagoda?

No, the pagodas are closed to visitors.

### How long do you need?

About an hour.

### What's nearby?

Nara Park and its deer, Sarusawa Pond and the Naramachi quarter.

## How we checked

The temple's official site didn't load from the server, so prices, hours and the pagoda restoration dates are from japan-guide.com and marked 'being checked': other guides give lower museum prices (¥600–700). The Fujiwara clan and UNESCO are from Wikipedia. We don't cover the history of fires at the temple.

## Sources

- japan-guide.com — history, the pagoda and its restoration, Ashura, prices, hours, access (unofficial; kohfukuji.com didn't load on 09.11.2026)
- English Wikipedia: Kōfuku-ji — Fujiwara clan, UNESCO
- Wikidata Q1070863 — coordinates

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