Kōfuku-ji

Kōfuku-ji is a historic Buddhist temple in Nara, Japan, founded in 669 CE and closely linked to the powerful Fujiwara clan. It is best known for its elegant five-story pagoda, one of the tallest wooden pagodas in Japan. Located near Nara Park, Kōfuku-ji features important halls and a museum that houses valuable Buddhist art. The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara. (source : ChatGPT)

One of my recommendations for your visit to Nara. It’s on the mid-way between Nara JR station and the Todai-ji temple, a must visit place (my opinion). Just that the pagoda is being renovated. The view will be a lot more complete with the pagoda. ^^

I first visited this place in 2014. My friends and I enjoyed interacting with the deer. They’re tame and generally good natured. A cautionary note is posted for the visitors though-the deer is a wild animal so be vigilant especially during mating season (autumn, if I recall correctly) so the males are more aggressive. There are available deer biscuits for sale, which, is the only food they should be fed with. From my past experience, they’re likely to eat anything within their mouth’s reach so be careful! We didn’t visit the temple itself. Instead, we just “played” with the deer, fed them and posed with them. Overall a fun experience despite the foul poop smell. The park provides plastic covers for shoes to prevent “untoward accidents” of stepping on poop. There are also lots of snacks sold along the sidewalks in case one gets hungry. We had lunch in one of the restaurants just across the park which was really convenient.

Small temple on top of a hill. I visited this temple after visitwd the shopping street and Susawa pond. There are few deers here as well. It was not crowded when I visited. It is a Buddhist temple famous for its thousand years long history.

Koguku Jin is a wonderful place to see and interact with many deer up close. It’s a unique experience, especially for families and kids, as the deer freely roam around and are generally friendly. Feeding them is a highlight, but be careful when buying the deer biscuits—the correct price is 200 yen per pack, not 2000 yen, so don’t get tricked into paying more. Once you have the biscuits, expect the deer to come to you quickly, which can be both exciting and a little overwhelming at first! Overall, it’s a fun and memorable stop, but do come prepared with small change for the biscuits and be cautious around vendors. The setting is relaxing, and it’s a great opportunity to take photos and enjoy some time with the animals.

The ticket is 900Y for both hall. I only visited the Central Golden Hall which is 500Y. To be honest, there's not much to see here. There are Buddha statues inside, but that's pretty much it. Compared of other temples. So, I give a rate of 3 stars. The location is right next to everywhere else you are visiting in Nara which is a good thing. There's a train station nearby, Kintetsu-Nara station in case you're visiting directly from Kyoto or elsewhere.

Quite usual Japanese temple, nice but not really impressive. I wouldn’t say it’s something special-and tickets are quite expensive. Although, stuff is friendly.

We visited Kōfuku-ji during our trip to Nara and were instantly taken by its serene presence and historical charm. Located just a short walk from Nara Park, the temple stands tall as a testament to Japan’s deep-rooted Buddhist history, once part of the powerful Fujiwara clan’s temple complex. The iconic five-story pagoda greeted us from afar—elegant and timeless. As we strolled through the grounds, we felt a sense of calm despite the presence of other visitors and curious deer nearby. The Eastern Golden Hall (Tōkondō) housed some impressive Buddhist statues, and although parts of the temple grounds are still undergoing restoration, it didn’t take away from the majesty of the place. What made this visit personal was the way Kōfuku-ji blended with the city around it. It felt like a quiet anchor amidst the movement of Nara—a place where you could pause, reflect, and appreciate both history and the moment.

Yelp Review 2025 #33: One of the most popular and oldest Buddhist temples in Japan includes Kofukuji Temple in Nara. It's the temple closest to Higashimuki Shopping Street, Kintetsu Nara Station, and Nakatanidou. So, make sure you check this out even for a bit. This was the family temple of an important and most powerful Fujiwara clan during the Nara and Heian periods. Back then, the grounds had 150 buildings. Kofukuji means "the Temple that Generates Blessings." The temple grounds has seven structures you can check out: the 2 pagodas, National Treasure Hall, Eastern Golden Hall, Northern Round Hall, Southern Round Hall, and Central Golden Hall. It's free to walk around the temple grounds however, you can't enter the pagodas, and you have to pay entrance fees for Eastern Golden Hall, Central Golden Hall, and National Treasure Museum. You'll see some deers here. Read the warning signs posted. They might seem cute but they can attack people when they feel threatened.

A large sprawling complex with temples scattered around. There's lots of open space and it's free to view the temples from a distance, except the Treasure Hall, which has a fee to walk the grounds and the temple itself. Personally, I didn't find this place especially memorable or interesting, but then again, that's not what it's meant for. Worth a quick jaunt to check it out and maybe snap a picture or two, but that's about it.

This is one of the other temples that you must see in Nara. The first one is Todaiji and the other is Kofuku-ji. There are lots of sacred deer roaming around. The grounds are free to roam but you do have to pay for admission to go to certain buildings. The place is super big. There is a giant pagoda near the entrance of Kofuku-ji Temple. Overall, lots to see and yes I took a lot of pictures here. Kofuku-ji Temple is connect to Nara Park.

Part of this temple is under construction. It's once of the seven great temples of Nanto.

If you love Buddhist art, then you will love Kofuku-ji Temple! One of Nara's seven powerful Buddhist temples back in Nara Period and now a World Heritage site, Kofuku-ji does not shy in comparison to the more massive Todai-ji in historical significance. The most notable thing about this temple is that it has Japan's 2nd tallest pagoda (First being in Kyoto's Toji Temple). The ground is free to access but two buildings require an admission: the Side Main Hall and its National Treasure Museum. The Side Main Hall houses the Yushiku (Medicine Buddha) trinity among with lively set of Shitenno (Four Heavenly Kings) and the 12 Warriors of Yushiku Buddha. This is where you will find one of the most notable statues in Japanese Buddhism, the dark wooden pair of the Solar and Lunar Bodhisattva in golden backdrop and the lively Shitenno. Inside the museum are many National Treasure ranked artifacts from the temple's destroyed hall, including an impressive towering thousand-hand Kannon and the famously almost-realistic Asura statue. The Side Main Hall costs 300 yen to enter and the museum is 600, but the combo is 800 yen. However, there is no English description even inside the museum, so it's up to you to fully appreciate the Buddhist statues if you can't read Japanese. I recommend entering the paid-admission parts ONLY if you like Buddhist arts as the masterpieces inside are nowhere near grand. Since Kofuku-ji Temple is between Nara Park and the train stations though, this is a notable place to at least swing by and rest if you are walking to explore Nara. --- tl;dr version: 1) Japan's 2nd tallest pagoda 2) Paid admission area only worth if you love Buddhist arts

Kofukuji temple is lovely...it is the first stop for most tourists in Nara... After living in Nara for a couple of years I have sooo many photos of this temple! I would jog through here, or zoom past it on my bicycle...or take a short cut through here on my way to work, so I have seen it in all types of weather, at all times of the year. It is always beaaaaautiful! There are lots of vending machines if you *need* ice-cream or a drink, and there is normally someone selling shika senbei (the crackers made out of straw that people feed to the deer) Buy some shika senbei, and then you can have deer chase you around the temple grounds until they are all munched! If you hold a senbei up to the deer, sometimes they will "bow" their heads (they're clever little dudes so they realise that bowing to humans might result in more food!!) To get here: - From Kintetsu Nara station, come out of the station, walk up the hill and you'll see it on your right. Or turn right down Higashimuki doori, then turn left half way down the shopping arcade to enter the temple from the back. - From JR Nara station, just walk straight up Sanjo doori (all the way) until you see a pond (Sarusawa ike) on your right, there are some steps to the left to enter the temple. - If you'd like a birds eye view of the temple, head over to the Kencho (the government building opposite) where you can go to the roof and look down at all the World Heritage sights.

You should visit here while on your way to the nearby world heritage site. There is an entrance fee, but all you need is a quick look outside unless you want to see ancient buddhist artworks.

This is a nice temple located near numerous others and Nara park. You will enjoy a nice view. You will also see a five story pagoda. Well worth the visit if you are in route to Nara Park or Todaiji Temple.