Yakushi-ji Temple

The Sacred Home of Japan’s

Medicine Buddha

Founded in 680 by Emperor Tenmu to pray for the recovery of his ailing wife, Yakushi-ji Temple stands as one of Japan’s most important early Buddhist temples. Originally built in Fujiwara-kyo and later relocated to Nara, it has long served as the head temple of the Hossō sect, and continues to be a living center of worship and cultural preservation.

Yakushi-ji is best known for its twin pagodas, symbolizing balance and harmony. The East Pagoda, dating from the 8th century, is the only original structure to have survived fires and wars over the centuries. Often praised for its “frozen music” design, it represents a pinnacle of Buddhist architecture from the Nara period.

At the heart of the temple lies a statue of Yakushi Nyorai, the Medicine Buddha, flanked by attendants. This powerful triad reflects the temple’s founding purpose of healing—both physical and spiritual. Visitors today come not only for its art and architecture but for its serene atmosphere and deep historical resonance.

Explore the Sights

See photos that bring Yakushi-ji Temple to life.

View of traditional Japanese temple architecture with a multi-tiered pagoda in the background, red and white wooden structures, and a clear blue sky.
Traditional Japanese temple with red wooden beams and dark gray tiled roof against a clear blue sky.
Traditional Japanese temple with red and white walls, dark tiled roof, and decorative golden accents, set against a clear blue sky, with a gravel courtyard and a few visitors walking around.
A traditional Japanese five-story pagoda with red and white colors, surrounded by trees, clear blue sky, and a person standing in front.
A traditional Japanese temple with multiple tiered, curved roofs, red and white walls, and wooden details, set against a clear blue sky.
Traditional Japanese temple with multi-tiered roof structure, wooden beams, and ornate design, set against a clear blue sky.
Traditional Japanese temple complex with a large main hall and a five-story pagoda, under a clear blue sky.
A traditional multi-story Japanese pagoda with wooden construction, dark roof tiles, and intricate architecture, set against a clear blue sky, with surrounding buildings and courtyard.
A traditional Japanese multi-tiered wooden temple building under a clear blue sky, with a stone path and lantern in the foreground and small groups of people walking around.
Close-up of traditional Japanese temple roof with layered eaves, decorative woodwork, and a shimenawa (sacred rope) hanging on the wooden structure.
A corridor with wooden pillars and a curved wooden roof, leading to a door with green window panels in a traditional East Asian building.
Traditional Japanese pagoda with five tiers, surrounded by a corridor with red and white walls, set against a clear blue sky and some green trees in the background.
A large, colorful statue of a warrior in traditional armor, holding a sword and standing on a platform inside a wooden structure with a roof, surrounded by trees.
Colorful statue of a fierce figure, possibly a mythological or religious character, inside a traditional wooden structure with a roof, surrounded by a wooden fence, and trees outside.
A traditional Japanese temple with red and white walls, two multi-tiered pagoda towers on either side, and a spacious paved courtyard under a clear blue sky.
Traditional Japanese temple buildings with red and white color schemes, pagoda-style towers, a clear blue sky, and a grassy courtyard in the foreground.
Traditional Japanese temple building with wooden structure, curved tiled roof, and steps leading up to entrance, surrounded by trees with some autumn foliage.
Traditional Japanese wooden temple with open sliding doors, surrounded by green trees and a small wooden fence, set against a blue sky.
Traditional Japanese pagoda viewed through an open temple gate with blue sky and trees in the background.
Traditional Japanese temple with multiple tiers and pagoda-style architecture, surrounded by a spacious courtyard and visitors, under a clear blue sky.
View of traditional Japanese temple with carved wooden statues of Buddha and attendants inside, partially visible through an open red wooden door with circular decorations, surrounded by a railing.
A traditional Japanese shrine with a blue-tiled roof, surrounded by trees with autumn foliage, and two stone statues in front.