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Dddeco / CC BY-SA 3.0
Shin-Yakushi-ji
新薬師寺Nara · Kansai
Founded in 747 by Empress Komyo to pray for her ailing husband's recovery, this modest temple's single surviving hall holds one of Nara's most quietly powerful sights: a seated Yakushi Nyorai (Buddha of Healing) ringed by the twelve life-size Heavenly Generals, the oldest surviving set of these clay guardian statues in Japan. Eleven of the twelve are designated National Treasures, yet the low wooden hall rarely holds more than a handful of visitors at a time.
- Best season
- Year-round
- Year-round; quiet any season
- Crowd level
- Moderate
- Rating
- 4.5· 1,300 reviews
- Opening hours
- Daily 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Admission
- Adults and university students ¥600; high school/junior high ¥350; elementary ¥150. Groups (30+) ¥550. Open 09:00–17:00, no closing days.
- Nearest station
- Kintetsu Nara Station
- Website
- shinyakushiji.or.jp
Usual hours — confirm with the official site for holidays + seasonal closures.
Today
9:00–17:00Admission
- Adults and university students ¥600; high school/junior high ¥350; elementary ¥150. Groups (30+) ¥550. Open 09:00–17:00, no closing days.
Stored weekly hours
Daily 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tags
templehistoryquietoff the beaten path
Location
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