A Travel Guide to Gango-ji, Japan’s Oldest Full-Scale Buddhist Temple

“Gango-ji” traces its origins to “Hoko-ji (Asuka-dera),” founded in the Asuka period by Soga no Umako when his nephew, Emperor Sushun, ascended the throne.
With the relocation of the capital to Heijo-kyo, this “Hoko-ji” was moved to Nara in 718, and the temple name was changed to “Gango-ji.”
During the Nara period, “Gango-ji” flourished alongside “Todai-ji” and “Kofuku-ji,” and had vast grounds that covered much of what is now “Naramachi.”
After the Heian period, it declined and shrank; today it is divided into three temples—“Main Hall,” “Pagoda Ruins,” and “Small Pagoda Hall Ruins”—but what is generally referred to as “Gango-ji” is the “Main Hall.”
In 1977, it was renamed from “Gango-ji Gokuraku-bo” to “Gango-ji.”
Until the early Showa period, the grounds were in such poor condition that it was hard to imagine its current state, but postwar improvements led to restoration.

Standing straight ahead when you enter the grounds is “Gango-ji Gokuraku-do (Gokuraku-bo Main Hall).”
Up to the Nara period it was a monks’ residence, but it was remodeled in the Kamakura period and divided into a main hall and a zen room.
Its distinctive feature is that it is built so the gable side (the triangular-looking side) of its hip-and-gable roof (yosemune-zukuri), with roofs on all four sides, faces the front.
Unlike most temples, its principal object of worship is the “Chiko Mandala,” which depicts the Pure Land paradise.
Don’t miss Japan’s oldest roof tiles, still in use today since the Asuka period Approx. 1,400 years ago.

The main gate of the “Gango-ji Main Hall” is the “East Gate,” designated as an Important Cultural Property.
Records say it was built in the Kamakura period as a gate of “Todai-ji” and later moved to “Gango-ji.”
In 1244, as part of a restoration project of “Kofuku-ji,” “Gango-ji” was converted into an east-facing temple, and the “East Gate” became the main gate.
The “East Gate” is a traditional yotsuashi-mon (four-legged gate) structure made up of six pillars, roofed with hongawara-buki (traditional tiled roofing) in kirizuma-zukuri (gabled style), and its imposing appearance is breathtaking.

The long, narrow building located west of the “Gango-ji Main Hall” is the “Gango-ji Zen Room.”
In the Middle Ages, it was called “Kasuga Yogodo (Kasuga Yogodo),” a name taken from the “Yogo-ma,” where sutras were stored.
As explained, it was divided into the main hall and the zen room through remodeling in the Kamakura period.
Like the “Gango-ji Main Hall,” part of the roof uses Asuka-period tiles, and the “Gango-ji Zen Room” is also designated as a National Treasure.
Research in 2000 announced that some of the timber used in the zen room is older than that of “Horyu-ji,” the world’s oldest surviving wooden structure.

The “Five-Story Miniature Pagoda,” housed in “Horin-kan” on the south side of the Main Hall.
At 5.5 m tall, it is literally a small pagoda, but the delicate, faithfully rendered carvings and colors, crafted by hand, are beautiful and a must-see.
It isn’t large enough to enter, but because it is made like a real building down to the interior, it is designated as a National Treasure as an architectural work.
There are various theories, but the purpose for which the “Five-Story Miniature Pagoda” was made remains a mystery, which is also intriguing.
You can also enjoy seeing it with your own eyes and thinking it over.

“Tairaku-ken” is a tea room at “Gango-ji,” made up of a 4.5-tatami tea room and a 3-tatami mizuya (preparation area).
It was built in 1994 by Kawasaki Yugen, a sashimonoshi (a craftsman who builds using wood joinery without nails).
Through Kawasaki’s proven craftsmanship and affection for reclaimed old materials, it has become a superb tea space that evokes wabi-sabi.
The garden is planted with plum, chrysanthemum, orchid, and bamboo, and multiple stones—including Kurama-ishi, beloved in the world of tea—are placed throughout, making it well worth seeing.
It is usually closed to the public, and reservations are required for visits, so please note.

It began as Yamashina-dera, built as Fujiwara no Kamatari’s private temple in Yamashiro Province, Yamashina Suehara (Yamashiro no kuni, Yamashina Suehara). In Wadō 3 (710), with the move of the capital to Heijo-kyo, it was relocated to its present site under a plan by Fujiwara no Fuhito and renamed “Kofuku-ji.”
Within the grounds stand National Treasure buildings such as the Northern Round Hall, rebuilt in the Kamakura period, and the Five-Story Pagoda and Eastern Golden Hall, rebuilt in the Muromachi period, as well as Important Cultural Properties such as the Southern Round Hall, rebuilt in the Edo period.
The National Treasure Hall houses many temple treasures designated as National Treasures, including the Ashura statue and the Dry Lacquer Eight Attendant Deities Standing Statues. You can see many temple treasures and cultural properties.

The grounds are home to many National Treasure buildings, including the Daibutsu-den (Great Buddha Hall), one of the world’s largest wooden structures that houses the seated Vairocana Buddha statue, affectionately known as the “Great Buddha of Nara,” as well as Hokke-do (Sangatsu-do), the oldest building in Todai-ji, and Nandai-mon (Great South Gate), the largest temple gate in Japan.
Another highlight is Tegai-mon (Tega-i Gate) on the west side of Shosoin, which escaped two wars and lets you see traces of the original temple complex from its founding.
In 1998, it was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the “Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara,” together with Kasuga Taisha Shrine and Kofuku-ji Temple.

A park where you can enjoy precious historical and cultural heritage sites such as Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Kofuku-ji Temple, Todai-ji Temple, the Nara National Museum, and Shosoin, along with the grand, lush natural beauty of the surrounding greenery. Located in the city center, easy access to each sightseeing spot is also part of its appeal.
Many places and features are designated as Natural Monuments, including Kasugayama Primeval Forest (a Special Natural Monument), as well as the Nara deer, the Nagi tree grove within Kasuga Shrine grounds, Chisoku-in Nara no Yaezakura, and the habitat of the Loomis Blue butterfly (Loomis Shijimi).
The deer living in the park are used to people, and if you buy the “shika senbei” deer crackers sold there, you can also enjoy feeding them.

A Japanese sweets shop famous for its high-speed mochi pounding.
This high-speed mochi pounding isn’t just a performance—it’s a traditional pounding method from the owner’s hometown of Kamikitayama Village in Nara Prefecture, bringing out the mochi’s natural softness and springiness.
That commitment doesn’t stop at the method alone.
Only carefully selected ingredients are used, including glutinous rice from Saga Prefecture, high-quality azuki beans from Tokachi, Hokkaido, young yomogi (mugwort) shoots from Uwajima, Ehime, and domestically produced kinako (roasted soybean flour).
The aroma of yomogi spreads in your mouth, and the mildly sweet bean paste blends perfectly for an excellent treat.
In addition to yomogi mochi, Approx. nine types of rice crackers are also available—perfect for eating on the go.

The “Naramachi” area, lined with many machiya townhouses from the Edo to Meiji periods, has become lively in recent years with refined cafes and shops.
One of the pioneers here is “Kanakana.”
This is a renovated traditional house cafe in a machiya that’s over 100 years old, and when you step inside, it feels like tracing back to a somehow nostalgic memory.
In addition to table seating, there are also tatami seats where you can take off your shoes and eat at a low chabudai table.

Popular as a Nara souvenir, “Mahoroba Daibutsu Pudding” features a rich lineup of variations made luxuriously with local ingredients, including classic custard, Yamato tea (a Nara specialty), sake pudding made with Nara’s local sake Hatsushika, and Nara Yaezakura topped with Yoshino cherry blossoms.
So you can enjoy it with peace of mind, they use as few additives as possible and carefully handmake each one.