Important cultural property

The Main Hall of Fudoin in Hongo-cho, Yamato-Takada City, Nara Prefecture, is a late Muromachi-period Buddhist hall built in 1483 by Taima Tamenaga, lord of Takada Castle. Its five-bay-square plan, hipped roof, and traditional Japanese tile roof preserve a classic medieval temple form. Designated a national Important Cultural Property in 1925, it is the only such property within Yamato-Takada City. The enshrined Dainichi Nyorai statue, also a nationally designated Important Cultural Property, is a fine example of late Heian sculpture. Famous locally for its hydrangeas and just a few minutes' walk from Takada Station.

The Chūin Hondō, built in 1434, is a sub-temple hall at Hōryū-ji. A three-bay Important Cultural Property, it is entered from its gable end in the Muromachi style.

Tsumamuro is a plain monks' dormitory of about 1121 in Hōryūji's West Precinct, a 27-bay hall that housed the monks who served the senior priests next door.

The Yakushibou Kuri, an Important Cultural Property standing behind the National Treasure Saiendo (West Round Hall) at the UNESCO World Heritage Horyuji Temple, is a late Muromachi-period monastic kitchen and living quarters. This 18-meter wooden structure features a distinctive dual roof design and preserves the daily living spaces of the monks who served the revered Medicine Buddha hall.

The Hori Family Residence in Nishi-Yoshino, Gojo City, Nara Prefecture, is one of Japan's oldest surviving private dwellings, dating to the late Muromachi period and designated as an Important Cultural Property. During the Nanbokuchō period, it served as the imperial residence for four Southern Court emperors including Emperor Go-Daigo. With its majestic thatched roof and dramatic history, the site was renovated in 2019 as KANAU, offering dining and accommodation experiences within a centuries-old imperial estate.

Matsuo-dera Temple in Yamatokoriyama, Nara Prefecture, is Japan's oldest yakuyoke (evil-warding) temple, founded in 718 by Imperial Prince Toneri. The Main Hall, rebuilt in 1337, is designated as an Important Cultural Property for its rare Shin-Wayō architecture blending traditional Japanese and Great Buddha styles. Discover this historic mountain temple with its secret Thousand-Armed Kannon, Kamakura-period Daikokuten statue, and stunning seasonal flower displays.

Discover the Three-Storied Pagoda of Minami Hokke-ji (Tsubosaka-dera), an Important Cultural Property rebuilt in 1497 during the Muromachi period. Standing on the sacred slopes of Takatori, this pagoda is a rare survivor of war and fire, showcasing pure Japanese architectural style.

The Raidō (Worship Hall) of Minamihokkeji Temple, commonly known as Tsubosakadera, is a designated Important Cultural Property of Japan located in Takatori, Nara Prefecture. Originally rebuilt during the mid-Muromachi period, this hip-and-gable roofed hall was restored to its medieval form during the Shōwa era. The temple, famous as the sixth stop on the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage, has been a center of healing faith for eye ailments for over 1,300 years.

Hidden at the innermost sanctuary of Murō-ji Temple in Nara's Uda mountains, the Mieidō is an Important Cultural Property from the early Muromachi period. Reached by nearly 700 stone steps, this three-bay-square pyramidal-roofed hall enshrines an image of Kōbō Daishi and is one of the oldest Daishidō halls in Japan, noted for its unique thick wooden board step-roof. A sacred highlight of the temple long known as "Women's Kōya."

Tucked into the cedar-clad hills of Nara, the Miroku-dō at Murō-ji is an Important Cultural Property dating to the early Kamakura period. This three-bay hall with a hip-and-gable shingled roof preserves rare medieval techniques, including a distinctive double-roof attic structure, and houses a treasured Maitreya Bodhisattva statue from the late Nara to early Heian period. Discover the history and charm of this serene mountain temple, long known as 'Nyonin Kōya' — the Kōya-san for women.

A large mid-Edo farmhouse in Kashihara, Nara, with the oldest known yamato-mune roof, once the moated seat of a senior village headman. An Important Cultural Property.

Built in 1727 as Kasuga Taisha's fourth sanctuary and moved to this Yagyu village shrine in 1747, this one-bay kasuga-zukuri hall can be viewed at close range.

Yakushi-ji's South Gate, built in 1512, began as the West Precinct gate, moved onto the stones of the lost Great South Gate, fronting the Hakuho precinct.

South of Yakushi-ji stands the Wakamiya-sha, a single-bay Kasuga-style shrine in cypress bark and the precinct's oldest building, from the late Kamakura period.

In the hills of eastern Nara, the small main hall of Yasaka Shrine wears a rare roof of thick boards laid in overlapping tiers, a late-Muromachi nagare-zukuri.

An Important Cultural Property on Mount Yoshino, Yoshimizu Shrine Shoin shows an early form of shoin-zukuri and is tied to Yoshitsune and Emperor Go-Daigo.

Discover the Important Cultural Property stone hoto at Raigoji Temple in Nara's Tsuge highlands, a masterwork of Kamakura-period stone carving dating to 1310, surrounded by ancient gorinto stupas and serene rural scenery.

Built in 1627 in the Hōryū-ji precinct, the Ritsugakuin Hondō mirrors the nearby Shōryōin. This Important Cultural Property enshrines an image of Prince Shōtoku.

The Three-Story Pagoda at Ryōsenji Temple in western Nara is a designated Important Cultural Property of Japan, built around 1283–1284 during the Kamakura period in the pure Japanese (Wayō) architectural style. Standing 17 meters tall with elegant cypress-bark roofing, the pagoda is renowned for its remarkably well-preserved polychrome murals inside the first story—including paintings of the Five Great Wisdom Kings and a Nirvana scene—which are also designated as Important Cultural Properties. The interior is opened to the public just once a year, on November 3rd.

Discover the bell tower (Shōrō) of Ryōsenji Temple in Nara, an Important Cultural Property from the early Muromachi period, featuring elegant hakama-goshi architecture and a historically significant temple bell cast in 1644.