Shin-Yakushi-ji, Buddhist temple in Takabatakechō, Nara, Japan.
Shin-Yakushi-ji is a Buddhist temple in the Takabatakechō district of Nara, Japan, designated as a National Treasure. The main hall holds a wooden Yakushi Nyorai on a circular platform, surrounded by twelve guardian statues that stand in active postures and display different facial expressions.
Empress Kōmyō founded the temple in 747 after her husband, Emperor Shōmu, fell seriously ill and she prayed for his recovery. This imperial foundation shows how strongly the ruling house supported Buddhism and enabled new temples to emerge across Japan.
The name refers to Yakushi, the healing Buddha, to whom sick and suffering people have addressed their prayers for centuries. Visitors today can watch believers pause before the statues and light incense sticks as they ask for recovery.
The temple opens daily between 9 AM and 5 PM, with entry at 600 yen for adults and less for students. Anyone wanting to view the guardian figures closely should allow some time to notice the details of their faces and postures.
In 1984, restorers discovered inside a larger figure a small Jizo statue from the 8th century, considered the oldest of its kind in Japan. The figure shows male characteristics, which is unusual and has been linked to fertility prayers.
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