Two Five-Story Pagodas!?
Yakushiji Temple was founded around 1,300 years ago during the Hakuho era. It was commissioned by Emperor Tenmu, who prayed for the recovery of his consort, Princess Unonosasara (later Empress Jitō). After Empress Jitō’s accession to the throne, the temple was built in Fujiwara-kyo, and later relocated to its current site in 718 (Yōrō 2), following the transfer of the capital to Heijō-kyo (Nara).
The original temple layout, with the main hall (Kondō) housing the principal statue of the Yakushi Triad and two pagodas flanking it to the east and west, became known as the “Yakushiji-style layout.” A notable feature of the architecture is the “Ryugu-zukuri” style, in which each tier of the buildings includes an extra eave-like layer called mokoshi.
However, most of the original structures were destroyed by repeated fires, with only the East Pagoda (a National Treasure) surviving from the original construction.
Thanks to many years of sutra-copying fundraising efforts, the Kondō was reconstructed in 1976, followed by the reconstruction of the West Pagoda in 1981. Subsequent reconstructions included the Central Gate, corridors, the Genjo Sanzo-in complex, the Great Lecture Hall (2003), and the Refectory Hall (2017), gradually reviving the magnificent Hakuho-era temple complex.
In 1998, Yakushiji was inscribed as one of the components of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara.”
More recently, a 12-year full-scale restoration of the National Treasure East Pagoda was completed, and Yakushiji continues to preserve a rich legacy, including the Yakushi Triad and other cultural treasures.
