With the establishment of the new capital at Heijo (present-day Nara) in the third year of Wado (710 A.D.), Umayasaka Temple was moved to its present site and given its new name of Kofukuji. Originally, the temple was built in 669 A.D. by the Fujiwara clan and was located in Asuka in Kyoto.

Of the 175 buildings which used to dominate the surrounding area, only six of them remain. Four of them are designated as national treasures and the five-story pagoda reflected in nearby Sarusanoike Pond is one of the most scenic sights within Nara. This pagoda was reconstructed in 1426 after the original replica and is a well-known symbol of Nara. In addition to the 5 story pagoda which is 164 feet high and the second tallest in Japan, various buildings and historic Buddhist statues remind the visitor of the long, impressive history of this temple. For example, the complex enshrines a dry lacquer figure of Ashura, a masterpiece of the Tempyo period.

Kofukuji is also a fine example of the peaceful co-existence and blending of religions in Japan. In 937 A.D., a Kofukuji monk envisioned a dream where a Shinto deity of Kasuga appeared in a form of Buddha. This spirit asked to be a protector of the temple, and by 947 A.D., the merging of Kasuga Shrine and Kofukuji was finally realized when monks went to Kasuga Shrine to perform Buddhist ceremonies.

Links of interest:

Nara City: Kofukuji Temple
Historical Highway of Nara: Kofukuji Temple