Hokke-ji is a small, quiet nunnery founded in the eighth century by Empress Komyo, wife of Emperor Shomu. It is one of the few places in Nara that feels genuinely off the tourist circuit, despite being within walking distance of the Heijo Palace site. The small garden, planted with irises and lotuses, is particularly lovely in June and July.
The temple houses a National Treasure: an eleventh-century wooden standing figure of the Eleven-headed Kannon, notable for its elegant proportions and the quality of its carving. The figure is only displayed publicly in spring and autumn. The nunnery has been continuously active since the eighth century, which gives it a quality of quiet continuity that the larger, more visited temples lack.