Kofuku-ji sits at the western edge of Nara Park, its five-storey pagoda rising behind the pond at Sarusawa-ike in one of the most photographed views in the city. The temple was founded in 669 and moved to Nara when the capital was established in 710; at its height it controlled vast land holdings and maintained its own army of warrior monks. The East Golden Hall and the Tokondo are among the surviving historic structures.
The Kofuku-ji National Treasure Museum houses an outstanding collection of Buddhist sculpture, including the bronze octagonal lantern and the famous Ashura statue — a three-faced, six-armed figure from 734 CE that has become one of the iconic images of Nara period art. The museum also holds eight of the Twelve Heavenly Generals, each expressive and individualistic in a way unusual for eighth-century sculpture.