Shin-Yakushi-ji

A serene Nara-period temple, Shin-Yakushi-ji lies in a quiet residential quarter at the eastern edge of Nara, away from the crowds of the great deer park, and preserves one of the most affecting sacred interiors in Japan. It was founded in the mid-eighth century by Empress Komyo, tradition holds in prayer for the recovery of her ailing husband Emperor Shomu, and its very name honours Yakushi, the Buddha of healing and medicine.

The main hall is a rare survivor. A modest single-storey building of the Nara period, designated a National Treasure, it has stood for some twelve centuries, its plain timber and gentle roofline embodying the restraint of early Japanese Buddhist architecture. Inside, the atmosphere is unexpectedly powerful and intimate, lit dimly to protect its ancient statues.

Its guardians are unforgettable. At the centre sits a serene wooden image of Yakushi, encircled by a complete set of twelve Heavenly Generals modelled in clay, their fierce, dynamic poses among the finest surviving sculptures of their age. To stand within this ring of protectors, arranged around the healing Buddha, is the temple's defining experience and draws art lovers as much as pilgrims.

For a visit, the temple charges a small admission and keeps regular daytime hours, reached on foot or by a short bus ride from central Nara through pleasant old streets. It is compact, so an hour is enough, and its calm makes a fine contrast to the busier Todai-ji and Kasuga shrine. Combine it with a walk in the Naramachi district or along the wooded lanes of the eastern hills for a rewarding and unhurried half-day. The dim hall and its ring of clay guardians make an impression out of all proportion to the temple's modest size.