On Saturday I went to Nara for the day. Instead of heading straight for the deer in Nara park as most tourists do, we stayed on the train and got off at Nishikyo Station in order to visit Yakushiji Temple. It was built in the 7th Century for the Emperor Temmu to pray for the recovery of his sick wife. However during the construction the Emperor died and his wife acceded the throne. In fact it was she who oversaw most of the construction. Originally the temple was built in Asuka, to the South of Nara. However ten years after completion the capital was moved to the North of Nara and Yakushiji was moved to its present site. It was very beautiful here and there were hardly any other tourists. However unfortunately the East Pagoda of Yakushiji is undergoing major renovation, which won`t be finished until 2019. Despite this, there are still many other buildings to see and I really recommend it for anyone visiting Nara.
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