Chūgū Temple

A small Buddhist nunnery next to Hōryū-ji in Nara — celebrated for one of Japan's finest 7th-century bodhisattva sculptures and its meditative calm.

Chūgū-ji is a small Buddhist nunnery in Nara Prefecture, sitting immediately east of the famous Hōryū-ji — one of the oldest wooden structures in the world. Founded in the early 7th century, the temple long operated under Hōryū-ji's administration. Its most celebrated treasure is a meditatively smiling wooden bodhisattva figure carved around 700 CE, widely regarded as one of the finest examples of early Japanese Buddhist sculpture. The hushed, contemplative atmosphere of the small nunnery stands in deliberate contrast to the tourist bustle of neighboring Hōryū-ji. For those seeking Japan beyond the main pilgrimage routes, Chūgū-ji offers both wonder and quiet reflection in equal measure.