NARA -- Kofukuji holds a special place in Japanese history, rivaled by few other temples. Throughout its nearly 1,300 years, it has enjoyed the largess of imperial and noble patrons, been home to armies of warrior monks and been rebuilt time and again from the ashes of devastating fires.
A World Heritage site, its earliest structures were raised in 669 in the Yamashina area of Kyoto. The temples and halls were moved to their present location in Nara in 710.
Kofukuji, head temple of the Hosso school of Buddhism, was the family temple of the Fujiwaras, the kuge (court noble) clan that, through its close connections to the Imperial family, dominated the court for centuries. This high-level patronage meant that the temple accumulated a priceless collection of art, including hundreds of statues and other artifacts.