Gangō-ji

Gangō-ji 元興寺
Gangō-ji Gokurakubō hondō, a National Treasure
Basic information
Location	11 Chūin-chō, Nara, Nara Prefecture
Affiliation	Shingon-Ritsu
Deity	Chikō Mandala
Country	Japan
Website	http://www.gangoji.or.jp/
Architectural description
Founder	Soga no Umako
Completed	593

Gangō-ji (元興寺^?) is an ancient Buddhist temple, that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples, in Nara, Japan.

The original foundation of the temple was by Soga no Umako in Asuka, as Asuka-dera. The temple was moved to Nara in 718, following the capital relocation to Heijō-kyō.

Gangō-ji initially held as many as seven halls and pagodas in its precincts, which occupied a wide area within what is now Naramachi, the preserved district of modern Nara city. The original architecture was however, lost over time and notably in fires during the 15th through 19th centuries (Muromachi and Edo periods respectively).

The best preserved part of the temple is known as Gangō-ji Gokurakubō (元興寺極楽坊) and belongs to the Shingon-risshū school. This site is a part of a group of temples, shrines and other places in Nara that UNESCO has designated as World Heritage Site "Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara", and holds three national treasures:

Most of the destroyed complex ground has been altered and melded with parts of Naramachi over the course of time. Another small part of the temple remains today as the other Gangō-ji, of a Kegon school but with few remainders in terms of architecture.