Visit Nara

This is the museum to visit to see some of the greatest Buddhist carvings that Nara has to offer. Ashura, one of the eight guardian deity figures commissioned by Empress Komyo 1,000 years ago, has become a huge hit in Japan and even has its own fan club. When Ashura and the other treasures were shown in Tokyo and Fukuoka, over 1.65 million people came to see them, but in Nara, you can enjoy them without the crowds. The collection includes amazingly lifelike figures by master carver Unkei and his sons; the muscular Kongorikishi guardians and the rather grotesque Tentouki and Ryutouki lantern carriers are also must-sees.