Kansai · NaraCultural
Yakushi-ji marks Obon with three days of memorial services in the Refectory, and visitors can copy sutras alongside the rite.
Overview
Urabon-e is the Obon observance in which ancestral spirits are welcomed back and prayers are offered for their enlightenment. At Yakushi-ji, one of Nara’s great Nanto Shichi Daiji temples and a UNESCO World Heritage site, it is held over three days in the middle of August.
The main service takes place in the Jikido (Refectory), in front of the temple’s large Amida Triad Pure Land painting. Unusually for a memorial rite, there is a participatory element: sutra copying runs throughout the period and anyone can take part.
When and Where
13–15 August 2026 at the head temple in Nara. The Jikido opens at 13:00, the service begins at 13:30 led by Head Priest Ikoma Kitatsu, and a dharma talk follows from 14:00.
The sutra-copying hall (Shakyo Dojo) is open 09:00–17:00 each day, with udon provided to participants between 11:00 and 13:30.
What to Expect
- The main Urabon-e service in the Jikido before the Amida Triad Pure Land painting
- Segaki toba kuyo — a memorial tablet offering for hungry ghosts
- A dharma talk by the head priest each afternoon
- Sutra copying open to visitors throughout the three days, with a lunch of udon provided
- The chance to see the East Pagoda, the only structure surviving from the temple’s 8th-century founding
Admission and Practicalities
The temple’s own pages do not list a separate charge for the Urabon-e service; normal precinct admission applies. The Nara City Tourism Association lists ¥1,000 for adults, ¥600 for junior and senior high school students and ¥200 for elementary school students, with parking at ¥800 per car.
Yakushi-ji also holds a July Urabon-e at its Tokyo branch temple, so check which site you are booking for.
Tips for Visitors
Nishinokyo Station is a one-minute walk from the temple gate, making this one of the easiest major Nara temples to reach without a bus.
Toshodai-ji is a ten-minute walk north, so the two pair naturally into a half-day.
If you want to copy sutras, arrive in the morning rather than turning up for the 13:30 service — the hall is open from 09:00 and it is unhurried early.
Access and Map
| Dates | 13–15 August 2026 |
|---|---|
| Times | Service: hall opens 13:00, service 13:30, dharma talk 14:00. Sutra copying 09:00–17:00 |
| Venue | Yakushi-ji, 457 Nishinokyo-cho, Nara City |
| Access | 1 min walk from Nishinokyo Station (Kintetsu Kashihara Line) |
| Admission | Precinct admission ¥1,000 / ¥600 / ¥200 (per Nara City Tourism Association) |
| Official site | Nara Yakushi-ji |
Source: Nara Yakushi-ji official site
Image: Photo: Cun Cun / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)
