Buddhist Temple Gango-ji is one of the seven great temples of Nara. Since 1998 he is the subject of Heritage.

The temple was built in 588 in the city and was named Asuka Asuka-dera. It was founded by Soga-Umako, politicians, representatives of an aristocratic family and the son of the Minister Soga, who inherited his position. Soga-Umako considered a good speaker, a supporter of reforms and follower of Buddhism. After transfer to the capital Fujiwara-kyo temple called Gango-ji.

On the plain of Yamato, he was the first Buddhist temple and school Sanron center - one of the earliest in Japan. Asuka-dera belonged Soga clan, and was a small temple had not yet received the status of state temple and financial support of the imperial court.

In 718, the church was moved to a new Japanese capital Heydzё-kyo (modern Nara), for it was allocated lands in the area known as Nara-machi - place of residence of craftsmen and traders. Now Nara-machi and traditional houses, traders mother I kept as a historic district of Nara. After the imperial court moved from Heydzё in Heian Temple Gango-ji began to decline.

The temple complex consisted of seven halls and pagodas, but due to a fire in 1451, many buildings were irretrievably lost. Currently, the temple complex Gango-ji consists of three buildings. Maximum safety at the main hall Gokurakubo also survived the Zen room and a small pagoda height of 5, 5 meters.

At various times, the temple belonged to different sects, including Sanron, Kusya, Hoss. The founder of the school Hoss Dosё read Gango-ji in his sermons during the second half of VII century. Today the temple is run by the school Kegon-shu and is subject to Todai-ji temple. Gango-ji is one of the largest temples of the south.