The National Museum in the city of Nara is known, above all, an extensive collection of works of Buddhist art. By the works of Buddhist art in the first place, include churches as works of wooden architecture, sculptures of Buddha, bodhisattvas and other representatives of the Buddhist pantheon, made of bronze, stone or clay, picturesque images of Buddhist values, as well as other works, the purpose of which was to create special atmosphere for meditation and achieve enlightenment.

The museum houses one of the best collection of sculptures in Japan two periods: Nara (710-794 years, when in place of the modern capital city of Nara was located Heijō-kyō) and Kamakura (1185-1333 years). The collection also includes paintings, manuscripts, works of ancient Chinese art, including bronze vessels. The national museum has exhibits and artifacts belonging to some temples of the city.

The National Museum in Nara is the second of the oldest museums in Japan. He played a major role for the preservation and promotion of Japanese Buddhist art. The museum is located in the central part of the city and occupies several buildings there - as the old buildings, and relatively new.

The base of the museum took place in 1889, and the first exhibition was opened in 1895. Before that, there was Nara exhibition company, founded in 1874, the Mayor of Fuji Chihiro. Since its inception and until 1952, the museum has had the status of the emperor, and was later renamed the National.

Construction of the first building of the museum was completed in 1894. It was designed by Katayama Tokuma by the museum for a Western style. The new premises, which is called the western wing, built in 1973, designed by Junji Yoshimura. In 1997, the museum has appeared, and the east wing. And in 1980, its territory was a library of Buddhist art.