If you want to stand in front of the oldest wooden buildings in the world, this is the place. Hōryū-ji, a Buddhist temple in the town of Ikaruga south-west of Nara, was founded by Prince Shōtoku in the early seventh century, and although it burned and was rebuilt not long after, its central buildings, including the main hall and the five-storey pagoda, date from around the end of the seventh century. They were among the first sites in Japan inscribed by UNESCO, in 1993.
The temple complex is large, with the western precinct holding the main hall and pagoda, and the eastern precinct centred on the octagonal Hall of Dreams. The Great Treasure House displays Buddhist statues and objects of extraordinary age and delicacy, including the Kudara Kannon, a tall slender figure of the bodhisattva. Nearby temples, such as Hōrin-ji and Hokki-ji, also have ancient pagodas, and together they make up the World Heritage site. Plan on at least two hours.
Prince Shōtoku is one of the great figures of Japanese history, credited with promoting Buddhism and with drafting a seventeen-article constitution. He was so revered that his portrait appeared on banknotes for decades.
Ikaruga is a quiet town, and the area around the temples is pleasant, with rice fields and small roads. For riders, the temples are best treated as a cultural stop: the surrounding roads are urban and suburban, with traffic lights and congestion. For better riding, head west into the hills of the Ikoma range on the Shigisan Nobosan road, or south toward the mountains of Yoshino and beyond. The Shinto shrine on Mount Shigi, to the west, is associated with the tiger and has fine views over the Nara basin.
Ikaruga has fuel, convenience stores and restaurants, and Nara is only a short ride away. Local food in the Nara area includes the persimmon-leaf sushi and a rich rice porridge made with tea, called chagayu. Spring and autumn bring the best weather and the biggest crowds; summer is hot and humid; winter is cool but clear, and quieter at the temples.