The buildings at Hōryū-ji are around thirteen hundred years old, and some of them are among the oldest wooden structures anywhere in the world. Founded in the early seventh century by Prince Shōtoku, a regent remembered as a champion of Buddhism and a founding figure of the Japanese state, the temple was rebuilt after a fire later in the same century, and parts of that rebuilding still stand. In 1993 it became one of the first sites in Japan to be listed by UNESCO, as the Buddhist Monuments in the Hōryū-ji Area.
The western precinct holds the main hall and the five-storey pagoda, both with deep, sweeping eaves and the subtle swelling columns that show influences from the Asian mainland. Inside, statues and treasures from the Asuka period, some of them unique, are kept in dim halls and a modern treasure house. The eastern precinct has the octagonal Hall of Dreams, built on the site of Shōtoku's palace. It is a quiet place compared with central Nara, especially on weekday mornings, and the gravel paths between the walls are lovely to walk.
The town around is called Ikaruga, a pleasant, low-rise place in the western part of the Nara basin, with fields, persimmon orchards and small temples. A famous haiku by Masaoka Shiki links the sound of the temple bell to eating a persimmon at Hōryū-ji, and in autumn the fruit hangs heavy on the trees.
The riding around Hōryū-ji itself is suburban, with traffic lights, narrow streets and lots of cyclists. The fun lies in the hills to the west, where the Ikoma range separates Nara from Osaka. The Shigi-Ikoma Skyline, a toll road along the ridge, offers flowing bends and views over the Osaka plain on one side and the Nara basin on the other, especially beautiful at night. Mountain roads in the area are narrow, and weekend traffic can be heavy. Remember to ride on the left and to respect the low speed limits, which are strictly enforced.
Fuel, convenience stores and restaurants are easy to find in the area. Try kakinoha-zushi, a local speciality of pressed sushi wrapped in persimmon leaves, which can be bought in boxes and makes a perfect picnic on the temple steps or at a viewpoint.