Yakushi Nyorai has been venerated since the Nara period as a Buddha who "saves from suffering in this world, right now." The medicine jar (yakubo) in the left hand is the key identifying feature, with the triad arrangement of Yakushi flanked by Nikko and Gakko Bodhisattvas. This article introduces a half-day pilgrimage route through Nara's finest Yakushi Buddha masterpieces at Yakushiji, Shinyakushiji, Horyuji, and Kofukuji.

While the highest rank of Buddhist statue, Nyorai, shares common features of spiral hair, cranial protrusion, and no ornamentation, the four types can be distinguished by mudra and attributes. Shakyamuni with earth-touching mudra, Amida with welcome mudra, Dainichi with crown and wisdom-fist mudra, and Yakushi with left-hand medicine jar. Detailed pilgrimage tips for Todaiji, the Kamakura Great Buddha, Horyuji, and Byodoin.

Amenokoyane-no-Mikoto is one of the main deities enshrined at Kasuga Taisha, known as the deity of prayer and kotodama (sacred words) who recited norito prayers during the myth of Ama-no-Iwato. As the tutelary deity of the Fujiwara clan, this article explains the background of how Kasuga faith spread nationwide and the deep connections with the deities of Kashima and Katori.