Gangou-ji Temple, located in Nara City, Nara Prefecture, is one of Nara’s Seven Great Temples and the first authentic Buddhist temple to be built in Japan. Its history dates back to the end of 6th century when Houkou-ji Temple in Asuka, (built by Soga no Umako) believed to be the oldest temple ever built Japan, was moved to Nara.  This followed the relocation of the capital to Heijyou-kyou and Houkou-ji Temple was  renamed Gangou-ji Temple. Towards the end of the Heian period, the temple fell into decline, and was eventually burned down in the Muromachi period. Thereafter it was split into three temples.  Taien Tsujimura, the chief priest of the temple, began to restore the long neglected temple complex in 1943. Although the only remaining buildings are Gokuraku-dou and Zen-shitsu, they are both designated as National Treasures. The tiles used for the roof of Gokuraku-dou and a part of Zen-shitsu are the same tiles used in the Asuka and Nara periods. The repository rooms hold various National Treasures and Important Cultural Assets. The temple was designated as a World Heritage Site as part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara in 1998.