Founded by the historical priest Gyoki in 733 at the request of Japan's 45th Emperor. The principal object of worship here is a statue of the deity Oite Fudo Myo-o (not normally viewable by the public) said to have been created by the historical monk Kukai. The temple is a part of the Shingon sect of Buddhism. The temple also holds relics such as a statue donated by historical ruler Hideyoshi Toyotomi which bears locks of his own hair, texts written by his son Hideyori at age eight, and komainu guardian lion-dog statues sculpted by Hideyoshi's retainers. In more recent years, it was also the site of naturalist and biologist Kumagusu Minakata's award-winning research. To this day, the temple remains shrouded by the same mosses, trees, and flowers as it has been through the ages.