The temple was, at first, founded in early 7th century. Since then, the temple has extended to one of largest temples in Japan, having area of 187,000 square-meters.
Today, the temple is composed of the Western Precinct (Sai-in Garan), which is centered around the Five-Story Pagoda and the Main Hall, and the Eastern Precinct (To-in Garan), which is arranged around the Hall of Visions ( Yumedono).