At the time, the was an ongoing battle on Mt. Kōya between Shingon priests and wandering lay priests who also lived on the mountain part of the year and believed in the efficacy of chanting the Nembutsu. Eventually the battle got too bloody for anyone to stand and the matter was taken to the Shōgun to settle. He ordered non-Shingon priests off the mountain and they ended up going to Shikoku and settling at this temple.

Miyata says that the honzon was carved by Kōbō Daishi, but both Readicker-Henderson and Starr say it was carved by Gyōgi. After its conversion to the Jōdo Shū, it became a Dōjō of Nembutsu and had seven branch temples and flourished under the patronage of Lord Yoriyasu Hosokawa before it burnt down in the 16th century.

Of interest is a Kōjin deity with a blue face and six hands surrounded by three monkeys in the hondō. This deity is the local guardian of health and is popularly worshipped by the locals for a quick recovery from prolonged illnesses. While here, one probably won't miss the priest asking for donations over the loudspeaker. Also of interest, is Marugame Castle of 60,000 koku of rice.

Legend says that when the temple's bell was being cast, a strange man appeared and threw some unknown substance into the fire. Therefore, ever since it was built, this bell can be heard from further away than any other bell.
Outside the main gate are statues of the three monkeys: See no evil, Hear no evil, and Speak no evil. Traditionally it is hoped that the worms who live inside each human and at death report on that person's worthiness will keep the monkey's example in mind and say nothing on judgement day.

There is a Shintō shrine on the hill behind the hondō (the path goes around to the left). Directly in front of the path is a stairway leading down into a tunnel full of thousands of statues of Amida, donated by faithful worshipers. Worshipers throw coins onto a screen that covers part of the stairway.