At one time the temple had seven subshrines, possessed 3,500 koku of rice, and was the main temple for praying for the peace and safety of the nation. Legend has it that demons lived in a camphor tree at this temple. Kōbō Daishi chased the demons away and then carved his image in the tree trunk. That image is now in the daishidō. The daishidō dates from 1486 and is the oldest building at the temple. The rest of the buildings burnt down in 1899.

The temple has long been known as the site where a Tengu (flying hermit) once stayed for one hundred years before flying away to Cape Ashizuri while dragging his legs. Of interest is a museum (the Geishōkan) which houses a display of whaling tools. This area was once quite famous as whaling district.

Also of interest, but off limits to all but a few lucky and select henro, are the treasures kept in the temple's treasure house. Included are numerous personal items that once belonged to Kōbō Daishi and handed down to his disciple, Chiko, who moved here when Daishi-sama died. One of the treasures is a set of ten scrolls containing the two basic sutras of Shingon Buddhism, the Dainichikyō and the Kongōchōgyō. The sutras are thought to be 8th century copies of the original set that Kōbō Daishi brought back from Japan.

Apparently there are some scholars who say that Kōbō Daishi lived here, near Temple 26, while he was meditating on the Cape. Their argument is that weather conditions would have been too harsh down by the caves near Temple 24 and that it would have made more sense to have actually lived here, where it is semi-protected from the elements. Of course, others insist that 8th century hijiri trained and lived austere lives on the rocky point at the tip of the cape, so it would have been natural for Kōbō Daishi to have done so as well. Those scholars continue to insist that he lived near the caves below Temple 24. The debate continues today.

Frederick Starr notes being shown eight portraits of the Shingon Patriarchs "on square wooden tablets, in low relief, and colored in dry colors." He also says that there is a sandal wood tree here that Kōbō Daishi had brought back from China.