The Shoku Nihongi records that in 741, as the country recovered from a major smallpox epidemic, Emperor Shōmu ordered that a monastery and nunnery be established in every province, the kokubunji (国分寺).

[1][2] These temples were built to a semi-standardized template, and served both to spread Buddhist orthodoxy to the provinces, and to emphasize the power of the Nara period centralized government under the Ritsuryō system.

The site of Hokke-ji Temple was originally the residence of Fujiwara no Fuhito, and after his death, his daughter Empress Kōmyō, inherited it and made it the Imperial Palace.

Hokke-ji itself, despite its imperial connections and prestige, took a long time to complete, and it was not until 782 that the government office responsible for its construction abolished.

The current Main Hall and South Gate were rebuilt in 1601 by Toyotomi Hideyori and his mother, Lady Yodo, and was the bell tower in 1602.

During the Edo period, the temple once again became a monzeki nunnery, when Emperor Go-Mizunoo's adopted daughter Takanori took holy orders.

The precincts of Hokke-ji, including the remains of the Amida Jodo-in, were designated a National Historic Site in 2001, with the area under protection expanded in 2015.

Copper plates were used for the eyes, the hair hanging down the shoulders, the crown, and the bracelets, and the rest of the statue is finished in a natural state that makes the most of the beauty of the wood.