The town of Ikaruga, where the World Heritage Site Hōryū-ji is located, was a center for early Japanese Buddhism, and the temples of Hokki-ji, Hōrin-ji and Chūgū-ji were founded in the 7th century, and claim a connection to Prince Shōtoku.

Hokki-ji is located in the Okamoto district at the foot of the mountain northeast of Hōryū-ji's East Precinct.

Archaeological excavations of the temple grounds conducted after 1960 have uncovered the remains of the foundations of the main hall and lecture hall, as well as the remains of a tiled foundation for the central gate, revealing the original layout of the temple complex at the time of its construction.

The former temple complex has the main hall and pagoda lined up on the left and right (east and west), similar to the layout of the western precincts of Hōryū-ji, but as the main hall is built on the west and the pagoda on the east, which is the opposite of Hōryū-ji Temple, and this style is called the "Hokki-ji style temple complex layout."

In addition, excavation revealed that the original structures were post-hole buildings (with no foundation stone, but wooden pillars placed in holes dug into the ground) and also a stone-paved rain gutter dating back to before the construction of the original temple complex, confirming the existence of some predecessor building before the founding of Hokki-ji, which is presumed to be Okamoto Palace.