[1] The 5-story tall pagoda is the last remaining structure of a 6th-century temple complex known as Hōkan-ji (法観寺).

[4] Archaeological evidence dates the foundation of the Yasaka Pagoda to the 7th Century.

The founding date is disputed between the reign of Prince Shotoku and the sixth year of the Tenmu period (678 CE).

[5] It was later rebuilt in 1191 with funding from Kawachi Genji noble Minamoto no Yoritomo.

In 1240, the head priest of the nearby Buddhist temple of Kennin-ji affiliated the pagoda with Zen Buddhism, which remains the official designation of the Yasaka Pagoda to the present day.