Horinji Temple

Horinji Temple was founded in 622 by Prince Yamashiro-no-Oe, the eldest son of Prince Shotoku, as a place to pray for his father’s recovery from illness. The temple went to ruin in the Kamakura period. The Main Hall and other structures were destroyed by a strong wind in 1645. The temple was rebuilt in the middle of the 18th century. The Three Story Pagoda here is known as one of the Three Pagodas in Ikaruga. The original pagoda was burnt down by a fire caused by lightning in 1944, and was rebuilt in 1975, following the original style. There is a stone tablet in the temple, on which a famous poet, Yaichi Aizu’s work is carved.