Since old roof-tiles and the remains of buildings traced back to the Nara period were discovered from the precincts of the Matsuo-san-jinja Shrine, which is the guardian god located near the top of Mt. Matsuo, it is almost certain that the temple was built in the Nara period.
また、松尾山の山頂近くに位置する鎮守社の松尾山神社境内からは奈良時代にさかのぼる古瓦や建物跡が検出されており、当寺が奈良時代の創建であることは間違いないと思われる。