The temple was established as a Monzeki Temple when Cloistered Imperial Prince Sonsho (a prince of Gotakakurain) served at the temple as the 18th chief priest, and the majority of the successive chief priests until the end of the early modern period were Cloistered Imperial Prince (an individual awarded the rank of 'Imperial Prince' after leaving the Imperial family to enter the Buddhist priesthood).
18代門主として尊性法親王（後高倉院皇子）が入寺してからは門跡寺院としての地位が確立し、近世末期に至るまで歴代門主の大部分が法親王（皇族で出家後に親王宣下を受けた者を指す）である。