During the Nara period, it was one of ten great temples in Nara, and though the scale was lower during the Heian period, the temple has preserved a number of cultural assets including the national treasure Hon-do (main hall) and Juni Shinsho-zo (the statue of twelve protective deities) in the Nara period.
奈良時代には南都十大寺の1つに数えられ、平安時代以降は規模縮小したが、国宝の本堂や奈良時代の十二神将像をはじめ、多くの文化財を伝えている。