In 720, when Fuhito died, an administrative institution called the 'Office of Constructing a Buddha Hall in Kofuku-ji Temple' was established, and the construction of Kofuku-ji Temple, which had originally been a private temple of the Fujiwara clan, came to be done by the government.
不比等が没した養老4年（720年）には「造興福寺仏殿司」という役所が設けられ、元来、藤原氏の私寺である興福寺の造営は国家の手で進められるようになった。