According to legend, it was founded by En no Ozunu at the end of the seventh century, the founder of Shugendo, who carved the statue of Zao Gongen after awakening to the deity at Ominesan and constructed the Zao-do hall in which to house it as a the principal image.
伝承によれば、7世紀末に修験道の祖である役小角が、金峯山で感得した蔵王権現を刻んで本尊とし、蔵王堂を建てたとされる。