According to legend, it was founded in the year 856 after the Ceremonial House of the Fujiwara clan Sadaijin (Minister of the Left) FUJIWARA no Otsugu requested that Shinshu Shonin serve as kaisan (the founder of a temple) of his mountain villa.
伝承によれば、斉衡3年（856年）、藤原式家の流れをくむ左大臣藤原緒嗣（おつぐ）が、自らの山荘に神修上人を開山として草創。