Wakasa Kokubunji Temple was built in response to a decree issued in 741 by Emperor Shomu (701–756). He ordered that a kokubunji (a state-sponsored temple) should be established in each province to spread Buddhism and pray for the safety of the country. Remains of the original temple, which was much larger at approximately 218 meters wide, rests beneath the present Soto Zen sect temple. Part of the original kokubunji has been excavated in what is now a park that shows off the Historic Site. Also on the temple precincts is a large ancient burial mound (kofun) with a small Wakasahime Jinja Shrine on top. Temple grounds containing a burial mound with a shrine is quite rare, with very few examples throughout the country.
In the precincts of the modern Kokubunji Temple, the Shakado Hall that stands on the site of the former main hall, enshrines a statue of Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha. It is said to be the largest of its kind in the Wakasa region. The Yakushido Hall contains a wooden seated statue of Yakushi Buddha, the deity of medicine and healing. The statue has long been an object of deep faith among the devout in this area and is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property.
