To save people from poor harvest and a plague, Shomu emperor ordered to made one statue of Shakanyorai, two statues of its server, one set of copy of Daihannyakyo for every province in Tenpei 9(737) and also ordered to build a tower of 7 stories and make a statue of Kannon, 10 copies of Hokkekyo and Kannonkyo in Tenpei 12. He again ordered to divide Kokubunji into two and renamed a temple as Kongoumyoushitennougokokunotera and a nunnery as Hokkemetsuzainotera. Here, Kokubun village is the ruins of Kokubunji.
After 1200 years later from the order of Shomu emperor, most of these temples had been collapsed or fired and this Kokubunji is also one of them and there was only the statue of Shakanyorai left in Muromachi period. Ittoku Yamada tried to rebuild the Shaka hall once in Keicho 16(1611) but again it collapsed, the existing hall was rebuilt during 1704 to 1710.
This statue is 318cm in height and 237cm wide, has a sign of Semui and Yogan. It is the biggest statue in Fukui prefecture located in Shaka hall.
Its body part is presumed to be made in Kamakura period and head part is considered to be made in Edo period. The body part was shaped so realistic and shows the beautiful colouring in some parts.
There is a boy scouts to protect cultural property in this Kokubun area
and they are working for practice and training of cultural property protection.
Explanation 
Kokubunji
