According to the temple records, during the reign of
Emperor Yomei (585-587), a Buddhist carpenter from
Baekje who had come to build
Shitenno-ji, was caught in a storm when leaving Japan, and drifted ashore to a port near the present day temple. As a part of a prayer for a safe voyage home, the carpenter carved an image of
Bhaisajyaguru at the summit of the temple hill, which became the origin point of Tanema-ji. Years later during the
Konin era (810-824),
Kukai founded the temple using the Baekje carpenters carving as the
Honzon, and spread the
five grains he had brought from China across the temple grounds, deciding the present-day temple name Tanema-ji (種間寺
lit. “seed space temple”). The temple was abandoned following the forced
separation of Shinto and Buddhism, but was later restored in 1880. == References ==