A temple of the late Nara period founded by the monk Zenshu on the imperial vow of Emperor Konin in 776, with Yakushi Nyorai as its principal deity. The main hall, rebuilt in the Kamakura period, is a National Treasure. The standing statue of Gigei-ten is considered one of the supreme masterpieces of Tempyo-period sculpture, often called the 'Muse of the Orient,' and has the distinctive structure …

Akishinodera was founded in 776 (the 7th year of Hoki) by the eminent Hosso monk Zenshu at the imperial vow of Emperor Konin, making it a temple of the late Nara period. At its founding, the temple is said to have encompassed a far larger precinct than it does today. During the Heian period it flour…