The Shiten'no-ji Temple was built late in the 6th century by Shotoku-taishi (Prince Shotoku), a son of Emperor Yomei, as a token of his gratitude to the Four Devas (Shi-tenno), the guardians for Buddhism and Buddhists, for responding to his prayer to let him overthrow Mononobe-no-Moriya, an anti-Buddhist administrator, in the 6th century.
With its middle gate, tower, main hall and lecture hall arrangned from south to north in a beeline, which is known as "Shiten'no-ji type temple layout" modeled after the then Chinese style of architecture, the Shiten'no-ji Temple typifies the Buddhist structures built in the Asuka Period from the late 6th century through the early 7th century together with the Horyu-ji Temple, a World Cultural Heritage, in Nara. Soon afer its erection, the temple had a free dispensary (Seyaku-in) and other welfare facilities set up in its precincts to give the poor free medicines and treatment and provide free accommodations for the aged without family and infants, opening the way to public welfare service in Japan.
In January, there is "Doya-Doya," a festival in which the young scramble for paper charms. Autumn is the time when "Shiten'no-ji Wasso, " a festival reproducing a bit of the history of cultural interchange between the ancient Korean Peninsula and Japan, takes place.
