It is said that the origin is that Kobo Daishi was on the way moving around shikoku, he finded a white snake at this place, because a which snake is the messenger of Buddha he built the temple here, and he named it Hakujasan・Korinji temple.After that the destiny of the temple had prospered and had the wide region of the temple, When Motochika Chosogabe went to Kyoto,first he attacked Awa that was close to there, by this fight, almost all the neighboring temple were destroyed by fire. Horinji temple was no exception to this rule, all was destroyed by fire. After that Sango (it is named on the name of the temple) was changed for Shokakuzan,the name of the temple was changed for Horinji temple,it was rebuilt at the present place for the Tempo era (1644-48), The principal image of Buddha is the image of Shaka Nyorai Nehan which is said that Kobo Daishi carved,the size of it is 80 centimeters,and it could escape danger of fire. It is a Buddhist statue rarely shown to the public and it is unvailed once a year.Only this temple has the image of Nehan as the principal image of Buddha in the 88 Buddhist temple in Shikoku. Nehan is the posture when Shakyamuni was eighty years old,last preached under the tree of Sarasoju,and died.