In 1592, Lord Hata angered the Taiko, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and was stripped of his title along with his vassals. Houanji was constructed in 1923 to appease their spirits. 　

Images of Fudomyo, Kobotaishi, and Jataifudo, among others, are carved into the face of a cliff. The largest image of the Enlightened Buddha is 10 meters wide, and the largest of its kind in Japan. 　

Starting in April, 3,000 azaleas bloom, and in June 1,500 hydrangeas, festooning the temple grounds with color.