When Kobo Daishi visited in 806, he noticed the mountain's eight-petal lotus shape and felt it resembled Mount Potalaka, Kannon's sacred home in India. He carved the temple's main statue himself during a fire ritual.

Perched 82 meters above the roaring Pacific, locals simply call it 'Peak Temple' in three different friendly ways: Minenji, Minedera, or Mineji. Strange sacred rock formations still surround the buildings today.

Fishermen call the temple's Kannon statue 'Funadama Kannon' (Ship Spirit Kannon). During the Edo period, feudal lords would stop here to pray before sailing to Tokyo for their mandatory attendance at the shogun's court.

Since the Edo period, Zenjibu-ji has been known as a prayer site for maritime safety, especially among fishermen.