Yakuri-ji fue fundado en 829 por Kūkai (Kōbō Daishi), el fundador del budismo Shingon en Japón.

Before traveling to China, Kūkai planted eight roasted chestnuts here to divine if his journey would succeed. When he returned, all eight had sprouted and grown, so the temple's name changed from 'Eight Countries' to 'Eight Chestnuts.'