Shitennoji Temple is Japan’s oldest official temple. It was founded in 593 by the prince Shotoku Taishi; a major figure in Japanese history who played a leading role in introducing Buddhism to Japan. He named the temple after the shitenno: four heavenly kings of Buddhist tradition who guard the world from evil. The prince had prayed to these kings during a time of war, and when the war was over he had the temple built in order to give thanks. Though this temple complex has a long history, most of the buildings have been destroyed by fire and rebuilt several times, and several of the current buildings actually date from the 1960s and 1970s.