Jōdo-ji Temple is a historic temple said to have been founded in 616 by Prince Shōtoku, the regent to the emperor at the time. The temple's main hall and two-story pagoda (Tahōtō) are designated national treasures, which are tangible cultural properties selected under Japanese law as having "exceptionally high value." The Amitabha Hall, the VIP guest house (Hōjō), the kitchen and living quarters (Kuri), the guest hall (Kyakuden), and the Rotekian tea house are also designated as important cultural properties. Furthermore, the entire temple complex is a designated national treasure. For over seven hundred years, ever since Onomichi Port opened in 1169, the area around Jōdo-ji Temple was the hub for ships travelling via the Onomichi Channel, one of the major routes for maritime transportation. Ashikaga Takauji, the first shogun of the Muromachi shogunate (1338–1573), prayed at Jōdo-ji Temple for victory in battle. The temple has long been a place of worship for merchants. It contains many historical artifacts that provide insight into the past. For example, an ema votive tablet dedicated to the temple in 1763 depicts Kitamae-bune trading ships.