To-ji Temple (literally, 'East Temple') - officially known as Kyo-o-gokoku-ji Temple - was originally established in 876 to protect the nation at the time of the establishment of the Heian capital, and was later converted by Kukai into a seminary of the Shingon sect (Esoteric Buddhism). In addition to the temple, which dates back to the Heian Period, Kyo-o-gokokuji Temple contains numerous buildings dating from the 14th to 17th centuries. The Lecture Hall (Kodo) houses the oldest extant Esoteric Buddhist statues in Japan. The five-tiered pagoda, a National Treasure reconstructed in 1644, rises above the landscape as a symbol of Kyoto. With a height of 57 meters, it is the tallest pagoda in Japan.