4220 Sakamoto Honmachi, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture
Rating
Cost per person
¥1,500
Hieizan Enryaku-ji Temple, the head temple of the Tendai sect, began with a hermitage built by Dengyo Daishi Saicho on Mount Hiei. The temple grounds encompass the entirety of Mount Hiei, standing at 848m, and are known as the mother mountain of Japanese Buddhism. The vast temple area includes over 100 buildings, divided into three areas: the Eastern Pagoda with the main hall, Konpon Chudo (a National Treasure), and the Great Lecture Hall; the Western Pagoda with the Shakado hall enshrining a statue of Shaka Nyorai by Saicho; and Yokawa, enveloped in tranquility. Rebuilt by Hideyoshi Toyotomi and Ieyasu Tokugawa after Oda Nobunaga's burning, it was registered as a World Cultural Heritage site in 1994. Located in Sakamoto Honmachi, Otsu, Shiga, it's accessible by bus from JR Hieizan Sakamoto Station or Keihan Ishiyama Sakamoto Line's Sakamoto Hieizanguchi Station, followed by a cable car ride. Admission is ¥1000 for adults, with discounts for groups and separate fees for the National Treasure Hall.