A Detailed Explanation of the History and Overview of Enryakuji Temple on Mount Hiei
Table of Contents
- Overview of Enryakuji Temple on Mount Hiei
- History of Enryakuji Temple on Mount Hiei
- Highlights of Enryakuji Temple on Mount Hiei
Introduction
Enryakuji Temple on Mount Hiei is the head temple of the Tendai sect, founded in 788 (Enryaku 7) by Dengyō Daishi (Saichō). In 1994 it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a component of the “Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.” This article covers the temple’s history and the main sights in its three areas: Tōdō, Saitō, and Yokokawa.
1. Overview of Enryakuji Temple on Mount Hiei
Enryakuji Temple, the head temple of the Tendai sect, is located on Mount Hiei, which straddles Otsu City in Shiga Prefecture and Kyoto Prefecture. Because the founders of many Japanese Buddhist schools, including Hōnen, Eisai, Shinran, Dōgen, and Nichiren, studied on Mount Hiei between the late Heian and early Kamakura periods, it is called the “Mother Mountain of Japanese Buddhism.”
“Enryakuji” is not the name of a single building but the collective name for about 100 halls and pagodas scattered across roughly 1,700 hectares of temple grounds. The grounds are divided into three areas, Tōdō (East Pagoda), Saitō (West Pagoda), and Yokokawa, each with its own main hall. The head hall, the Konpon Chūdō in the Tōdō area, is designated a National Treasure.
The temple was badly damaged when Oda Nobunaga burned it in 1571 (Genki 2), but it was later rebuilt by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Iemitsu.
2. History of Enryakuji Temple on Mount Hiei
1. Foundation and the Activities of Saichō (788)
After receiving the full precepts at Tōdai-ji in Nara in 785 (Enryaku 4), Saichō entered Mount Hiei to train, and in 788 (Enryaku 7) he founded the Ichijō Shikan-in (later the Konpon Chūdō), carving a Yakushi Nyorai (Medicine Buddha) as its principal image. Based on the Lotus Sutra’s teaching that “all people can become Buddhas,” he set out to train a new generation of monks.
With the support of Emperor Kanmu he then traveled to Tang China, studied Tendai teachings and more, and returned in 805 (Enryaku 24). On January 26, 806 (Enryaku 25), the state approved two annual ordinands for the Tendai school, and this date is regarded as the founding day of the Tendai sect. After Saichō’s death, the Ichijō Shikan-in was granted the name “Enryakuji.”
2. Development of the Tendai Sect and Relations with the Imperial Court (9th Century)
The third head abbot, Ennin (Jikaku Daishi), opened the Yokokawa area and developed the Tōdō area, and drawing on his studies in Tang China he brought Pure Land teachings into Tendai doctrine and expanded its esoteric practice. In 866 (Jōgan 8) Saichō was given the posthumous title “Dengyō Daishi” and Ennin “Jikaku Daishi,” said to be the first “Daishi” titles in Japan.
In the mid-Heian period, the 18th head abbot, Ryōgen (Jie Daishi), rebuilt many halls and promoted Tendai scholarship, and his disciple Genshin (Eshin Sōzu) wrote the Ōjōyōshū, which laid the foundation for the later development of Pure Land Buddhism in Japan.
3. The Burning of Enryakuji (1571)
In 1571 (Genki 2), Oda Nobunaga burned Enryakuji. At the time the temple was a powerful religious force with its own warrior monks (sōhei), and it had ties to forces opposed to Nobunaga.
Many halls were burned and many lives were lost. Hideyoshi built a temporary Konpon Chūdō in 1585 (Tenshō 13), and the current hall was completed in 1642 (Kan’ei 19) on the orders of Tokugawa Iemitsu.
4. Shōwa-Era Rebuilding and UNESCO World Heritage Registration (20th Century)
In 1964 (Shōwa 39), the Sanbutsu-dō hall in Sakamoto at the foot of the mountain was moved up the mountain to become the present Great Lecture Hall. In 1994, Enryakuji was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a component of the “Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.”
3. Highlights of Enryakuji Temple on Mount Hiei
The Tōdō area has the Konpon Chūdō, the Great Lecture Hall, and Amida Hall; the Saitō area has the Shakadō, Jōdo-in, and Ninaidō; and the Yokokawa area has the Ganzandaishi-dō. Shuttle buses run between the three areas (suspended in winter).
Konpon Chūdō (Main Hall)
The Konpon Chūdō is Enryakuji’s head hall and traces its origins to the Ichijō Shikan-in founded by Saichō in 788 (Enryaku 7). The present building was completed in 1642 (Kan’ei 19) on the orders of Tokugawa Iemitsu and is a National Treasure (its corridors are an Important Cultural Property). The principal image is Yakushi Nyorai, and before it burns the “Eternal Flame of the Dharma” (Fumetsu no Hōtō), said to have been kept alight for 1,200 years.
The Konpon Chūdō and its corridors are in the middle of a major renovation that began in 2016 (Heisei 28) and is planned to take about 15 years, covering the roof and the painted and lacquered finishes. From January 6, 2026 until January 2028 (planned), the interior of the Konpon Chūdō is closed to worshippers, and the Eternal Flame of the Dharma is temporarily enshrined in the Manpaidō hall. From the viewing stage in the courtyard you can watch the work at the height of the eaves; because dismantling work is due to start, the stage is expected to be open only until around December 2026. Guided tours of the normally closed work site (free, no reservation) will also end with the 2026 sessions (October 10 and November 7, 14, 21, and 28) as the protective roof structure is removed (as of September 2026).
Daikōdō (Great Lecture Hall)
The Daikōdō, near the Konpon Chūdō, is the Sanbutsu-dō hall that was moved here from Sakamoto at the foot of the mountain in 1964 (Shōwa 39). It is designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan.
Its principal image is Dainichi Nyorai (Cosmic Buddha), flanked by wooden statues of the founders of Buddhist schools who trained on Mount Hiei, such as Hōnen and Shinran. In the outer sanctuary hang portraits of Shakyamuni and eminent monks associated with Buddhism and the Tendai sect.
Amida Hall
Amida Hall, built in 1937 (Shōwa 12), is a hall for memorial services for the ancestors of the temple’s supporters. Its principal image is a large jōroku-size Amida Nyorai, and in front of the hall is a suikinkutsu (water chime).
■ Shakadō (Hall of Shakyamuni) / Tenporindō
The Shakadō (formally the Tenporindō) is the main hall of the Saitō area, and its principal image is Shakyamuni Buddha. It was originally the main hall of Onjō-ji (Mii-dera) and was moved to Saitō by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1595 (Bunroku 4). It is the oldest surviving building at Enryakuji.
Together with the Saitō bell tower, it is designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan.
Jōdo-in
Jōdo-in houses the mausoleum of Dengyō Daishi (Saichō) and stands on the boundary between the Tōdō and Saitō areas. Saichō died in 822 (Kōnin 13) at the age of 56, and in 854 (Ninju 4) Ennin moved his remains here.
Today a monk undertaking the twelve-year mountain retreat serves here every day as if attending the living Saichō. It is designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan.
Ganzandaishi-dō (Hall of Ganzandaishi)
The Ganzandaishi-dō (formally the Shiki Kōdō) in the Yokokawa area enshrines Jie Daishi Ryōgen (Ganzan Daishi). Today’s omikuji (fortune slips) are said to have been devised by Ganzan Daishi, so the hall is regarded as the birthplace of omikuji.
The hall also offers the “Tsuno Daishi” talisman against misfortune and evil. The present building dates from 1652 (Jōō 1) and is designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan.
Ninaidō (Hall of the Shouldering)
Ninaidō is a pair of identical square halls, the Jōgyōdō (principal image: Amida Nyorai) and the Hokke-dō (principal image: Fugen Bosatsu), joined by a corridor. Its name, meaning “shouldering hall,” comes from the legend that Benkei put his shoulder under the corridor and carried both halls. The two halls continue the jōgyō zanmai and hokke zanmai meditation practices. It is an Important Cultural Property, and the interior is not open to the public.
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In Conclusion
If your time is limited, start with the Tōdō area, home to the Konpon Chūdō, and head on to Saitō and Yokokawa if you have time to spare.
