Mt. Hiei or Hieizan (比叡山), a mountain lying on the border between Kyoto and Shiga Prefectures, is considered one of the Three Holiest Places in Japan together with Kōyasan (高野山) and Mt. Osore (恐山). The worship halls and pagodas of the World Heritage Enryakuji Temple (延暦寺) are scattered throughout the mountain. The temple, which is […]
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Saitō (西塔) is a quiet place deep in Mt. Hiei in beautiful cedar forests in the west founded by Enchō (円澄), also known as Jikukō Daishi (寂光大師). While the number of attractions here isn’t as many as in the Tōdō area, we loved our visit to Saitō. It wasn’t as busy as Tōdō. The atmosphere here
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The Sakamoto Area (坂本) in Ōtsu City in Shiga Prefecture is located at the foot of Mt. Hiei. In the good old days, this is where the monks of Mt. Hiei’s Enryakuji lived after they were put out to pasture following their “retirement”. Shaped by all the Satobō (里坊), which are the temples/residences of the
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In Sakamoto, apart from the temples and shrines, there is a spot that introduces the life of a local government official in the Edo period to its visitors. The Kunin Yashiki (公人屋敷) close to Kaihan’s Sakamoto-Hieizanguchi Station (坂本比叡山口駅) used to be the residence of the Okamoto family (旧岡本邸). It is now a small complex that
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When lunchtime approaches, it is time to finish exploring the temple or shrine in Sakamoto you are in and to find a restaurant. As a town in the countryside, Sakamoto has no vegan-friendly restaurants. The closest place to enjoy a vegan meal is the Enryakuji Kaikan in Mt. Hiei. But if you don’t mind bringing
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If you are visiting Mt. Hiei in Shiga Prefecture, stop by Hiyoshi Taisha (日吉大社) in Sakamoto. It has a deep connection with the Enryakuji Temple and is one of the most popular attractions in the area. The shrine is particularly stunning in the fall. Also, if you are a fan of ‘Rurouni Kenshin’, you will
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Nowadays, most of the restaurants in Mt. Hiei are no longer vegetarian. The best place to head to for lunch is Enryakuji Kaikan (延暦寺会館) in the Tōtō area. It is also where you can spend a night at Enryakuji. The meals served in the restaurant on the second floor are all vegan. Not only is
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Mt. Hiei’s Yokawa (横川) area is the least visited but most spiritual part of Enryakuji by tourists. The area was founded by Ennin (円仁), also known as Jigaku Daishi (慈覚大師). He is the disciple of Saichō (最澄) and the third head of the Tendai sect in Japan. Tucked deep in the mountain, this part of Mt. Hiei
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The Tōdō (東塔) area is the center of Enryakuji, where the most critical worship halls are located. Moreover, the mountaintop station of Sakamoto Cable Car and Eizan Ropeway is also close to the Tōdō area. Thus, if you have time constraints, focus on the attractions in the east part of Mt. Hiei.
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Saikyō-ji (西教寺), at the foot of southeastern Mt. Hiei, is the headquarter of the Tendai Shinsei sect (天台真盛宗), which has more than 450 branches across Japan. The temple also gets more attention when fall foliage brightens up the scenery.
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