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Home - Travel - Sightseeing Guide - Kansai - Kyoto - Northern Kyoto
Enryakuji Temple (Mount Hieizan)	# 33   of 56 most visited sights in Kyoto
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Main Hall (Todo) Located in Kyoto's eastern mountain range on Mount Hieizan (”ä‰bŽR), Enryakuji (‰„—) is one of the most important monasteries in Japanese history and the headquarters of the Tendai sect of Japanese Buddhism. Many influential monks studied at Enryakuji, including the founders of a number of later sects, such as the Pure Land (Jodo), Zen and Nichiren sects. Enryakuji was founded in 788 by Saicho, the monk who introduced Tendai Buddhism from China into Japan. At its peak, Enryakuji had as many as 3000 subtemples and a powerful army of warrior monks who often engaged in power struggles with other monasteries and political leaders. Amida Hall (Todo) On his way to remove all potential rivals and unite the country, Oda Nobunaga attacked and destroyed most of Enryakuji's buildings and killed most of its inhabitants in 1571. Therefore, most of today's temple buildings date back to the early Edo Period, when Enryakuji was rebuilt. Enryakuji's attractions are concentrated in three areas: Todo (east area), Saito (west area) and Yokawa. The main area is the Todo area, where the monastry was originally founded and where most of the main buildings are located, including the Main Hall (Kompon Chudo) and the Amida Hall, which was added to the complex in 1937. Shaka Hall (Saito) A pleasant walking trail through the forest connects the Todo with the Saito area, whose main building is the Shaka Hall, the oldest building on the mountain. Not far away stands the Ninai Hall, two halls connected to each other by a central corridor. A monk named Benkei, known for his legendary strength, is said to once have carried the hall on his shoulders. The Yokawa area, is located several kilometers north of the other two areas and is visited by fewer people. Its main building, the Yokawa Central Hall, is partially built on a slope using pillars. Yokawa Central Hall (Yokawa) Any Questions? Ask them in our question forum.

How to get there

Getting there Enryakuji is located on Mount Hieizan, which lies on the border of Kyoto Prefecture and Shiga Prefecture. The mountain can be ascended from either the Kyoto side by Eizan Cablecar and ropeway, or from the Shiga side by Sakamoto Cablecar. There is also a toll road that leads up to the temple, which is used by buses from central Kyoto. By Sakamoto Cablecar (around the year) Take the JR Kosei Line from Kyoto Station to Hiei-Sakamoto Station (15 minutes, 320 yen one way), from where it is a 15 minute walk or 5 minute bus ride to the lower station of the Sakamoto Cablecar. The cablecar ride takes 11 minutes and costs 840 yen one way or 1570 yen for a round trip. From the upper station, Hieizan's Todo area can be reached in a 5-10 minute walk. By Bus (around the year) There are direct buses from Kyoto Station and Keihan Sanjo Station to Hieizan's Todo area. The one way trip takes about one hour and costs 750 yen. There are 4-6 buses per day, except from December through mid March, when there are only two buses per day on weekends only. By Eizan Cablecar and Ropeway (does not operate in winter) Take the Eizan Main Line from Demachi-yanagi Station in northeastern Kyoto to Yase-Hieizan-guchi Station (15 minutes, 260 yen). From there, take the Eizan Cablecar and Eizan Ropeway to the summit of Hieizan (15-20 minutes, 840 yen one way, 1640 yen round trip). From the summit, it is another 5 minute bus ride or 30 minute walk to the Todo area. The cable car and ropeway do not operate from early December to mid March. Getting around The Todo and Saito areas are connected with each other by a pleasant walking trail (about 20 minutes one way) through the forest. Shuttle buses operate between the upper station of the Eizan Ropeway (at the mountain's summit), the upper station of the Sakamoto Cablecar, the Todo area, the Saito area and the Yokawa area about every 60 minutes on weekdays and about every 30 minutes on weekends. There are no buses from December to mid March. Bus fares depend on the distance traveled. The one way trip from the Todo to the Yokawa area, for example, takes 15 minutes and costs 640 yen. A one day pass for unlimited use of the shuttle bus on one calendar day is available for 800 yen. How to get to and around Kyoto

Hours and Fees

Hours: 8:30 to 16:30 (March to November) 9:00 to 16:00 (December) 9:00 to 16:30 (January and February) Closed: No closing days Admission: 550 yen (additional 450 yen for treasure house)

Hotels and Ryokan

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News and Reports

December 2, 2011 Kyoto Autumn Color Report by schauwecker November 30, 2011 Kyoto Autumn Color Report by schauwecker November 29, 2011 Kyoto Autumn Color Report by scott November 28, 2011 Kyoto Autumn Color Report by scott November 27, 2011 Kyoto Autumn Color Report by schauwecker November 24, 2011 Yoshiminedera and Southwest Kyoto by Rabbityama November 22, 2011 Kyoto Autumn Color Report by schauwecker November 20, 2011 Kyoto Autumn Color Report by schauwecker More reports...

Travel Community

Ratings for Hieizan: japan-guide.com Rating:   outstanding   User Rating (by 114 users): 83/100   recommended Popularity of Hieizan: Users who have been to Kyoto: 4514 Users who have been to Hieizan: 282 33rd of 56 most visited sights in Kyoto. 184th of 726 most visited sights nationwide. Have you been to Hieizan? No - I have not been there yetYes - no ratingYes - highly recommendedYes - recommendedYes - mildly interestingYes - nothing specialYes - not recommended User Feedback We strive to keep japan-guide.com up-to-date and accurate, and are always looking for ways to improve the user experience. If you have any updates, suggestions, corrections or opinions, please let us know:

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English Links

Hieizan Enrakuji (pdf) Official English website.

Japanese Links

Hieizan Enrakuji Official website. Hieizan e iko Informative website. Eizan Cable Car Official website. Sakamoto Cable Car Official website.