Traveling on Mt. Hiei Enryaku-ji Temple, 30spectacular views encountered on foot (access and parking)

• automobile
• cable car

1. Founder of Tendai Sect: The Tendai Sect was founded in 806 by Saicho (Dengyo Daishi).
2. The Life of Saicho:.
   • Born in 767 in Mitsu, Sakamoto, Shiga Prefecture.
   • At the age of 12, he began training as a monk.
   • He became an official monk in 785.
   • In 788, he founded the Ichijyo Stupa (later known as Nemoto Chudo) on Mt. Hiei.
   • Studied in Tang (China) and studied Chinese Tiantai doctrine, Zen, and esoteric Buddhism.
   • In 805, he returned to Japan and began spreading esoteric Buddhism in Japan.
3. Doctrine and Impact:.
   • Based on the teachings of the Lotus Sutra, Saicho believed that all people could become Buddhas.
   • In 806, the Tendai Sect was officially recognized and established as an official sect.
   • After the death of Saicho, the temple developed as Enryakuji Temple on Mt. Hieizan. Later heads of the temple contributed to the development of the sect.
4. Cultural Impact:.
   • The teachings and shomyo (Buddhist music) of the Tendai sect also influenced traditional Japanese culture and music, as well as Noh and tea ceremonies.
   • The influence can be seen in classical literature such as “The Tale of Genji” and “The Tale of the Heike.
5. Hieizan as a place of learning: From the Heian to Kamakura periods, prominent monks such as Honen, Eisai, Shinran, Dogen, and Nichiren studied at Hieizan and later became the founders of their respective sects.
6. History of Hieizan: Over its more than 1,200-year history, Hieizan has continued to serve as a center of faith, despite the many challenges it has faced.

The main lecture hall enshrines many important monks, especially the founders of various sects, and is the place where many Buddhist memorial services and lectures are held, where many practicing monks and believers study, pray, and practice.

Functioning as a shukubo, Enryakuji Kaikan offers visitors a more in-depth and practical experience of their stay in this sacred place. The facility is used by many seekers and interested people because it offers meals and lodging as well as the experience of living and practicing asceticism there for a certain period of time.

Jodoin is important to many visitors and believers as the mausoleum of Dengyo Daishi Saicho, and is known as the place where his remains are enshrined.

Saicho, who entered into Buddhism in 822 at the age of 56, was the first monk to bring the Tendai sect to Japan, and his teachings and achievements have had a profound influence on the Japanese Buddhist community.

Jodoin occupies a special place in the life of Saicho and the subsequent development of Buddhism.

Since his remains were moved here by Master Jikaku, many followers have honored and paid homage to his teachings and practices.

Its location on the boundary between the East and West Pagoda regions connects two important areas of Hieizan.

• Joko-do and Hokke-do (Ninai-do)** are religious buildings with a structure consisting of two different halls connected by a corridor.
• The main deity of Jogyodo is Amida Nyorai, who practices Jogyosamadhi, one of the four types of samadhi.
• The Hokke-do hall has as its principal deity Fugen Bosatsu (Fugen Bodhisattva), who practices “Hokke sammai” (the three stages of the Lotus Sutra).
• According to legend, Benkei, a samurai, carried the corridor connecting the two halls on his shoulders, hence the name “Ninai-do.
• Jogyodo and Hokkeido are designated as National Important Cultural Properties of Japan for their historical and cultural value.
• It is important to note that the interior of Ninai-do is closed to the general public.

• Tenporin-do (Shakyamuni Hall) is the main hall of the West Pagoda area, and its principal image is the Sakyamuni Nyoraiis enshrined.
• It is widely known as “Shakado” in general.
• The oldest of the existing Enryakuji buildings, it was originally the Kondo of Enjoji temple of Mitsui Temple, and was moved to the West Pagoda in 1595 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
• Together with the West Pagoda Belfry, it is designated as a National Important Cultural Property due to its historical and cultural value.

• The Yokogawa area is centered around the Yokogawa Chudo, the main hall.
• Yokogawa is located approximately 4 kilometers north of the West Tower.
• It was opened by Jikaku Daishi Ennin, the third Tendai Seated Master.
• The main hall features the Yokogawa Chudo, a stage structure modeled after a Japanese envoy ship to the Tang Dynasty.
• Other important buildings include Keishindo (where monk Genshin, author of the Ojo-Yoshu, lived in seclusion) and Shiki Kodo (Gensan Daishi Hall, known for its omikuji (fortune telling) and protection from evil spirits. (Gensan Daishi Hall, which enshrines Ryogen, the Great Monk Genshin, the author of the Oujo-yoshu (The Book of Life and Death).
• Access is approximately 15 minutes by shuttle bus from the East Tower area and over 100 minutes on foot (via the Tokaido Nature Trail). It is also approximately 10 minutes by shuttle bus from the West Tower area.

• Yokogawa Chudo is the main hall of the Yokogawa area and has a distinctive stage structure. The overall shape has the unique appearance of a boat floating on the water.
• The center of the hall is lowered by about 2 meters, where a statue of the Bodhisattva of the Holy Kannon is enshrined as the principal object of worship. The statue is said to be by Jikaku Daishi Ennin and is designated as a National Important Cultural Property.
• The current Yokogawa Chudo building was reconstructed in 1971.
• The Yokogawa Bell Tower in the precincts of the temple is also designated as a National Important Cultural Property.

• Keishindo is considered an important Buddhist cultural site, especially in the development of Pure Land Buddhism in Japan.
• Genshin, also known as “Eshin monk,” authored the “Ojo-yoshu” and the “25 Samadhi Formula” here. His teachings and writings formed the foundation of the Jodo sect and Jodo Shinshu in later generations, and played an important role in the development of Jodo in Japan.
• The Amida Nyorai is enshrined as the principal deity, and the temple is considered to be a place of Buddhist practice.
• Keishindo itself is not open to the public, and access to the interior is not permitted.

• 00:00 Opening
• 00:18 Metasequoia-lined avenue
• 02:20 Lakeside Green Shina & Taira Lake
• 03:22 Oki Island
• 04:25 Karasaki Shrine
• 04:51 Lake Biwa 1st Canal
• 05:25 Aragamiyama
• 07:01 Sone Swamp
• 07:24 Ishiyama Temple
• 08:45 Yadai Ryuoh Shrine
• 09:15 Yutaka Park
• 10:06 Lake Biwa Bridge
• 10:32 Hachiman moat
• 11:57 Hiyoshi-taisha Shrine
• 12:41 Sakamoto Joshi Park
• 13:15 Hiyoshi-taisha Shrine Nanabonryu Torii (seven willow torii)
• 13:47 Zenjo Castle Ruins Park
• 14:19 Karabashi Bridge in Seta
• 14:58 Kitakomatsu Swimming Beach
• 15:22 Renkai Temple
• 15:52 Hikone Castle
• 16:36 Genkyuen
• 18:00 Matsubara Swimming Pool
• 18:23 Ryutan Temple
• 18:44 Mt. Sawa
• 19:16 Kawachi Wind Cave
• 20:06 Katsura at Idojinja Shrine
• 20:41 Ruins of Mukonokura village
• 21:28 Seikyoji Temple
• 22:06 Former Chikurin-in Temple
• 22:46 Old school buildings of Toyosato Elementary School
• 23:42 Snowy Takatsuki Town
• 24:32 Nishino Waterway
• 26:23 Tsukide, Nishiazai-cho
• 26:58 Maple Tree Pond
• 27:44 Mt. Ibuki
• 28:02 Cherry blossoms in Taga
• 29:00 Takatoriyama Fureai Park
• 29:29 Ruins of Taga SL Park
• 29:56 Takage Island
• 30:48 West Lake
• 31:47 Dingnogi River
• 32:07 Kakunohama, Hariehama Spring
• 33:39 Kakunohama, Hariehama Summer
• 34:34 Yasu River
• 34:41 Zenshuidera Temple
• 35:06 Male demon village
• 36:38 Shasaki-jinja Shrine
• 37:02 Gokasho Kondo Town
• 37:27 Oshiro Shrine
• 37:44 Botanical Park Mizu no Mori
• 38:30 Anegawa Dam
• 39:27 Onyu Pass
• 40:37 Takefu Island
• 41:47 Sakunami Temple
• 42:45 Ruins of Tsuchikura Mine
• 43:30 Oku-Biwako Parkway
• 43:56 Lakeside Green Okudehama Park
• 44:29 Yabashi Kihanjima
• 44:45 Omi Ohashi Bridge
• 45:03 Lake Yogo
• 48:37 Lakeside village of Sugaura
• 50:17 La Collina Omihachiman
• 51:00 Ruins of Imahata Village
• 51:40 Enryakuji Temple, Hieizan
• 53:00 Jokoin
• 53:19 Lake Kankawauchi
• 53:48 Aichi River
• 54:26 Izaki Temple
• 55:14 Evening view of Okijima
• 55:57 Kaizu-Osaki
• 59:03 Shirahige Shrine