The Ukimido, the “floating temple hall” at Mangetsuji Temple, is famous for being featured in one of the Eight Views of Omi, “wild geese returning home at Katata.” The current structure is a recreation that was erected in 1937, and then underwent repairs in 1982, yet it fully retains the atmosphere of the original construction. The Kannondo in the temple grounds also contains an Important Cultural Property in the form of a statue of Sho Kannon.
During the Heian period (794 – 1185) the monk Genshin (also Enshin Sozu), looking down from Mt. Hieizan, saw a suspicious light in Lake Biwa every night. Finally checking that place using a net, he scooped up a glowing golden Amida Butsu. In memorial of this he carved 1000 Buddha statues and created the Ukimido to house them in the middle of the lake. It became a place of prayer for safety on the lake and the swift rescue of those in danger, and such faith concerning water still protects the region to this day.

Sakamoto flourished as the temple town for Hieizan Enryakuji Temple, including the homes for monks from approximately 50 different temples, and the townscape retains the elegance of that history even today. The monk’s homes have incredible gardens, with beautiful azalea, crimson leaves and moss combining to form a wonderful symphony of color. Furthermore, the Sakamoto region was designated as a Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings in 1997.

The longest cable car route in Japan at 2,025 m in total, opened in 1927. It connects the bottom of the mountain with Enryakuji Station in an 11 minute journey. Two cars leave every hour, on the hour and at 30 minutes past, and you can look out over Lake Biwa through their large European style windows.

Hieizan Enryakuji Temple, with its sprawling grounds across Mt. Hieizan, is the head temple of the Tendai Sect, and was registered as a World Cultural Heritage site in 1994 and as a Japan Heritage site in 2015. Conveniently located for access by driveway, cable car and all bus routes, it is comparatively easy to make it all the way to the top of the mountain. At Enryakuji Kaikan you can also experience what it’s like to train at the temple, including Zen meditation and making copies of the sutras. Please inquire to 077-578-0047 (9:00 – 17:00) for more details.

Konpon Chudo, a national treasure, is a hall that was originally created from a structure erected by Dengyo Daishi Saicho, founder of Enryakuji Temple, in 788. Meeting with destruction at the hands of various disasters over the years, with each rebuilding it also increased in scale. Its current form was completed in 1642 under orders from Iemitsu Tokugawa. The statue of the Yakushi (Bhaisajyaguru) Buddha here has an eternal light placed in front of it, which has not gone out in more than 1200 years. While the building is currently undergoing major repair work, the work itself is quite a sight to see as it is being performed on a National Treasure. Don’t miss this chance to see interesting restoration work underway. (The work started in 2016 and will continue for approximately 10 years)

The West Tower was established by the second Tendai Zasu, the title given to the head of Hieizan Enryakuji Temple, a monk named Encho. The main hall is the Shakado, and then there are various other halls as used by the monks here, including the mausoleum of temple founder Dengyo Daishi Saicho. There is also a training hall open to the public, where you can experience training as a monk for yourself. The West Tower can be reached in 5 minutes by shuttle bus from the East Tower area. You can also walk there in 2 minutes (including unpaved roads, slopes and steps), or take a shuttle bus ride of 10 minutes from the Yokawa area.

The East Tower is in the center of the three towers and sixteen valleys of Hieizan, and is the place where Dengyo Daishi Saicho founded Enryakuji Temple. The East Tower is also the site of many important halls and facilities, including the large Konpon Chudo central hall, halls enshrining the founders of each sect, and a hall for memorial services. In winter everything here is covered with snow, making for a stunning show of white. The Enryakuji Bus Center is also located in the East Tower area, from where you can take shuttle buses to the summit of Hieizan, the West Tower and the Yokawa area, as well as ride bus routes into Kyoto city or use the Sakamoto Cable to descend to the temple town of Sakamoto.

Yokawa is located around 4km north of the West Tower. Established by Jikaku Daishi Ennin, this highly spiritual region has seen the training of many famous monks, including Genshin, Shinran, Nichiren and Dogen. The main hall is the Yokawa Chudo, and then there is the Keishindo to which Genshin retired and Shiki Kodo enshrining Ganzan Daishi Ryogen. Yokawa can be reached in 15 minutes by shuttle bus from the East Tower area. You can also walk more than 100 minutes (Tokaido Nature Walk) to reach the West Tower area, from where a shuttle bus takes 10 minutes.