Mt. Hiei（比叡山, Hieizan）
| Elevation | 848 m |
|---|---|
| Classification | 300 Famous Mountains of Japan |
| Location | Shiga Pref. (滋賀県 大津市) |
| Coordinates | 35.06667, 135.83833 |
Highlights of Mt. Hiei
- Selected as one of the 300 Famous Mountains of Japan
- Elevation 848 m
- Located in Shiga Pref.
Weekly weather (reference)
About Mt. Hiei
Mount Hiei (比叡山, Hiei-zan) is a mountain to the northeast of Kyoto, lying on the border between the Kyoto and Shiga Prefectures, Japan.
The temple of Enryaku-ji, the first outpost of the Japanese Tendai (Chin. Tiantai) sect of Buddhism, was founded atop Mount Hiei by Saichō in 788 and rapidly grew into a sprawling complex of temples and buildings that were roughly divided into three areas:
The Saitō (西塔; "West Pagoda") area near the summit, and technically in Kyoto Prefecture.
The Tōdō (東塔; "East Pagoda") area, also near the summit, where Enryaku-ji Temple was first founded, and located just within Shiga Prefecture.
The Yokawa (横川; "Along the river") area near the northernmost end of Mount Hiei. Due to its remoteness, as a temple complex it experienced periods of revival and decline, starting with Ennin, later revived by Ryōgen and made famous by the scholar-monk Genshin.
Due to its position north-east of the ancient capital of Heian-kyō (Kyoto), it was thought in ancient geomancy to be a protective bulwark against negative influences on the capital, which along with the rise of the Tendai sect in the Heian period (8th - 12th centuries) meant that the mountain and the temple complex...