[2025 Kyoto Attraction] Travel Guide for Mount Hiei (Updated Feb)

The Mount Hiei Forest Cable Car is one of Kyoto's must-visit attractions, taking visitors through lush forests while experiencing the beauty of nature and overlooking the magnificent cityscape of Kyoto. As the cable car ascends, the dense forest layers create a dreamlike forest sanctuary. At dusk, you can enjoy the enchanting view of the sunset painting the sky red, a moment not to be missed by photography enthusiasts. At the top of Mount Hiei, you can also gaze at the shimmering waters of Lake Biwa, providing a refreshing sense of tranquility. This cable car route combines the fusion of nature and cityscapes, offering a unique experience in Kyoto travel!

Mount Hiei, located on the border between Kyoto and Shiga, is also known as the mountain where deities reside. The vast area is divided into regions such as the East Pagoda, West Pagoda, and Yokawa, requiring bus transportation to explore fully; otherwise, walking would be quite a challenge. This site is also historically significant as the location where Oda Nobunaga set fire to Mount Hiei. Viewing Mount Hiei through the lens of history adds a deeper sense of appreciation. The East Pagoda area features the Main Hall, the Manpuku Hall, and a bell tower where you can ring away 108 worldly desires. This area exudes grandeur, while the West Pagoda area is serene and green, resembling a hidden temple in the mountains. If you're starting from Kyoto, you can take the Keihan Electric Railway to Yase, transfer to a cable car up the mountain, and then switch to a bus. Along the way, you'll see the beautiful Lake Biwa. Another route is to ascend from Shiga, taking the Sakamoto Cable Car to reach the vicinity of the East Pagoda. It's recommended to dedicate a full day to experience the thousand-year-old charm of Mount Hiei.

Coming out of the Yasuguchi Station of the Eizan Electric Railway, the maple path to the Rurikoin Temple is incredibly beautiful, and it's free of charge, which is even better. Even if you don't have a prior appointment to the special worship at the Rurikoin Temple, it's very worth it to visit here. Guaranteed to be worth the tram fare.

Mount Hiei is located in Shiga, and is an important practice place for the Tendai sect of Buddhism in Japan. Mount Hiei is not a mountain, it is scattered with about 150 temples and pagodas, collectively known as Enryakuji, so Enryakuji does not refer to a single temple. The World Heritage Site, the national treasure buildings of Enryakuji on Mount Hiei (East Tower). The main hall is a national treasure of Japan, enshrining the Medicine Buddha. Its predecessor was the Ichijo Shikanin built in 788 AD, which was rebuilt by Tokugawa Iemitsu in 1642 (the 19th year of Kanei) after Oda Nobunaga burned the mountain. It is a Japanese-style Irimoya construction, the inner formation is 3 meters lower than the outer formation, with a unique structure. The Manjusri Tower is the gate of Enryakuji, and the Manjusri Bodhisattva is enshrined inside. It was built in imitation of the Manjusri Bodhisattva Hall in our Wutai Mountain. The Great Lecture Hall was built in 1634 and is a dojo for monks to discuss knowledge. Now the main hall is under renovation, and the main building is surrounded by steel structure color board houses, with scaffolding guardrails for visitors to visit.

Send a group of beautiful pictures of the Ruishan Temple. Birui Mountain Yanli Temple is the total mountain of Tiantai Zong, created by the master of Buddhist missions. Birui Mountain belongs to the temple area as a whole, and the three places of East Tower, West Tower and Yokogawa are collectively called the Birui Mountain Yanli Temple. In 1994, Yanli Temple was registered as one of the world cultural heritages as one of the cultural properties of the ancient capital Kyoto. I have been here three years ago and I am very impressed by the beauty of the place. If Ise Shrine is one of the best places in the shrine, then its status in Japanese Buddhism is similar. Only staying at the L'hotel de Hiei and the hotel of the Jangye Temple can make an appointment to attend the morning ritual. This is definitely an experience of washing your soul.