| Mount Hiei | |
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| 比叡山 | |
The view from Kyoto with Cherry blossoms. (April 2005) |
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| Elevation | 848.1 m (2,782 ft) |
| Listing | List of mountains and hills of Japan by height |
| Location | |
| Location | Honshū, Shiga Prefecture, Japan |
| Topo map | Geographical Survey Institute 25000:1 京都東北部, 50000:1 京都及大阪 |
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 Tiantai (Tendai) sect of Buddhism, was founded atop Mount Hiei by Saichō in 788. Both Nichiren and Honen studied at the temple before leaving to start their own practices. The temple complex was razed by Oda Nobunaga in 1571 to quell the rising power of the Tendai's warrior monks (sōhei), but it was rebuilt and remains the Tendai headquarters to this day.
The Imperial Japanese Navy battleship Hiei is named after this mountain, having initially being built as a battlecruiser.
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Mount Hiei has featured in many folk tales over the ages. Originally it was thought to be the home of gods and demons of Shinto lore, although it is predominantly known for the Buddhist monks that come from the temple of Enryaku-ji.
John Stevens wrote the book The Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei, chronicling the practice of running long distances – up to 52 miles (84 km) – in a single day to attain enlightenment in the monk's current life. These monks were known as the Kaihōgyō.
The mountain is a popular area for hikers and a toll road provides access by automobile to the top of the mountain. There are also two routes of funiculars: the Eizan Cable from the Kyoto side to the connecting point with an aerial tramway to the top and the Sakamoto Cable from the Shiga side to the foot of Enryaku-ji.
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