Hyakusaiji Temple

Hyakusaiji Temple is one of the oldest temples in Oumi, built at the behest of Prince Shotoku during the era of Empress Suiko. It is said to have been modeled after Ryounji Temple in the Korean Kingdom of Baekje. The characters for Hyakusai are the same as Baekje, and this indicates the temple may have been established for foreigners living in Japan. During the Heian period it became a temple of the Tendai sect under control of Enryakuji Temple on Mount Hiei. Throughout the Kamakura to Muromachi periods it was a huge temple with over 1,000 monks, but in the end it was burned down and destroyed by Oda Nobunaga. The current hondo, niomon, sanmon and other structures are reconstructions from the Edo period. The temple is particularly beautiful during the fall foliage season.

60 minutes by car from the hotel