Daiko-do (Important Cultural Property)

Built in 824 by Gishin, Saicho's senior disciple, this hall on Mount Hiei originally served as lodging for imperial envoys during ordination ceremonies. It became a center of monastic study and today holds rituals including the Lotus Ceremony for Broad Learning, required once every four years for monks on the path to full Tendai ordination. The central image is Dainichi Nyorai, the Great Sun Buddha. Statues of eight major Buddhist school founders who trained here line the hall, including Honen, Shinran, Eisai, and Dogen, a reminder of how deeply Mount Hiei shaped Japanese religious history.