This temple was built at the foot of Mount Daisen's north face (the Sea of Japan side) in 718 and is reached along a lovely paved lane shaded by cedar trees. The temple was very active as a centre of the Tendai Buddhist sect up until the 16C and used to house over 3,000 monks. Unfortunately, most of the buildings were destroyed by successive fires. A trail to the left of the temple will take you to the Ogamiyama shrine that was once an integral part of the complex before the separation of Buddhism and Shintoism during the Meiji era.