Onjo-ji Temple, commonly known as Miidera, in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, had kept fighting against Enryaku-ji Temple over the status of the head of the Tendai sect since the 10th century.

In the Heian period, from the 9^th to 12^th century, the people in Kyoto called Onjo-ji Temple just as the Temple (Tera in Japanese), whilst nearby Enryaku-ji Temple standing on the top of Mt. Hiei was called just as the Mountain (Yama in Japanese).  This means that these two temples were exceptional even for the people in Kyoto, the then capital city where many prestigious temples stood close together. 

The doctrine of the Tendai sect of Buddhism, introduced into Japan by a Chinese priest Jianzhen in 754, was disseminated thereafter by two Japanese priests Saicho and Enchin throughout the country.  They were student priest studying in China.  After returning to Japan, Saicho established Enryaku-ji temple as the first temple of the Tendai sect, but after the death of him Enchin took office as the head priest of the temple.  Enchin also established Enjo-ji temple as the branch temple of Enryaku-ji in 866 to make it as an important base of missionary work of the Tendai sect.  This triggered the battles over the orthodoxy of the Tenday sect between the two temples.  The monk soldiers of Enryaku-ji temple, who were said to be invincible, repeatedly attacked and burned Onjo-ji temple as many as more than 50 times.  After many twists and turns, Onjo-ji has become the head temple of the Jimon division of the Tendai sect.  The first photo shows the Kondo main building, which was rebuilt in 1600 and is a national treasure.  The second one is the Nio-mon gate, originally built for a different temple in 1452 then relocated here in 1601.

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