Head Temple of the Shingon Risshu Sect
Saidaiji Temple was founded in 765 by imperial decree of Empress Shōtoku. At its peak, the temple complex thrived with numerous halls and pagodas spread across a vast area.
Although it fell into decline during the Heian period, it was revived in the Kamakura period by the Buddhist monk Eison (Kōshō Bosatsu), who established it as the principal training center of the Shingon Risshu sect, integrating esoteric Buddhism and monastic precepts as one unified practice.
The current Main Hall (Important Cultural Property), Aizendō Hall (Prefectural Cultural Property), and Shiōdō Hall were rebuilt in the mid-Edo period.
Saidaiji is also known for its “Great Tea Ceremony” (Ōchamori), a tradition started by Eison.
