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Otsu, Shiga

Hiyoshi Taisha

日吉大社

A choice for National Treasure sanctuaries and a wooded walk at the foot of Mount Hiei. A circuit of the lower precinct differs from the uphill route to the inner shrines. The adult precinct contribution is ¥500.

National Treasure architecture

World Heritage & cultural properties

National Treasure architecture: The west and east main sanctuaries
Designation source · Checked 2026-10-09

Designations apply to the places or buildings listed above. They do not guarantee access to interiors; check visit areas, hours and separate admission before travelling.

Sanno torii at Hiyoshi Taisha — puffyjet / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
Resized to WebP; layout crop. Adapted BY-SA photos retain CC BY-SA 4.0. · Photographed 2010-03-15

Visit at a glance

Estimated visit time: 40–60 minutes
A lower-precinct circuit around the east and west sanctuaries, allowing some margin over the official usual 40-minute visit; excludes the uphill inner shrines, station transfers and counter queues. A travel-planning estimate, not an official visit duration. Pace, route and crowds affect the time.
Getting there: The official access guide gives about 10 minutes on foot from Keihan Sakamoto-hieizanguchi Station or 20 minutes from JR Hieizan-Sakamoto Station.
Grounds hours: The official visiting time is 09:00–16:00. The east and west sanctuary gates open 06:00–16:00 April–September and 07:00–16:00 October–March.
Office hours: Amulets and goshuin: 09:00–16:00. Formal-prayer reception: 09:00–15:30. Weather or events may change services.
Admission categories: Precinct contribution: adults ¥500, junior/senior high school students ¥300, younger children free. Amulets and formal prayers are separate.

Open in Google Maps Official website

What to see

National Treasure east and west sanctuaries
Distinctive Sanno torii
Woodland and streams at Mount Hiei’s foot

Traditions & prayers

Protection from misfortune Love & relationships

Traditionally associated with these prayers. Associations describe worship traditions, not guaranteed results.

Prayer source

Enshrined kami

Onamuchi no Kami (west sanctuary) · Oyamakui no Kami (east sanctuary)

A short history

The west sanctuary enshrines Onamuchi and the east sanctuary Oyamakui. Hiyoshi is a centre of Hiyoshi, Hie and Sanno worship with close historical ties to Mount Hiei. Both main sanctuaries are National Treasures; its roughly 2,100-year origin is presented as shrine tradition.

Before you go

The official FAQ describes the inner shrines as an uphill walk of about 1 km and 30 minutes each way; plan this separately. Conservation work at Juge-gu’s worship hall is also announced.

First shrine visit: etiquette & offerings →

Location

5-1-1 Sakamoto, Otsu, Shiga

35.072, 135.863 · Representative point near the main worship area, visually checked against GSI mapping; not a certified entrance or step-free route. · Location source

Sources

Details checked 2026-10-09. Check the official site for changes before visiting.

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