Ishiyamadera Main Temple

This is the oldest wooden building of the Shiga Prefecture. Its main hall (inner temple) has been reconstructed in the first year of the Eichō era (1096), and in the 7th year of the Keichō Era (1602) the ceremony hall (outer sanctum) that connects the architectural complex has been reconstructed because of the contribution of Yodo-dono. The ceremony hall is protruding in bedrock of wollastonite in ‘kake-zukuri’ (overhang method of construction), and is facing south.

The foundation of the main temple dates back to the Ishiyamadera temple’s early days and has a longitudinal length of about 16.6 meters (5 Jō) and a transverse length of about 6.6 meters (2 Jō).
It has been reconstructed in the 5~6th year of the Tenpyō-hōji era (761-762) by the chief of the Tōdai-ji temple from about 23.3 meters (7 Jō) to about 13.3 meters (4 Jō).
After that, the ceremony hall has been annexed until the second half of the 10th century. After burning down in the 2nd year of the Jōryaku era (1078), it has been rebuilt in the 1st year of the Eichō era (1096).
During the Keichō era, Toyotomi Hideyori’s mother Yodo-dono’s contributions made it possible to reconstruct it and holds today’s structural form and scale.