Enryaku-ji

A Tendai monastery on Mount Hiei with the largest nominated area in the UNESCO listing at 497.7 ha. Enryaku-ji was founded in 788 by Saichō (767–822), who introduced the Tendai sect of Mahayana Buddhism to Japan from China. At its peak the complex comprised as many as 3,000 sub-temples and a powerful army of warrior monks. Oda Nobunaga attacked and levelled the buildings in 1571; the current structures date from the late 16th century. Enryaku-ji is the headquarters of the Tendai sect and one of the most significant monasteries in Japanese history.