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Sūfuku-ji Temple Ruins

This archaeological site preserves the foundations of an imperial Buddhist temple that was active from the late Asuka period until the Muromachi period. The site extends over three ridges south of Mount Hiei: on the north ridge stands the Miroku-dō, a chapel dedicated to Maitreya; on the central ridge, known as Maruyama, the remains of a small Kondō; and on the south ridge the main complex, with the bases of the Kondō, the Lecture Hall and the Kyōzō (sutra library). The site also includes the Hyakuana Kofun tomb group and the remains of the Nagao tile kiln. Excavations have uncovered tiles from the Hakuho period, a Buddha image and the foundations of a pagoda, and in 1945 a shari container with bronze, silver and gold boxes holding a Buddhist relic was found buried at the base of the pagoda; it was designated a National Treasure in 1952 and is now kept in the Kyoto National Museum. Access is about a 20-minute walk from Minami-Shiga station on the Keihan Ishiyama Sakamoto line.

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