Just past its 1200th anniversary (in 2014), these rambling, deeply wooded precincts at the edge of central Ōtsu are the head temple of the Jimon branch of Tendai Buddhism. Four of its buildings are national treasures, others are important cultural properties. The Niō-mon gate here is unusual for its roof, made of layers of tree bark rather than tiles. It looks particularly fine when framed by spring cherry blossoms and autumn colours.
Mii-dera is a short walk northwest of Mii-dera Station on the Keihan Ishiyama-Sakamoto Line (from Kyoto, change trains at Hama-Ōtsu Station).
