Yamadera is formally known as "Hōjusan Risshaku-ji Temple (Hōjusan Risshaku-ji)",
and it is said to have been founded in the 2nd year of Jōgan (860 AD) by Ennin, a Tendai Buddhist monk [posthumously known as Jikaku Daishi].
Yamadera is the common name for Hōjusan Risshaku-ji Temple, and it has also become the name for the entire surrounding area.
The magnificent scenery, with temples and shrines scattered across its steep rocky slopes amidst strange and curiously shaped rocks found on cliffs and in mountain valleys, is also a remarkable historical site.
