National Treasures & Important Cultural Properties
of National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan

　This worship painting depicts mainly the environs of Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine (San’nosha Shrine) located at the eastern foothill of Mt. Hiei and developed as a shrine that Shinto deities protect Enryakuji Temple. The painting emphasizes the reality by the so precise depiction of 21 buildings of San’no Shrines such as Eastern and Western Main Shrines that stand out against the background representing impressive natural scenery. This represents with the depiction of environs of the shrines the nature of Shinto deities temporary appearing to the actual world by the honji suijaku theory built in the theory of Buddhist and Shinto unity. Deities enshrined in the 21 shrines, Shinto deities appearing in their Buddhist form (honji butsu) and shuji (Skt. Bīja) are lined up in a separate section created at the upper part of the painting. The names of each image of deities are written in reed-shaped name tags, bus it is explanatory and may weaken their presence as sacred figures. It is the same for the shrines themselves. It is undeniable that the magnificence of the Mandala of shrines as a worship painting tended to fade due to the downtrend of the era. The mounting with pictures (kaki-hyogu) is applied on silk cloth on which the painting is attached, and it is valuable that the style of hanging scrolls of the time remains in such a good condition. According to the ink inscription on a piece of paper attached to the back, this painting had been held at the Western valley (Nishi-Dani), Sai-To (Western Pagoda) of Enryakuji Temple on Mt. Hiei until it was handed down in Bun’an 4 (1447).