Miedo Hall
The Miedo Hall is a building that was once part of the Kyoto Imperial Palace complex. As a palace building it was called the Seiryoden Hall, and during the Keicho era (1596–1615) it served as a pavilion where the emperor could rest and receive visitors. After the court donated the building to Ninnaji, it became a place of worship, with a statue of the priest Kobo Daishi (774–835) as its principal object of worship.
Kobo Daishi, known during his life as Kukai, was the founder of the Shingon school of Buddhism. After his death, the imperial court granted Kukai the posthumous title of Kobo Daishi. The 59th Emperor Uda became a Shingon monk after his abdication and took the name Kanpyo Ho-o; he was the first head of the temple. Ninnaji is the head temple of a branch known as the Omuro School.