[9] Due to their prominence in at Hiyoshi Taisha the Chinjusha of Enryaku-ji,[10] the head temple of Tendai[11] and the shrine itself leading Sannō Ichijitsu Shintō, they have a very prominent role in the sect, often in the consolidated divinity of Sanno Gongen.

[1] Sanno Gongen is the archetypal deity of heaven, earth, and human beings, the spirit dwelling in the green of the willow, the red of the blossom.

[2] The first mention of the kami Oyamakui is recorded in Kojiki, written in the 8th century AD, which states that this god resides at Mount Hiei, which is located immediately to the west of Hiyoshi Taisha.

This kami was relocated from the summit of the mountain to their present location in the seventh year of the reign of the semi-legendary Emperor Sujin, or 90 BC per the traditional calendar.

In 668 AD, Emperor Tenji decided to relocate the capital to Ōmi Province and built the Ōtsu Palace.

At this time, the kami of Ōmiwa Shrine in Yamato Province (who served as protector of the imperial dynasty) was relocated as well, and was installed in the Nishi Hongū, whereas the original sanctuary came to be called the Higashi Hongū.

In 788 AD, Saichō erected the Tendai Buddhist temple complex of Enryaku-ji on Mount Hiei.

As missionaries from Enryaku-ji built Buddhist temples all across Japan, they also spread the faith in the "Sanno Gongen" and the Hie kami.

[1]: 68–69 Toyotomi Hideyoshi had a deep faith in the Sanno Gongen, as his childhood name was "Hiyoshi Maru" and his nickname was "monkey", an animal which was considered to be the spiritual messenger of the Hie kami.