As Ōhara lies at the northwestern foot of Mt. Hiei, it was under the strong influence of Enryaku-ji Temple. At the same time, it was a place of retreat for believers who were dissatisfied with the secularization of Mt. Hiei. From the late Heian period onwards, it was known as a place of seclusion of many prominent figures, including Kamo no Chōmei. Jakkō-in Temple, the place where Emperor Antoku's mother Kenreimon’in (Taira no Tokuko) secluded herself and the scene of the “Imperial Visit to Ōhara” chapter of Heike Monogatari, is also in Ōhara.