Fujiwara no Isendo (藤原伊勢人)
FUJIWARA no Isendo (it is not known when he was born and when he died) was a court official who lived towards the end of the Nara period to the early Heian period. He came from the Southern House of the Fujiwara clan and the twelfth son of FUJIWARA no Kosemaro. FUJIWARA no Kuromaro, FUJIWARA no Matanari and FUJIWARA no Sadatsugu were his brothers. He was awarded the rank of Jushiinojo (Junior Fourth Rank, Upper Grade), and assumed the position of Jibu taifu (Senior Assistant Minister of the Ministry of the Civil Administration).
For a long time, he prayed that he could build a hall to enshrine Kannon (Deity of Mercy) there. Then, in 796, led by a divine revelation in his dream, he visited Mt. Kurama and found that a Bishamon-ten-zo (statue of Vaisravana) was enshrined there. In addition, another divine revelation in his dream told him that Kannon and Bishamon-ten were the same. Deeply impressed by this revelation, he built a Buddhist temple there. It is said that this was the origin of Kurama-dera Temple.
It is also said that, in the same year, he was appointed to the head officer for building To-ji Temple, constructing To-ji Temple.