noun
the eight Heian-era monks who studied in Tang China
Historical term referring to eight specific Japanese Buddhist monks who traveled to Tang China in the early Heian period: Saichō, Kūkai, Jōgyō, Engyō, Ennin, Enchin, Eun, and Shūei. Often encountered in discussions of Japanese Buddhist history.
See also: 八家
入唐八家は、平安初期に唐へ渡った八人の僧を指す。
The Nittō Hakke refers to the eight monks who traveled to Tang China in the early Heian period.
八家 can refer to the same eight monks (sense 2) but is a broader term that can also refer to other groups of eight houses or schools.
From 入唐 (nittō, 'entering Tang China') + 八家 (hakke, 'eight houses/schools'). The term is a historical designation for these eight monks.