Koyasan
UNESCO World Heritage Site: Sacred Sites And Pilgrimage Routes In The Kii Mountain Range (2004) · Koya, Wakayama
A temple town on a high forested plateau in the mountains of Wakayama, founded in 816 by the monk Kukai, known as Kobo Daishi, as the centre of Shingon Buddhism, and still one of the most sacred places in Japan. Over a hundred temples stand in the town, and around fifty of them take in overnight guests as shukubo, temple lodgings, where visitors sleep in tatami rooms, eat shojin ryori, the monks' vegetarian cuisine, and join the morning prayers and goma fire ritual. That stay is the heart of the experience. The great sight is Okunoin, a cemetery of some two hundred thousand graves and memorials, many centuries old and covered in moss, along a path of ancient cedars leading to Kobo Daishi's mausoleum, where he is believed to remain in eternal meditation. Walking it at night by lantern light is unforgettable. Kongobu-ji, the head temple, and the Danjo Garan complex with its vermilion pagoda are the other highlights. Koyasan is part of the Kii mountains World Heritage Site. It is reached from Osaka by train and cable car in about two hours, and is cold in winter.
Koyasan, Koya-cho, Koya, Wakayama, 648-0211, Japan
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED. The typical pattern: Kongobu-ji, the Garan halls and the Reihokan open around 8:30 am and close around 5 pm, with last entry about 30 minutes before. Okunoin's path is open at all hours; the Torodo keeps daytime hours. Shukubo check-in is usually from about 3 pm, dinner around 5:30 pm, gates close in the evening, and prayers start around 6 am. The last cable car and trains down to Osaka leave in the evening, and buses on the plateau thin out after dark. Confirm all times before travelling.