VisitWakayama.jp The Official
Wakayama Travel Guide

To get here, take one of the buses from Koyasan Station and alight at the Senjuin-bashi stop. The Koyasan Shukubo Association arranges temple accommodation (shukubo), shojin-ryori lunches, and other Koyasan Buddhist experiences such as Ajikan meditation. Useful amenities include: coin lockers for luggage storage, bicycle and audio guide rentals. The audio guides cost ¥500, and provide insightful commentary on Koyasan's highlights and are available in English, French, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese.

There are a variety of lunch options around Senjuin-bashi, and along the road connecting Okuno-in and Danjo Garan Scared Temple Complex. Many restaurants have English menus along with plastic replicas of the menu items on display. Keep an eye out for Koyasan delicacies: koya-dofu (freeze-dried tofu) and goma-dofu (sesame tofu).

The Danjo Garan Scared Temple Complex is one of the two most sacred areas in Koyasan. It is here that monk Kobo Daishi began construction of the monastic complex atop Koyasan in 816 AD. Wander through the complex taking in the various sights, but don't pass up on the opportunity to enter the 48.5-meter high tahoto-style pagoda, Konpon Daito. It contains exquisite Buddhist statues and images, as well as a rare three-dimensional Buddhist mandala – a symbolic picture of the universe. Admission to Konpo Daito is ¥200.

Get a close-up look at some of Koyasan's most prized art treasures. Built in 1921, the museum houses innumerable works of art that include Buddhist statues, decorative hanging scrolls, and mandalas. Just across the road from Danjo Garan Scared Temple Complex, it's also an ideal option on a rainy day. Without a combo ticket, regular admission is ¥600.

In bygone days, the entirety of Koyasan was called Kongobu-ji. Since 1869 however, it refers only to the temple standing on the former sites of Kozanji and Seiganji temples: the two were combined to create one large temple functioning as the administrative head temple of Koyasan Shingon Buddhism. Here, you can gaze out upon Banryutei— Japan's largest rock garden. Its sizable granite rocks depict a pair of dragons emerging from a sea of clouds. The sliding doors (fusuma) within the temple are well-worth seeing: decorated with images of the four seasons and tales of Kobo Daishi's time in China. Admission is ¥500 and includes a bowl of green tea in the large rest area, Shinbetsuden. Combo ticket holders are entitled to free admission.

Of the 117 temples in Koyasan, 52 provide lodgings, and these shukubo are the way to go when staying overnight in the area. Temples serve shojin-ryori, vegan cuisine prepared in line with Buddhist teachings, and welcome guests to take part in temple activities that include meditation, morning services, and other rituals. Check in early to enjoy the complete temple-stay experience.

Leave the world of the living and join Ekoin temple's Okuno-in Night Tour. When night falls, a young monk will lead you through the stone lantern-lit sacred grounds of Okuno-in. Here you will find over 200,000 monuments and graves for some of Japan's most prominent feudal lords. The young guide will recount Okuno-in tales and secrets, while introducing some of Kobo Daishi's teachings. The daily tour conducted in English, leaves from Ekoin at 7:15 p.m. It costs ¥1,500 and bookings can be made through Koyasan Shukubo Association or directly at Ekoin.

After seeing Okuno-in by night, it is well-worth visiting this mystery-filled landscape by day. Walk the path up to Gobyobashi, the third bridge; the most sacred ground is beyond this bridge. As you approach the innermost sanctum, amidst the grove of tall cedars, and moss-covered weathered tombs, you may even feel the solemn ambiance quieting the mind. Torodo, a picturesque hall of worship decorated with donated lanterns is located here. These thousands of lanterns, are the last spot to view before heading behind the hall to Kobo Daishi Gobyo, the mausoleum and place of eternal meditation of the founding monk of Shingon Buddhism. Concluding a Koyasan sojourn, visitors often honor Kobo Daishi and offer prayers for world peace.