Koyasan is undoubtedly unlike anywhere I’ve been before. A temple town near the top of one of Japan’s holiest mountains, it’s been a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists for centuries. More recently Koyasan has become a destination for travellers after being recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004. And while it takes some effort to get there, it’s a journey that’s well worth making.
I travelled to Koyasan from vibrant neon-lit Osaka and it couldn’t have been more of a contrast. Buddhist monk Kobo Daishi founded the first temple in Koyasan in the early 9th century and now there are over 100. The surrounding mountain peaks are said to look like an eight-petal lotus flower. Little wonder it’s regarded as one of Japan’s most spiritual destinations.
Experiencing Shukubo
While it’s possible to visit Koyasan on a lengthy day trip from Osaka, you’d be missing out on something very special. The opportunity to experience being hosted by Buddhist monks in a Shukubo (temple lodging) and attending their early morning prayer service.
There are quite a lot of temples that offer Shukubo lodging in Koyasan and prices vary. After researching the options my friend and I chose Joki-in Temple. It was one of the most reasonably priced, is in a good location and is gorgeous inside and out. Our room was beautifully traditional and we loved exploring the temple corridors and rooms as well as relaxing in the beautiful garden.
Food is included and it’s beautifully presented and served by a monk. Unsurprisingly it’s all vegan and not the tastiest food we’ve ever had, but it was all part of the experience and surprisingly they do sell beer with dinner. After clearing away the bowls, the monk came back to make up our beds which in Japan are called futons but are essentially mattresses that are rolled up during the day.
Koyasan’s Buddhist heart
Joki-in is very close to Koyasan’s principal temple Kongobu-ji and its religious centre, the Danjo Garan complex. Kongobu-ji was originally the name of the whole community of temples but now it refers to one particular temple which is the headquarters of Shingon Buddhism. Inside are beautiful fusuma (sliding panels) with paintings from the 16th century including cranes, pine trees and willows. Outside is Banryutei, Japan’s largest rock garden which was created from stones brought from Kobo Daishi’s birthplace.
Across the street, the Garan is a large compound with trees and various wooden buildings and is where Kobo Daishi founded the original monastery. Konpon Daito (Great Pagoda) is the most important structure and has a 50m high stupa. The outside is painted in the distinctive Japanese vermillion (bright orange) colour and there are four golden Buddhas inside.
These main sites are just west of Koyasan’s main crossroads, Senjuin-bashi. Walking in the other direction takes you along the town’s main road which has a variety of shops, restaurants and temple lodgings. We had a really nice lunch at Bon On Shya Cafe. It’s vegetarian and the set meals are good value.
Atmospheric Okunoin cemetery
Continuing along the road you eventually reach Koyasan’s other main visitor attraction, Okunoin cemetery, a vast place with over 200,000 gravestones. We decided to book the atmospheric Okunoin Cemetery Night Tour and another benefit of staying at Joki-in was the 10pm curfew. That is later than many other temples and meant we had no worries about getting back before the monks locked the doors!
The cemetery is laid out along a 2km path that winds its way through the forest passed thousands of stone stupas. Lamps light the path at night and the walking tour visits Kobo Daishi’s mausoleum, with its hall of lanterns. Buddhists believe that Kobo Daishi is not dead, just eternally meditating, so the monks bring him food every day. There are lots of interesting sights throughout the cemetery including gravestones adorned with tiny aprons and hats. Then there’s the modern part of the cemetery which is very different as many large companies have plots for former employees. A pest control company even has a memorial to all the creatures they’ve exterminated!
Morning prayer ceremony
The following day we were up early for the 6.30am prayer ceremony with the Joki-in head monk. It’s held in a gorgeous room lit by lanterns and the monk very kindly explained some parts in English so we understood what was happening. There was also a Japanese couple at the front who led the way in participating and encouraged the rest of us to follow suit.
Breakfast had been laid out in our room by the time we got back so we’d eaten and were packed and ready to head back to the Senjuin-bashi bus stop just after 8am. The bus takes you to Koyasan station where you get the cable car (aka funicular train) down the mountain to Gokurakubashi station.
To get back to Osaka you take the train from Gokurakubashi to Hashimoto and change there for the train to Namba station. That was our route to get to and from Koyasan and we used the Nankai Koyasan World Heritage Digital Ticket which covers all the transport and is very good value. And while it sounds like a lot of moving parts, the transport network in Japan is so good it doesn’t feel difficult. In fact, when we got back to Namba we got straight on the metro to the Umeda stop where we could walk into Osaka station and pick up a train to our next destination, Himeji. So while Koyasan is a bit off the main tourist path in Japan, it really is a physical and spiritual journey that is well worth making.
For more tips on travelling around Japan, visit the Japan section of my blog where you’ll also find posts about other destinations including Himeji’s stunning castle and Japan’s beautiful art island, Naoshima.