Koyasan

At Koyasan, visitors can experience the beauty of nature and the four seasons in the clear mountain air. The grand scale of temples and shrines that sit at the peak creates an unbelievably austere ambience that will make you feel like you have stumbled into a totally different world. The religious site of Koyasan, located at the peak of the mountain, has an elevation of 800 meters and 1,200 years of history. When the monk Kukai (Kobo Daishi) returned from China, he founded the Shingon esoteric Buddhist temple complex (Shingon esoteric is a sect of Buddhism established by Kukai) at Koyasan in 816. It is the original place of worship for Shingon esoteric Buddhism, and is one of the most sacred places for Japanese Buddhism. Two hundred thousand stone monuments and pagodas have been built at Okunoin (the inner sanctuary), which is lit by the mystical glow of countless candles. Kukai, who entered the world of eternal enlightenment at the age of 62 while partaking in zazen meditation, is believed to be alive even today.

Along with the mysterious Koyasan, three temples and shrines established at the foot of the mountain (Jisonin Temple, Niukanshobu Shrine, and Niutsuhime Shrine) and the Koyasan Choishimichi (Stone Marker Path) that connects them are designated as a World Heritage Site. Within the mountain are 117 temples, about half of which have shukubo (pilgrims’ lodgings). If your schedule allows, we recommend staying at one of these shukubo where you can enjoy shojin ryori (vegetarian Buddhist cuisine), experience early morning scripture readings with Buddhist priests, and take part in other Buddhist traditions such as copying sutras or “ajikan” meditation, all of which lead you from the earthly world to the spiritual world and make your journey to Koyasan even more profound.

Convenient rental audio guides are available at the information center that provide easy-to-understand explanations for 103 points of interest in Japanese, English, French, Chinese, and Korean. In this way you can learn a great deal about the history of Koyasan.

The year 2015 marks 1,200 years since the founding of Koyasan, and there will be a commemorative ceremony held over 50 days between April 2 and May 21, 2015 in honor of those 1,200 years. The big gate known as Chumon will be rebuilt in the Danjogaran district, and many other celebratory events are also scheduled to be held.

 

 

Notes Koya: The area around Koyasan Koyasan: The town at the peak of the mountain Kumano: The area around Kumano Sanzan Kumano Sanzan: The three great shrines of Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine, Kumano Hayatama Taisha Shrine, and Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine