Home to Shingon Buddhism. Koyasan.

In just about every "must see places in Japan" type guide I've seen, Koyasan is on the list. I had never heard of the place so I decided to do some research to learn more about it and see if it's a place that's worth going to visit.

Turns out that Koyasan is the center of Shingon Buddhism, an important Buddhist sect which was introduced to Japan in 805 by Kobo Daishi, one of Japan's most significant religious figures. Koyasan is the small, secluded temple town has, over the centuries, sprung up around the sect's headquarters that Kobo Daishi built on Koyasan's wooded mountaintop.

Buried deep in the woods of Koyasan is the sacred temple of Okunoin which is said to be the highlight of any trip to this town and it is here that Kobo Daishi is enshrined.

But what is said to be a far more extraordinary sigh than Kobo Daishi's mausoleum is the immense cemetery leading up to the temple.  All along and around a 2km walk that winds its way trough  forest of giant cedar trees, which eventually ends at the mausoleum, are more than 300,000 gravestones and towers constructed as memorials over a period of around 1,000 years. Famous names, shoguns, samurai, high priests, and artists lie side by side among ordinary people. The walk through the forest has been described a both breathtaking both for being haunting and beautiful.  Wonder if you do it at night??  Now, that would be creepy but it could also be fun.  I must remember to pack in my flashlight :-)

Okunoin is where Kobo Daishi is entombed but his home was Danjo Garan which, today, is a sacred complex of temples.

Legend has it that in the 9th century, Kobo Daishi was studying in China.  One day he threw his sankosho, ceremonial Buddhist tool,  towards Japan.  When he returned to Japan, he went in search of a place to be the headquarter his new religion.  Eventually, he came across his sankosho stuck in the branches of a pine tree in Koyasan and decided to build Danjo Garan on that spot.   Danjo Garan consists of nearly twenty different structures including the magnificent Konpon Daito, a 45 meter tall, two tiered, pagoda.

Also located in Koyasan is the Kongobuji which is  the head temple of Shingon Buddhism.  The first of a series of temples was built on this site in 1131.  Under the oversight of the different leaders and administration, the temple was rebuilt and renamed over the course of time.  The temple complex and its name has remained unchanged since 1868.

In addition to the main temple, the complex also has a large karesansui garden called Banryu-tei. It is Japan's largest (2340 square meters), with 140 granite stones arranged to suggest a pair of dragons emerging from clouds to protect the temple.

From all that I've read about Koyasan, it is one of the places in Japan where you get to spend the night in a Buddhist temple.  About half of the 100 temples in Koysan offer accommodations to travellers. 

Temple accommodations are called shukubo.  The concept of providing accommodations inside a temple's complex originally began in the Heian period (794-1192) as a lodging for worshippers to temples. Shukubo is similar to traditional Japanese inns, and anyone can stay regardless of his or her religion. In temples, you can join in their Zen meditation. Also, in some shukubo, shojin ryori (vegetarian meal for monks) is served.  After having checked out a few shukubo, they are not cheap places to stay....especially considering they are on a religious site.  But I don't care,  I think the experience will be an interesting one so I've put in on my list of things to book a night's stay in one.