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​To the east of Wakayama, is the famous sacred mountain Koyasan the birthplace of the Shingon Buddhist Sect and the largest cemetery in Japan: a place of moss-covered otherworldly beauty and burial place of feudal lords and samurai. 

Shingon Buddhism was introduced to Japan in 805 by Kobo Daishi "also known as Kukai", one of Japan's most significant religious figures.

Temples dominate this town, which still revolves entirely around the activities of the temples. It is also the site of Kobo Daishi's mausoleum and the start and end point of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage.
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Mount Koya Monks

Koyasan truly one of Japan's greatest treasures, is known to every Japanese person and a top destination for domestic tourism, yet is overlooked by foreign tourists who stick only to Osaka and Kyoto. Koyasan is easily accessible from Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka. Trains from those cities connect to Koya's cable car train.

Koyasan is one of the best places to experience an overnight stay at a temple lodging where you can get a taste of a monk's lifestyle, eating vegetarian monk's cuisine and attending the morning prayers. More than 50 temples offer this service to both pilgrims and visitors. Some can be booked online searching on Hotel.com.
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Koyasan

For a reasonable rate, you can stay at one of the dozens of Buddhist temples on this sacred mountain. 

Rates, which include a traditional vegetarian temple dinner and breakfast, run about 9,000 yen per person. You can make arrangements through the English-language website online. 

No matter your religion, or lack thereof, you can witness and try parts of Buddhist ritual practice for yourself if you desire. Otherwise, the beauty and tranquility of this place will definitely be the highlight of your trip to Wakayama and possibly all of Japan. 
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Koyasan

You can get from one end to the other of the town on foot in 30 minutes, but regular buses allow you to save time. Nankai Rinkan Bus operates the buses around Mount Koya. Passes such as the Koyasan World Heritage Ticket and Kansai Thru Pass provide unlimited use.

​Before the train and cable car connection, which was built in the early 20th century, the only way to reach Mt. Koya was via the ancient pilgrim trail called the Choishi-michi which is still maintained and marked with stone pillars. It begins in the town of Kudoyama, which is a stop on the Nankai train line to Mt. Koya at the rather interesting in itself, Jison temple.
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Choishi-michi

Note that free detailed English and Japanese hiking maps are available from Jison-in Temple.

​The trail is about 22 Kilometers long, ascends about 700 meters "most of this in the first and last quarters" and can be walked in about 7 hours plus resting time, offering a very rewarding hiking experience.

The Koyasan Shukubo association has two information centers. Here you can rent excellent audio guides (500 yen/person/day), including in English and French. They describe various sites including temples and tombs, and make the visit much more interesting.
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Jison-in - Miroku-do

Okunoin, the site of the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi, lit by thousands of lanterns is located to the east of the town. According to tradition, the lights have been lit since Kukai's death over 1000 years ago.

Okunoin is one of the most sacred places in Japan and a popular pilgrimage spot.

​There are to two main entrances to the mausoleum. The traditional entrance is marked by the Ichinohashi Bridge "first bridge". Across the bridge starts Okunoin's cemetery, the largest in Japan, with over 200,000 tombstones lining the almost two kilometers long approach to Kobo Daishi's mausoleum.
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Ichinohashi Bridge

​The shorter approach to Okunoin starts at the Okunoin-mae bus stop and cuts the walk to the mausoleum in half. Both paths meet up at the Gokusho Offering Hall which lies near a row of statues depicting Jizo, a popular Bodhisattva that looks after children, travelers, and the souls of the deceased.

Also particularly interesting are the many surprising gravestones, including monument erected by a pesticide company to commemorate all its insect victims. A bit further behind Torodo Hall "Hall of Lamps", is Kobo Daishi's Mausoleum "Gobyo", the site of his eternal meditation. It is not uncommon to see pilgrims chanting sutras here.
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Okunoin Cemetery

​Visitors are expected to behave respectfully and keep in mind that photography, food and drink are prohibited beyond the Gokusho Offering Hall.

If it is mainly visited during the day, a small night walk is worth a shot if you spent the night in Mount Koya: the atmosphere of this cobblestone path is different under the dim lights.

The Ichinohashi Bridge is a 10-15 minutes’ walk or short bus ride from the Senjuinbashi intersection at the town center.
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Okunoin Cemetery At Night

​Garan is a temple complex designed by Kukai on the western side of town.

In its center is the 45 meters tall Konpon Daito pagoda, which according to Shingon doctrine represents the central point of a mandala covering Mt. Koya and all of Japan.

The other prominent building here is Kondo Hall, a large wooden temple hall where major ceremonies are held.

​It enshrines an image of Yakushi Nyorai, the Buddha of medicine and healing.
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Konpon Daito Pagoda

​Kobo Daishi started building the complex; however he was not able to finish them himself. His successors completed the construction of the two main structures and also expanded the grounds of the Garan with multiple additional halls and pagodas over time.

The admission to Kondo Hall and Daito Pagoda is 200 yen each.

The Garan is about a five minutes’ walk from the Senjuinbashi intersection, and just a few steps from Kongobuji Temple.
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Kondo Hall

​Kongobuji is the sprawling yet atmospheric headquarters of the Shingon sect, with the largest rock garden in Japan.

This imposing temple ensures the attraction of the religious town of Koyasan. A center where more than a million pilgrims, devotees of Shingon Buddhism, gather to celebrate the memory of Kobo Daishi.

The temple was originally constructed in 1593 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi on the death of his mother. Later it was merged with a neighboring temple and reorganized into the head temple of Shingon Buddhism.
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Kongobuji Approach

Kongobuji Temple's main building’s Ohiroma room is decorated with many gilded sliding doors that are adorned with cranes painted by Kano Tanyu.

Outside the building, there is also much to see; a rock garden similar to the one in Ryoanji Temple in Kyoto.

The temple’s modern Banryutei rock garden is Japan's largest, with 140 granite stones arranged to suggest a pair of dragons emerging from a sea of clouds.

Admission is 500 yen.
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Banryutei Rock Garden

Mount Koya - Koya-cho, Ito-gun, Wakayama Prefecture