Koyasan Travel Guide

 Rabbityama Says:  The Reihokan is the museum on Mount Koya housing many temple treasures and other important religious artwork. There are many mandala, as well as sculptures inside. It's a nice place to stop as you explore Mount Koya. Because they are trying to preserve the paintings, they... 

 Rabbityama Says:  The Daimon Gate of Mount Koya is quite large and marks one of the entrances to the holy grounds. The Nio statues that guard the sacred site were carved during the Edo Period. The gate is also located near one of the entrances to the women's trail. In the past, women were not... 

 Rabbityama Says:  The Garan is the main spiritual center of Mount Koya. This is the complex where Kukai actually built his temple and is the head temple of the Shingon sect. The Kondo Hall and Konpon Daito Pagoda were built by Kukai, but his predecessor built the rest of the structures,... 

 Rabbityama Says:  In the past, there was a Nyonindo at every entranceway to Mount Koya, but today the only one that remains is located at the first stop of the bus across from the Otakejizou.The Nyonindo served as stations to mark the entrance to the holy grounds, which also meant that they... 

 Rabbityama Says:  Mount Koya is considered to be the most prestigious gravesite in Japan, so Tokugawa Iemitsu built this mausoleum for his family, as they were highly important figureheads. It is believed to have been completed in 1643, enshrining Tokugawa Ieyasu and Hidetada (Japan's first... 

 Rabbityama Says:  The giant Jizou statue at the beginning of the Koyasan trail was built in 1860 by a woman named Yokoyama Take in honor her parents and all of the of other victims of the Great Ansei Earthquake that hit Tokyo (Edo) in 1855. It is the "Otake" jizou, because her name is Take.... 

 miketrudeau Says:  Okuno-In is certainly my favourite place in Koyasan, although we were only there for two days and a night. It's a graveyard/temple in an old forest on the edge of town, where a great monk is interred. I heard that the monk is not believed dead, but in a state of prolonged... 

 exitnotebook Says:  Each year during O-bon, around August 13th, head up to Koya-san for the candle festival, when people walk from the cemetery entrance to Okunoin, lighting thousands of candles in the cemetery to help the spirits of loved ones and ancestors rise up to heaven. Okunoin, itself... 

 exitnotebook Says:  Take a walk through Okunoin cemetery in the morning, when the sun is rising and there aren't many people around. It's so old and beautiful, with the cedar trees vaulting high over your head, that you'll completely forget you're in a cemetery. 

 aukahkay Says:  The Daishi Hall is a large structure. The Daishi Temple is very important for Daishi believers all over Japan who want to become missionaries. It is the headquarters for the training of Buddhist missionaries in Japan. 

 Rabbityama Says:  The Cablecar that takes you up to Mount Koya is the longest in the country. From the station at the top, you then take a bus up to the holy areas. If you want to see everything or want to travel on the women's trail, get off at the first stop (Nyonindo-mae). The Nyonindo and... 

 miketrudeau Says:  From Namba station, you can catch a local train to Koyasan, or a limited-express train, which costs a little bit more. It's very reasonably priced, I remember it was only eight bucks or so. You might have to transfer at Hashimoto station, but it's a small station and an easy... 

 aukahkay Says:  There is a network of buses plying between Koyasan station and the two ends of Koyasan - Daimon on the western end and Okunoin on the eastern end. Stops are announced in both Japanese and English. Bus stops are clearly indicated in Japanese and English. The bus services are... 

 CO-Chad Says:  For such a peaceful mountain get away, inhabited by monks and spiritual seekers, the cars seem to go really fast down Koyasan's main street. This is, after all, Kansai, a place where Tokyo-ites fear to drive. I recommend taking the bus, and mind your step as you walk along...