Places We Love: Mount Koya
in our places we love series, we have some of our favorite places in Japan, including cities and towns, shops & restaurants, hotels & ryokans, hot springs and much more.
The small mountain Buddhist community of Mount Koya is a most charming of Japan destinations and is the ideal place for a night in a Buddhist temple in shukubo temple Accommodations.
in a peaceful wooded area of Wakayama Prefecture south of Kyoto and Osaka, is Koya-san (as in Japanese) is the headquarters of the Shingon school of Buddhism, and the home of more than 100 temples and monasteries.
called
Shojoshin -in Temple, Mount Koya (Photo Credit: Andrea Schaffer about Compfight cc)
Mount Koya originally 819 Kukai was founded by the famous monk in (also known as Kobo Daishi). To date, there remains a retreat and one of the holiest places in Japan.
Despite a little off the beaten track to be (and missed by most visitors to Japan), Koya-san is quite easily accessible from Osaka and Kyoto, and is an important destination for travelers in Buddhism, history , traditional culture and natural interest.
What can be seen from the chance in Mount Koya
Except in a friendly shukubo (more about Temple accommodation below), Koya-san's most famous landmark is the otherworldly Okunoin cemetery .
Okunoin is one of Japan's most sacred sites, and the location of Kobo Daishi's mausoleum. If you follow the beautiful trails through this beautiful forest cemetery, you will end on Torodo Hall , which houses more than 10,000 eternally lit lanterns.
Most visitors come during the day, but for the more adventurous we recommend a visit at night
Mount Koya of Okunoin Cemetery (Photo credit: alq666 over Compfight cc).
Okunoin Cemetery is a 10-minute bus ride from the city center, where most of the temples - including the famous Kongobuji Temple -. are
Kongobuji is the headquarters of the Shingon sect. Inside you will find exquisitely painted gilded doors with cranes, plum blossom, and find adorned the history of Kobo Daishi trip to China and the subsequent creation of Koya-san.
is located within the temple complex Kongobuji is Japan's largest rock garden, Banryutei Rock Garden . The beautiful Banryutei shows created a pair of dragon from a sea of clouds.
Only a short walk from Kongobuji you'll come to the other most sacred Koya-san sites, Danjo Garan. This is a complex of about twenty structures, including the impressive 45-meter Konpon Daito Pagoda and Kondo Hall where important ceremonies are performed.
Walking around the Mount Koya
The Kii Peninsula is one of Japan's leading hiking areas and there are some fantastic hiking around Mount Koya
walking around the Mount Koya (Photo credit :. Stéfan over Compfight cc)
For a challenging multi-day trekking experience, Kohechi route - what part of the UNESCO world heritage Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route is - is a beautiful and steep 70 km (43.5 miles) hike through the mountains, which ends on Mount Koya.
further information on the Kohechi and other routes pilgrimage Kumano Kodo, we strongly recommend that the cards of the Tanabe City Kumano Tourism Bureau provided resources.
When a day hike is more your speed, then consider the Koyasan Choishi Michi trail , the walk can be enjoyed as the full 23.5 km (14.6 mile), or modified all the way down to a 9.5 kilometer (5.9 mile) hike, depending on the starting point origin
Photo credit :. speedoflife over Compfight cc
Visiting Mount Koya
Although it is possible, Koya-san as a day trip from Osaka (or even Kyoto), we strongly recommend spending a night or two here. to visit
Directions to Mount Koya
, the most common starting point Mount Koya for reaching the city of Osaka is located only 30 miles from Kyoto.
Osaka Namba station is about a 2 hour drive. The first stage goes to Gokurakubashi station until the end of the line up with the Nankai Express train all the way, where you will be transferred to the Koya cable car that takes you to the top of the plateau.
We recommend rule and also the Kansai Thru Pass for our customers, you can make the whole trip (the trip is not covered by the Japan Rail Pass).
This pass gives you unlimited travel on trains, subways and buses in Kyoto, Osaka and the surrounding area (with the exception of JR trains).
Another pass for independent travelers to consider that also covers the travel, which is Koya-san World Heritage Ticket . This pass also gives you discounted admission fees at some Koya-san sights.
When Mount Koya to visit
There is no bad time to visit Mount Koya, but it is wise to know what to expect.
If you like warm weather, look in the late spring, summer or early autumn visit. In late autumn, it starts to get chilly, and the winters are cold and often snowy (what this beautiful destination even more gorgeous).
to visit more information about weather and seasons in Japan, check out our article When is the best time of the year, Japan
Mount Koya (Photo credit: Crystalline Radical over Compfight cc)?
Move a great way to Mount Koya to explore in Koya- san
, is on foot, as the majority of Koya-san and the major attractions within walking distance of one another.
There are also local bus lines connect to the rest of the environment, including Okunoin and Daimon goal.
most temples and the surrounding locations calculate small entrance fee. However, the tourist office of the city sold a almost all-inclusive pass, called Combined Ticket , you are the most important locations access to most of Koya-san.
on Mount Koya
one of the highlights, the best accommodation is Mount Koya visit staying in one shukubo (temple lodging).
During a stay in a Buddhist temple many of the amenities, there is a lack would you find in a modern hotel, it is the experience of a temple stay on this spiritual mountain that it is worth.
you have the chance, with monks (some interact temple there are English-speaking monks), and enjoy Shojin ryori dishes of traditional Buddhist vegetarian cuisine.
sleeping arrangements also are traditional, and indeed at a shukubo has to stay in many similarities to stay a ryokan, although it is important that shukubo to note are usually on the spartan and rustic side to be.
tatami mat flooring
Mount Koya Best Shukubo
The following is a selection of our favorite shukubo on Koya-san.
- Souji-in is a Koya-san high-end shukubo and also offers wonderful Shojin ryori kitchen.
- Ichijo-in is another high-quality temple, also known for its cuisine.
- Hongaku-in is a good shukubo with relative standard room, but it is also noteworthy thanks to its excellent cuisine.
- Rengejo-in is a good standard shukubo with friendly hospitality.
- Eko-in is another standard, but good shukubo with a particularly favorable position to the Okuno-in Cemetery, where they also offer a night tour!
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