Mt. Koya is a very important part of the World Heritage site “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountains”. Mt. Koya is in Wakayama Prefecture and I used to work for Wakayama Prefectural Government as a general manager of Cultural Heritage Division and I was also in charge of the World Heritage Project. I know this sacred mountain very well.
Nankai Koyasan Station or your temple in Mt. Koya
This 25m high wooden gate marks the official entrance to Mt. Koya. Stand inside are two big statues of Nio Buddha. They have scary faces. Who is Nio? Why does he look scary? I will explain.
Stand in Danjo Garan are Konpon Fundamental Pagoda, Golden Hall, Shintoism Shrine, Central Gate, West Pagoda, East Pagoda and other important facilities.
High Priest Kukai tried to express the world of mandala by arranging Konpon Fundamental Pagoda in the center and other important temples and pagodas around it. And expressed inside Konpon Fundamental Pagoda is a 3D mandala.
Mandala is a round picture which represents the universe in Buddhism. I always feel that I am a part of the universe at Danjo Garan. I will tell you why.
Kongobuji was named so by Kukai when it was constructed in 816. Nowadays the Koyasan Shingon sect of esoteric Buddhism has about 4000 affiliated temples throughout Japan and overseas and is headquartered here. Buddhist altar rooms and guest rooms in the temple are beautifully decorated and you can feel the profoundness of Buddhism arts. Many of the existing buildings are the reconstruction of 1862.
Mt. Koya is famous for its vegetarian cuisine which is very well known as “shojin ryori”. Sesame tofu which contains a lot of protein is one of the most famous shojin ryori in Mt. Koya.
At the end of the pilgrimage path, beyond the uncountable number of tomb stones, there is a mausoleum of Kukai. People believe that Kukai is still alive here to keep meditating. Why are there so many tombs here? Why does Kukai keep meditating at Okuno-in? I will explain.
Nankai Koyasan Station or your temple in Mt.Koya
Mount Koya is full of important, sacred, holly and picturesque places.
In this tour, we will visit three of the most sacred areas and you have some options.
First, we will visit Danjo Garan (Temple Complex).
Chumon (Central Gate), Kondo (Golden Hall), Konpon Daito (Fundamental Pagoda), Saito (West Pagoda) and other important building are located in this area.
High Priest Kukai, founder of Mount Koya tried to express the concept of the Universe here. I will explain how.
Then, we will visit Honzan.
Kongobuji Temple in this area is still used for important Buddhism rituals and as the headquarters of Shingon Esoteric Buddhism .
And a beautiful Japanese garden Banryu-tei (Dragon Garden) is in this area.
After visiting Honzan, we will make a pilgrimage in Okuno-in (Inner Sanctuary) to the mausoleum of High Priest Kukai.
People think High Priest Kukai is still alive in his mausoleum in Okuno-in to meditate.
And there are uncountable grave plots, gravestones, pagodas and stupas in this area.
I will explain why the High Priest Kukai still meditates there and why there are so many graves in Okuno-in.
guide fee
Insurance
Bus fare in Mt. Koya
Entrance fees
Lunch for guests and guide
As we will walk for more than two kilometers, comfortable shoes are recommended.
It is cooler in Koyasan than in Osaka by five degrees, be prepared for this cooler weather.
Tours are NOT covered by insurance. Make sure to be covered by your own insurance.
Transportation fare, entrance fees and lunch are NOT included in the guide fee.
Direct payment will be occurred in CASH on the spot on the day of the tour.
Bus ride in Koyasan JPY840 per person plus same amount for guide
Local Buddhists’ Vegetarian Lunch JPY2,700 plus same amount for guide
Hiro was a fantastic tour guide, showing us all the sites of Osaka. He was incredibly knowledgeable and patient with all of our questions. We cannot say enough good things about our experience with him. Thank you!
Thank you very much for your kind words. I hope you had a good time in Osaka yesterday. By the way, how is your knee? Are you okay? Have you heard that JR had made a cancellation announcement? I hope that everything will go well with you.
Hiroyuki was a superb guide! We had already spent 2 weeks in the Kansai region, but our day with Hiro on Mt Koya was certainly one of the highlights, due to the detail of his plans and knowledge. Calm and easy to chat to, Hiro provided us with many insights into Japanese culture, beyond the fascinating insights into Kukai, esoteric Buddhism and Koya San. He patiently answered our many questions and gave us some very useful tips for our trip to Nachi the following day! We had an amazing lunch in a restaurant recommended by him and it was fascinating to learn so much about many varied topics. We will always remember this amazing experience and would highly recommend him as a guide! Thanks again, Hiro!
He was very attentive to what the kids might loke and he took them to all the right places!!! Thank you for a memorable day!
Thank you very much for your kind message. I am glad kids liked the tour. See you later for Nara tour.
Hiro was the most gracious guide/host for our family. He is incredibly kind and thoughtful of our time. He made sure we knew how to navigate through the crowds and find the the best spots for photos. He is well educated and easy to understand and does a lot to make sure we have a good grasp of the history. Hiro is a must guide to have!
Thank you very much for your kind message and pictures. It was really nice visiting Nara and Osaka Castle with you and your wonderful family yesterday. It was very hot and a little hurry, but we had a wonderful day, didn't we? It's sometimes very difficult to do a tour with teenagers. But your family was different. You were all smiling all the time. There's a saying in Japan, "fortune goes to a smiling family". May fortune goes to you. Have a safe trip, bon voyage!