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 Namba Station
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 picture which expresses the universe in Buddhism. I always feel that I am a part of the universe at Danjo Garan. I will tell you why.
Mt. Koya is famous for its vegetarian cuisine which is very well known as “shojin ryori”.
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.
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.
TBD (Nankai Namba station)
guiding fee
Insurance
Transportation fee(you and guide)
Between Namba Station and Koyasan JPY4,360 for round trip per person plus same amount for guide
Bus ride in Koyasan JPY840 per person plus same amount for guide
Entrance fee
Koyasan Buddhists’ Vegetarian Lunch; from JPY2,700 per person and same amount for 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 for you and guide are NOT included in the guide fee.
Direct payment will be occurred in CASH on the spot on the day of the tour.
Transportation fare Between Namba Station and Koyasan JPY4,360 for round trip per person plus same amount for guide
Bus ride in Koyasan JPY840 per person plus same amount for guide
Koyasan Buddhists’ Vegetarian Lunch from JPY2,700 per person and same amount for guide
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!
Went as a solo traveller, he is extremely knowledgeable about the history and culture surrounding mt koyasan. Shared many of his insights and made for a very fruitful and enjoyable day trip to koyasan!
Thank you very much for taking my Koyasan tour today. It was hot but I had a wonderful time with you. Have a safe trip and I will be looking forward to seeing you again.
Hiro you are a Rockstar!! I booked a small group tour with Hiro for both Kyoto and Osaka and the experience was fantastic. Hiro and I communicated a number of times pre-travel to solidify the 2 day itinerary. He was very open to ensuring we were able to see and experience what we wanted, our itinerary was very much personalized for us and was flexible. At the last minute we threw out a request to shop for Japanese carving knives and without issue he worked it into our itinerary. One of the things that our group appreciated about Hiro was that he didn’t just take us to locations and shared information, he asked us questions and then challenged us to truly experience the location. At the Ryoaji Temple he got us to sit, clear our minds, search for inspiration and then attempt to see the 15 rocks so that we could be “perfect”! Forcing a group of Canadian to essentially “stop and ponder life”, was something that we didn’t know we needed, until we did it! During our tours we also visited the Golden Temple, Osaka Castle, Dontombori shopping and other spots. Hiro truly helped us better understand the nuance of Japanese cultural. My group really loved him! The depth of knowledge and the ability to convey feeling as well as knowledge just added to the experience. Anyone who is visiting Kyoto and Osaka and is looking for “more than just a tour”, should connect with Hiro! Thank you so much Mike Expedia Cruises Oakville South (Ontario/Canada)
Mike-san, It was really nice to visiting Kyoto and Osaka with you the other day. You and your group were so nice that I enjoyed the tour myself. To be honest, I was a little worried about Ryoan-ji, the Rock Garden. In fact, there are some people who don't understand the values of the Rock Garden. But you all liked it and everyone became perfect. Please come back to Japan someday. There are a lot more to see in Japan. I will be looking forward to seeing you again.