Koyasan Budget Travel Guide

Koyasan Budget Travel Guide is written to provide visitors with information on the tourist destination of Mount Koya, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (entitled Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range) in Wakayama Prefecture in Japan. Through this travel guide, I want to share with you the places of interest in Koyasan so that you can have a more informed visit. Daimon, the Grand Gateway of Koyasan (1 April 2008) © Timothy Tye using this photo About Koyasan Koyasan, or Mount Koya, is the most venerated mountain for Japan's Shingon-Buddhist sect. It was established by a monk named Kobo Daishi as a monastic retreat in AD 816. Today Koyasan draws some one million local visitors every year. At one time it had as many as a thousand temples, but the number has been decimated by storms and fires, and now only 123 are still standing. Visitors to Koyasan gets to sample the traditional vegetarian cuisine that is one of the wonderful experiences of the visit. These are served at the many restaurants and lodgings in Koyasan. Traditional vegetarian cuisine of Koyasan (1 April 2008) © Timothy Tye using this photo World Heritage Site Inscription Details Location: N 33 50 13.0 E 135 46 35.0 Inscription Year: 2004 Type of Site: Cultural Inscription Criteria: II, III, IV, VI Daito, or the Great Stupa, of Koyasan (1 April 2008) © Timothy Tye using this photo Budget Travel to Koyasan Take the train (Express train at ¥1610, 80 minutes; Ordinary Express at ¥1210, 90 minutes) of the Nankai Electric Railway at Namba Station in Osaka to Gokurakubashi, which is at the base of the Kii Mountain Range. From Gokurabashi, you take a cable car to the top of Mount Koya. The journey is just 5 minutes and the ticket is ¥360. From the cable car station, take the bus - usually timed to follow the arrival of the cable car - to Koyasan. There's a one-fare package at the Nankai ticket counter that includes the round-trip by train, plus cable-car, plus all-day bus pass. Budget Travel within Koyasan At Koyasan itself, there are trails for you to hike around and visit the many temples. Some of the main temples are located near the roadside, and are quite accessible from the village. Saito, the Western Stupa of Koyasan (1 April 2008) © Timothy Tye using this photo

Places of Interest in Koyasan

1. Aizen-do
   "Temple of Ragaraja," temple within the Danjogaran temple complex.
   
   
2. Daimon
   "Great Gate," the traditional gateway to Koyasan.
   
   
3. Daito
   "Great Stupa," a massive two-storey vermillion-and-white pagoda.
   
   
4. Danjogaran
   A complex of wooden temples in Koyasan.
   
   
5. Fududo
   "Acala Temple," oldest building in Koyasan, within the Danjogaran temple complex.
   
   
6. Kongobu-ji
   Central monastery of Koyasan, built in 1592 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
   
   
7. Koya-shiro
   A great bell at Danjogaran temple complex.
   
   
8. Kujaku-do
   "Temple of Peacock," built by ex-Emperor Gotoba in AD 1200, with a statue of a peacock divinity.
   
   
9. Okuno-in
   Necropolis of some 200,000 tombs, including the mausoleum to Kobo Daishi.
   
   
10. Reihokan
    "Treasure House," now a museum with a display of some 5,000 paintings and statues.
    
    
11. Rokkaku Kyozo
    Hexagonal depository of Buddhist scriptures.
    
    
12. Saito
    "Western Stupa," built by Bishop Shinzen in AD 887.
    
    
13. Sammaido
    "Temple of Meditation," site where poet-priest Saigyo performed religious meditation while staying in Koyasan from AD 1150 to 1183.
    
    
14. Shrines of the Divinities
    Shrines dedicated to the goddess Nyu, the god Koya and other minor divinities.
    
    
15. Torodo
    "Lantern Hall," a hall where 11,000 lanterns are kept burning day and night.
    
    
16. Toto
    "Eastern Stupa," completed by ex-Experor Shirakawa in AD1127.