Koyasan's Ethereal Experience

What?
Koyasan (高野山) is the most important mountain temple town of the Shingon Buddhist sect founded by Kobo Daishi (also known as Kukai), one of Japan’s most important religious figures. The whole of Koyasan is designated as a World Heritage Site and is home to several national and important treasures. The Okunoin Cemetery (奥の院) where Kobo Daishi rests in eternal meditation is most famous along with the head temple of the Shingon sect Kongobuji Temple(金剛峯寺) and the Danjo Garan temple complex (壇上伽藍). Apart from this there a lot of sites of interest like for example the Tokugawa Mausoleum and the Nyonindo (女人堂), where traditionally woman had to practice their beliefs as they were not allowed inside the town. Koyasan is also wildly popular for the chance to stay a night in a temple and experience in a way the life and rhythm of the monks. This is called shukubo (宿坊).
Where?
Koyasan is located on Mount Koya (san means mountain) in the north-east of Wakayama Prefecture (和歌山県). It can be reached from Osaka with Nankai Railways (南海鉄道) that will take you up to Gokurakubashi Station (極楽橋駅) from where you have to transfer to a cable car that takes you up the mountain. The cable car is also operated by Nankai Railways. Once arrived all the way up at Koyasan Station (高野山駅), the only way to get to the center of town is to take a 10 minute bus ride. JR pass holders can go from Osaka to Hashimoto Station (橋本駅) with the pass and transfer there to the Nankai Railways. Brave ones can skip the cable car and make the climb from Gokurakubashi Station to Koyasan, or even get off the train at Kudoyama Station (九度山駅) and start the hike from there.
URL
Japan Guide Outline Visit Koyasan Shukubo Information

2005 was the first year I set foot in Japan. Together with my brother and 2 friends I crossed the rather common touristic routes (Tokyo-Kamakura-Kyoto-Nara-Hiroshima) for three weeks. One of the 2 sidesteps we made was a temple lodging in Koyasan (the other being Yudanaka in Nagano Prefecture).
Back then I was overwhelmed with most everything I saw; it was my first big travel vacation – hell, it even was my first time on a plane. It made that Japan was an unforgettable experience, but also paradoxically enough, it made that all the new information was difficult to process and remember. My friend organized practically everything (for which I am ashamed that I never thanked him properly) so most of the time I didn’t even know where I was going. In the same way, staying in Koyasan was a unique experience, but I was too excited and too tired to remember much of it afterwards. Only now, 15 years later, did I finally get to properly know the name of temple we were staying at: Eko-in (恵光院).

But apart from not being able to remember some basic things of our early trip to Koyasan, we also didn’t do much. We were all exhausted and needed a break. We arrived late in the evening and were planning to do a night-time walk of the Okunoin Cemetery, but we never got there as we just stayed to rest in our temple.
That stay I do remember though: I remember the complete mediocrity of the food. I know that a lot of people say the vegetarian cuisine of the monks is succulent, but I have had way better over time and blandly said, the food that we received was just plain and tasteless. Was it incredibly bad? No – I politely ate everything and didn’t choke to death. Was it good? Absolutely not – and I’m absolutely not a difficult eater.
The peaceful atmosphere in the temple with a nice view on a small garden made for a good night rest though. At least, until the early morning fire ceremony started. We joined the ceremony and – although maybe it was just my sleepy head speaking – I felt like going into a trance listening to the chants of the monks and looking at the sparks and dancing of the fire. Attending the ceremony is only possible for people staying at the temple, and only for this reason already I would recommend joining a “shukubo”.
The next morning we left for Kyoto, never to come back again... until today.

Dreaming away during the fire ceremony.

The Hall of Lanterns seen from afar through the huge trees.

Okunoin Cemetery.

Living in Kansai it’s quite easy for me to get to Koyasan. Especially with Nankai’s special discount tickets there really is no reason not to. I always was afraid though of the hordes of tourists.
I don’t want to sound like a grumpy old man that can’t enjoy any place unless he’s alone, but the touristic industry in places such as Kyoto and Nara had exploded making the experiences far from enjoyable. And that’s not only me saying that, but even the touristic spots in Kyoto and the decision makers of Nara.
Now, with the COVID-19 pandemic far from over, the pendulum has swung completely to the other side. It’s clear that a middle way needs to be found. But it gives me the chance to enjoy these places in an atmosphere that was originally intended: one of sobriety and serenity.

Take for instance the Okunoin Cemetery. During this grey and rainy day the whole place felt otherworldly. Ethereal. A cemetery always has something serene, something eerie, something impossible to put down in words. But put a busload of tourists in it and it’s hard to experience that feeling. Now it was just me and a few elderly Japanese people. The weather was also such that taking decent pictures was impossible, so for most of the time I just put my camera away and went through the motions. Putting the camera away is something everybody has to do when getting to the place where Kobo Daishi is enshrined and the adjoining Torodo (Hall of Lanters). I was deeply moved when getting to see the back of this hall, with the smell of the incenses and the flickering of the candles prickling my senses. I can hardly imagine this happening when not practically alone.

After the leaving the cemetery I headed for the two other main attractions in Koyasan: The Kongobuji Temple and the Danjo Garan complex. The first has some interesting buckets on its roof, but apart from that, both inside as outside it resembles a regular temple – albeit slightly larger.
The Danjo Garan temple complex is far more interesting, with the Konpo Daito Pagoda as biggest eye-catcher. I spend a little too much time here, but most of the buildings are really beautiful and English explanation is bountiful. The strong wind made the bells on the roof of the pagoda ring hypnotically which strangely reminded me of the monks chanting and reciting during the fire ceremony 15 years ago.

I also visited the Daimon great gate and the Nyonindo, while passing along a bunch of other seemingly interesting structures on foot along the way. They are interesting, but only in addition to the main attractions of Koyasan. So if you go up there, whether for a day-trip or with lodging, make sure to visit the Okunoin Cemetery and the Danjo Garan temple complex.
If there are few crowds, you will not regret it.