Koya-san: Part I

Located in a 800 meter high valley and surrounded by 8 mountain peaks, Mount Koya is the center of Shingon Buddhism. Kobo Daishi introduced this religion in 805 and started constructing the Dai Garan, a temple complex with shrines and pagodas. His mausoleum including a Buddhist cemetery with more than 200.000 tombstones surrounded by hundreds of years old tall cedar trees attracts tourists and pilrgrims. There is also Kongobu-ji, the headquarters for Shingon Buddhism for more than 4000 temples in Japan and overseas. All very impressive!! Almost half of the 120 temples provide lodgings, Shukubo....Read more