Mountaintop Temple Retreat

📍 Nankai Namba Station (in Osaka) to Koyasan Station: approx. 1 h 45 min Start (guided tour): upon arrival at Koyasan Station (around 11:30) Duration: 4 h *including pick-up/drop-off and transit times

Depart Kyoto or Osaka for Koyasan via express train. Pass through river valleys and forested slopes as the train snakes its way into the mountains of Wakayama Prefecture, once thought to be home to ancient gods of nature. The final approach is made on Japan’s steepest cable car.

Welcome to Koyasan, a small community of over 100 temples of the secretive Shingon sect of esoteric Buddhism. This mountain enclave has endured for over 1,200 years, and remains a fascinating relic of a time when religion governed the politics and daily life of historic Japan.

Meet the guide at Koyasan Station and spend the afternoon exploring what Shingon followers believe is the center of the spiritual universe.

Visit Kongobuji, the head temple of Shingon Buddhism, home to Japan’s largest rock garden. Peek into beautifully decorated historic rooms and see the cavernous wooden kitchen where meals are still prepared for monks on special occasions.

Enter the brightly painted Konpon Daito Pagoda, which houses an awe-inspiring altar in the form of a three dimensional mandala that maps out the Buddhist cosmos with towering statues. This staggering sight is sure to evoke a sense of wonder in any onlooker.

Continue on to Okuno-in, Japan’s largest and most important cemetery. More than 200,000 gravestones are piled up in the shady spaces between soaring cypress trees, and the trail through this mossy landscape stretches for 2km. At the end lies the solemn Torodo Lantern Hall, where priests chant and eternal flames burn in memory of the deceased. Beyond is the final treasure of Koyasan: the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi, the founder of Shingon Buddhism and a pivotal figure in Japanese history.

After this remarkable journey through the spiritual past of Japan, guests are escorted to their shukubo (temple lodging) for the evening. A delicious shojin ryori vegetarian Buddhist dinner is served in a delightfully traditional atmosphere.

Overnight at Koyasan

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🍗 Dinner

Today is a self-guided day.

The rest of the day is at leisure until the scheduled departure from Koyasan.

Suggested Sightseeing Itinerary:

Join the optional morning prayer service at the temple lodging, which usually starts at 06:00, to hear the priests chant and drum as they greet the morning. Vegetarian breakfast is served after the service.

Explore the treasures of the Reihokan Museum, where thousands of religious items are on display. See vividly painted scrolls featuring intricate mandala diagrams of the gods and expertly carved wooden statues.

Walk to the west end of the town to see the official entrance to the town where pilgrims still arrive, the massive wooden Sanmon Gate that overlooks the river valley below. Nearby is the finely decorated golden Tokugawa Masoleum, the resting place of two early shogun of the Edo Period.

Board the cable car to descend to the station where an express train awaits for the return trip to Osaka.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast