Koyasan, or Mount Koya (san means mountain in Japanese), has been a Buddhist sanctuary as antidote to over 1200 years. It was founded in 816 by Kukai, the founder of Buddhism’s Shingon sect. Long past it was far and secluded, but it is things being so very accessible, and yet still held a mystic atmosphere when I visited it in September.
Most travelers to Japan visit Kyoto. From Kyoto, Koyasan can have existence reached in about 3 hours via Osaka, from where a direct express train departs several times a day. The last part of the route is a 5-minute steep cable car ride. Getting off the cable car, you adopt a connecting bus and 10 minutes later, you will be in downtown Koyasan. You may want to purchase a convenient Koyasan World Heritage Ticket for 3310 yen that includes return tickets from Osaka Namba Station to Koyasan, unlimited bus rides in Koyasan and drawback coupons for entrance fees of major sites ( http://www.nankaikoya.jp/en/index.html ).
Downtown Koyasan is rather small and walkable, and there are as many during the time that 117 temples. The main one is Kongobuji ( http://www.koyasan.or.jp/english language/index.html ). The main building has many rooms with beautifully painted sliding doors and the largest Japanese rock garden in Japan. In Danjo Garan stands Konpon Daito, a shining red stupa, that has a pastel-colored, but somehow mind-soothing mandara world in the interior of. Through a cedar forest dotted by means of 200,000 graves, Okunoin is the office where Kukai is buried and filled with chants of mantra and scents of incense.
Kongobuji
Kongobuji
n Koyasan, you may want to hold up in one of the temples, and, you can! 52 of the town’s 150 temples offer accommodation. It is ryokan-type and called shukubo. If you answer the purpose not be obliged a reservation, the information center will help you.
I stayed at Muryokoin temple. The asperse was 12500 yen including dinner, breakfast and taxes. (To be honest, it seemed to me a little expensive for the simple lodging and meals.) The room was large on the side of a solo traveler, but with not one private bathroom, which is not uncommon in shukubo. However, some shukubo have hotel-type rooms with private bathrooms and locks, so please secure your preference known at the knowledge of facts center.
Dinner and breakfast were served in the room and brought by a young monk. Because of the Buddhist delivery, altogether meals are vegetarian, called Shojin Ryori. The monk explained what each dish was. You can order beer or sake if you likely, and a large bottle of Japanese beer was 700 yen. Bed-making (or futon-making in this put in a box?) was moreover done by a monk. It was September, but a blanket was provided.
At 6:30 AM the next peep of day, a 1.5-hour morning ritual begins in the privacy praying room and you can participate. At Muryokoin, not only mantra-chanting but also a fire ritual takes place each day. If you are not very comfortable sitting on the floor for the continuation, there are stools for you (and most foreigners that morning took them.) Surrounded by the chanting, applause and slight fever from the fire, you dwell intently upon. You may enter the room late or leave the room early. At Muryokoin resides a Swiss monk who speaks English, and after the morning ritual there is a chance to talk with him over tea or coffee. You can ask him about Buddhism or his life in Japan. Then a vegetarian breakfast is served in your room.
In Koyasan, you be able to try other cultural/religious experiences as well: hand-copying of sutras and ajikan meditation, the two leading to your ecclesiastical well-being. For visiting sites, English audio guides are available. For information about Koyasan, delight visit http://www.shukubo.jp/eng/index.html.
After the Buddhist retreat in the fresh mountain air, you can go back north to Osaka or Kyoto, or you can head the south to the Kumano area at what place Kumano Sanzan shrines and a breathtaking waterfall called Nachinotaki are located. The route from Koyasan to Kumano is called Kumano Kodo ( http://www.pref.wakayama.lg.jp/sekaiisan/english/e-kiisanti.html ), a historic pilgrimage route that you can still walk in the mountains like ancient travelers. There are several walking routes you can try over several hours. Kumano area is also famous for its onsen hot springs. It would be a good idea to suppose a hot bath after the walk. From Kumano, you can easily go back to Osaka or Nagoya by train or fly back to Tokyo from Nanki Shirahama Airport.
Need an escape from stressed life? Why don’t you try detoxication of body AND best part in Koyasan?
Konpon Daito 
Okunoin
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