Mount Koya
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mount Koya (高野山 Kōya-san) is a mountain in Wakayama prefecture to the south of Osaka. First settled in 819 by the monk Kūkai, Mt. Koya is primarily known as the headquarters of the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism. Located in an 800m-high valley amid the eight peaks of the mountain, the original monastery has grown into the town of Koya, featuring a university dedicated to religious studies and over 100 temples, many of which offer lodging to pilgrims. The mountain is home to the following famous sites:
- Okunoin (奥の院), the mausoleum of Kūkai, surrounded by an immense graveyard (the largest in Japan)
- Konpon Daitō (根本大塔), a pagoda that according to Shingon doctrine represents the central point of a mandala covering not only Mt. Koya but all of Japan
- Kongōbu-ji (金剛峰寺), the headquarters of the Shingon sect
In 2004, UNESCO designated Mt. Koya, along with two other locations on the Kii Peninsula, as World Heritage Sites.
[edit] Access
The mountain is accessible primarily by the Nankai Electric Railway from Namba Station (in Osaka) to Gokurakubashi Station at the base of the mountain. A cable car from Gokurakubashi then whisks visitors to the top in 5 minutes. The entire trip takes about 1.5 hours on an express train or 2 hours by non-express. Traffic by vehicle can be terrible on weekends until well into the evening. On weekdays, the mountain offers a pleasant drive followed by the excitement upon reaching the monastaries lining the summit. Many Buddhist monasteries on the mountain function as hotels for visitors providing traditional accommodation with and evening meal and breakfast.
[edit] Images
 Okunoin |
 Shingon Buddhist monks, Mt. Koya, 2004 |
 Lantern hall near Okunoin |
 Okunoin Cemetery |
 Graves in Okunoin Cemetery |
 A statue in Okunoin Cemetery |
 Another statue in Okunoin Cemetery |
[edit] External links
- Wikitravel: Mount Koya
- Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range (UNESCO)
- Farstrider.net Photos and Travel Information
- Koya-san's Ancient Cemetery: photo gallery at FudoMouth.net
