Mount Koyasan
Alicia planned most of our stay in Koyasan so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was intrigued by staying in a Buddhist temple and eating authentic monk food. After all the things we did during our three weeks in Japan, this was easily our favorite. We both wished we could have spent a full day here so we could fully explore the area.
To get to Mount Koyasan, head to Gokurakubashi Station. From there, take the cable line to Koyasan Sation. Last take the bus to Ekoin. The monks will send you directions on which stop to get off. If you arrive early enough in the day, take time to explore Koyasan and its temples.
Ekoin
We arrived a little later than we had planned due to missing one of our connecting trains. One of the monks greeted us when we arrived and another brought our bags to our room. They showed us around and told us where to be for the optional meditation.
Meditation
One of the monks leads you for the meditation. He explains the proper way to sit and also that you won’t attain enlightenment from meditating one time. The monks had a surprisingly good sense of humor throughout our stay.
Dinner
We were both a little wary of the authentic monk dinner. We ended up both enjoying most of it. Its not something I could eat all the time but wasn’t as bland as we expected. I feel like neither of us were sure what to expect. We did get the additional amount of food added to our meal which we would recommend. You can also get a beer with dinner if that’s your thing. We loved all the Japanese beers. They all go so well with their cuisine. While talking with one of the monks, he asked where else we planned to go and we told him Hokkaido. He told us Hokkaido is known for its whiskey and beer. He was the one who told us to go to the Nikka Whiskey Distillery.
Nighttime Cemetery Tour
This was an optional tour that cost 1000 yen per person. It was one of the most interesting, moving, and entertaining activities we did the entire trip. The monk leading the tour had a great sense of humor, often making jokes. Learning about their leader who founded their sect of Buddhism was also fascinating. He founded Mount Koyasan, started the first public school in Japan in Kyoto, and invented two of the three Japanese alphabets.
Morning Prayer
The next morning after you eat breakfast you get to observe the morning prayer. It can definitely get a little cold so wear some warm socks. Shoes are not allowed in the room where the prayer takes place. When the prayer is over, guests place a small amount of incense into the flame and make a wish. After everyone is done, each person walks over the the Buddha in the back of the room and bows.
Morning Fire Ritual
After the morning prayer its time to head over to observe the fire ritual that is performed each day. The morning prayer and ritual are both part of the monks’ training. Knowing this it is important to treat each with respect and realize its not just a tourist show. They do allow you to take pictures but ask you not to use flash or lots of clicking sounds.
Explore the Mountain
After the fire ritual we set out to explore the city. We walked back to the cemetary to check it out during the day. We were already short on time so we were not able to walk all the way to the back where Kobo Daishi is in his eternal meditation. After walking in a short distance we turned back to see some of the temples and pagodas on the other side of town.
Its a relatively small town and visitors can easily walk to most of the sites. There is a bus that runs through town and makes stops and all the sites.
This great pagoda is one of the symbols of Koyasan and is called the Konpon Daito. Its the tallest building in Koyasan. It was finished in 876, over 40 years after Kobo Daishi had entered eternal meditation. Over the years it has been destroyed by fire due to lightning strikes five times. The current building was rebuilt in 1937.
Many buildings in Japan have been destroyed by fire and rebuilt over the years. Many of the temples are made of wood with straw like floors. One lightning strike or knocked over candle is all it would take it seems for many of the buildings.
Closing thoughts
We wish we could have spent the rest of the day seeing everything in the town, but we had to catch the train to head to Yamanouchi in Nagano Prefecture to see the snow monkeys. One full day in Koyasan is likely all it would take to see everything. As we’ve said before, it really isn’t a large town, but it is packed with history. It was one of the most amazing experiences either of us have had in our lives.
Leave any questions you have in the comment below and if you’ve been to Koyasan tell us what you thought about it!