Koyasan - the town of 120 Buddhist temples, Mount Koya, Wakayama Ranges, Japan - 11 October 2023.46B
KOYASAN
Mount Kōya (高野山 Kōya-san) (English: Koyasan) is the name of a mountain in Wakayama Prefecture to the south of Osaka. The name Koya describes the town developed in the area, although the town itself is also generally referred to in English as Koyasan.
First settled in 819 by the monk Kūkai, Mt. Kōya is primarily known as the world headquarters of the Kōyasan Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism. Located in an 800 m high valley amid the eight peaks of the mountain (which was the reason this location was selected, in that the terrain is supposed to resemble a lotus plant), the original monastery has grown into the town of Kōya, featuring a university dedicated to religious studies and 120 temples, many of which offer lodging to pilgrims and the travelling public.
Koya-san 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 takes passengers to the top (Koyasan Station in 5 minutes. A bus then takes cable car passengers to the centre of town. The entire trip takes about 2 hours on an express train or 2.5 hours by non-express.
To make the most of the area, particularly for serious photographers, the best approach is take 2 days, staying overnight in one of the temple lodgings – particularly as the first express train from Osaka arrives mid-morning and leaves at 4:30 pm. Just photographing the Okunoin cemetery (see below) can take up to half a day.
Okunoin (奥の院) in Koyasan is the site of the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi (also known as Kukai), the founder of Shingon Buddhism and one of the most revered persons in the religious history of Japan.
Okunoin is one of the most sacred places in Japan and a popular pilgrimage spot. It is the largest and one of the oldest (1,200 years) remaining cemeteries in Japan, with over 20,000 graves.
My personal preference is to photograph the Koyasan area in November, before the first snows (autumn/fall colours – which blend beautifully with the temple colours).
Due to the altitude, the area can be 10 degrees Celsius lower than Osaka (sea level) with a biting mountain wind.
Koyasan - the town of 120 Buddhist temples, Mount Koya, Wakayama Ranges, Japan - 11 October 2023.46B
KOYASAN
Mount Kōya (高野山 Kōya-san) (English: Koyasan) is the name of a mountain in Wakayama Prefecture to the south of Osaka. The name Koya describes the town developed in the area, although the town itself is also generally referred to in English as Koyasan.
First settled in 819 by the monk Kūkai, Mt. Kōya is primarily known as the world headquarters of the Kōyasan Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism. Located in an 800 m high valley amid the eight peaks of the mountain (which was the reason this location was selected, in that the terrain is supposed to resemble a lotus plant), the original monastery has grown into the town of Kōya, featuring a university dedicated to religious studies and 120 temples, many of which offer lodging to pilgrims and the travelling public.
Koya-san 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 takes passengers to the top (Koyasan Station in 5 minutes. A bus then takes cable car passengers to the centre of town. The entire trip takes about 2 hours on an express train or 2.5 hours by non-express.
To make the most of the area, particularly for serious photographers, the best approach is take 2 days, staying overnight in one of the temple lodgings – particularly as the first express train from Osaka arrives mid-morning and leaves at 4:30 pm. Just photographing the Okunoin cemetery (see below) can take up to half a day.
Okunoin (奥の院) in Koyasan is the site of the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi (also known as Kukai), the founder of Shingon Buddhism and one of the most revered persons in the religious history of Japan.
Okunoin is one of the most sacred places in Japan and a popular pilgrimage spot. It is the largest and one of the oldest (1,200 years) remaining cemeteries in Japan, with over 20,000 graves.
My personal preference is to photograph the Koyasan area in November, before the first snows (autumn/fall colours – which blend beautifully with the temple colours).
Due to the altitude, the area can be 10 degrees Celsius lower than Osaka (sea level) with a biting mountain wind.