| Mount Kōya ((ja)高 野山Kōya-san) | |
 | |
| Information | |
| Country |  Japan |
|---|---|
| Region | Wakayama Kansai |
| Location | |
 34 ° 12 ′ 45 ″ N 135 ° 35 ′ 11 ″ E | |
| Official site | |
| Touristic site | |
the Mount Kōya is a mountain in the prefecture of Wakayama south ofOsaka, to Japan, mainly known for its temple complex forming the main center of Shingon Buddhism.
Understand
First colonized in 816 by the monk Kūkai as a retreat away from the intrigues of the court of Kyoto, Mount Kōya is located in a valley at an altitude of 800 m in the middle of the eight peaks of the mountain. The original monastery grew to become the city of Kōya, with a university dedicated to religious studies and over 100 temples, several of which provide accommodation for pilgrims.
In 2004, Mount Kōya joined the list of unesco world heritage sites.
If you are staying at Ōsaka, it is possible to visit it over a day by leaving very early in the morning (think about the time needed to reach Osaka Namba station and buy your ticket). It is also possible to spend the night in one of the many temples (section "Housing »).
Tourist offices
The “Kōyasan Shukubō” association has two information centers. They rent by the day excellent audioguides (500 JPY per pers. and per day), especially in French and English. These describe the various sites of Mount Kōya, including temples and numerous tombs, and make the visit very rewarding.
- Center office (on the left side of the road towards the cemetery, next to the fire brigade)
8 h - 16 h 30. - Ichi-no-hashi desk (towards the entrance of the cemetery closest to the center) 8 h - 16 h 30.
To go
By train
The mountain is mainly accessible with the Nankai Electric Railway from Namba station to Osaka, who joins Gokurakubashi at the foot of the mountain. Limited express trains Kōya (こ う や) takes 1 h 20 and cost 1 650 JPY, while regular express trains are cheaper at 870 JPY and take 10-20 min more) and may request a correspondence. The last part of the trip is a slow climb up the mountains and is very scenic in good weather.
One funicular departing from Gokurakubashi then transports visitors to the summit by 05 min for 360 JPY. Upon arrival, you will need to take a bus towards the city (5-15 min depending on your destination). The timetables of the trains, the funicular and the buses are synchronized (so do not count on a toilet break at the station).
A good deal to reach Kōya-san is to buy the ticket Koyasan World Heritage Ticket valid 2 days for 2 860 JPY and available at Nankai ticket offices. This ticket includes round-trip train and funicular, a bus pass, and discounts to select attractions, shops, and restaurants. A version of this ticket at 3 400 JPY lets take a train limited expresstowards Kōya-san.
the Koyasan One Day ticket(高 野山 1-day チ ケ ッ ト) is available from 1er March to November 30. It is similar to the ticket above but also includes a connection to a private railway company via the Osaka metro. Examples of tariffs: Hankyū (3 090 JPY), Hanshin (2 980 JPY), Keihan (2 100 JPY), Kintetsu (3 070 JPY).
The regional pass Kansai Thru Pass can be used on Nankai trains (other than limited-express) and the funicular to Mount Kōya and on buses from Kōya-san.
JR Passes cannot be used for this journey. The nearest JR station is at Hashimoto, at about 20 km, and is not convenient to access from Osaka or Nara. At best, the JR Pass will get you to Osaka where you can take the JR line. Osaka Loop up to Shin-Imamiya, and from there join the Nankai network to follow the route described above.
Walk
Before setting up the train and funicular connection at the start of the XXe century, the only way to reach Mount Kōya was via the ancient pilgrim trail called Chōishi-michi (町 石 道) which is still maintained and marked with stone pillars at each chō (about 108 m) - these gave the track its name. It starts in the city of Kudoyama (九 度 山), which is a stop on the Nankai train line to Mount Kōya, at the (rather interesting in itself) temple Jison (慈尊 院). To reach the temple from the station, go down the main road and cross the bridge keeping an eye on the green signage on the left. Note that detailed hiking maps in Japanese and English are available at Jison. If you want to do it the Japanese way, you can pick up a souvenir stamp card from the route - note that the 7th and final stamp can only be obtained during working hours.
The trail is about 22 km long, goes up to about 700 m (largely in the first and last quarters) and can be walked in about 7 h, plus rest time, providing a very rewarding hiking experience. In fact, you'll probably want to detour about 1/3 of the way, adding a third World Heritage Site to your trip as well as an extra 2-3 km depending on the approach. Local signage states that there is a guest house there, but this is unconfirmed.
Lighting a fire is prohibited, but nothing prevents you from camping in one of the observation huts along the way. In fact, like in many of these cabins in Japan, locals have hidden floor mats in the attic about 2/3 of the way up, just past the Yatate Jaya tea room.
You can also ask the monk residing in Jison if you can camp on the land; there is a small area of gravel, right next to the toilet, which he will probably let you sleep on.
By car
If you have your own vehicle, you can also come from Ise to the east, and since Ryujin onsen and southern Wakayama to the south. Both roads are narrow and there is no public transportation, but daring souls can try hitchhiking.
Circulate
You can get from one end of the village to the other on foot by 30 min, but regular Nankai Rinkan Bus buses save you time. Passes like the Koyasan World Heritage Ticket and the Kansai Thru Pass (see section by train) allow unlimited use of them. Otherwise, take a ticket by entering through the back door, and when leaving pay the corresponding fare displayed on the front of the bus. A day pass can be purchased at the funicular station for 830 JPY.
To see
At this mountain are the following famous sites:
- 1 Oku-no-In (奥 の 院) (east of the village on the main road, or at the end of the walk through the cemetery (recommended)) – Here is the Kūkai Mausoleum, lit by thousands of lanterns. According to tradition, the lights have been on there since his death over 1,000 years ago.
- 2 Graveyard (east of the village on the main road.) – The mausoleum is surrounded by a huge cemetery with a special atmosphere, along winding paths among giant cedars. Among the 200,000 graves in the cemetery, some are hundreds of years old. The audio guide will briefly tell you the story of some of its guests and so the crossing will not look like a succession of burials. Also of particular interest are the many fanciful tombstones, including giant spaceships and cups, erected by an astronaut and coffee company respectively, and a monument erected by a pesticide company to commemorate all of its insect victims. If you visit it mainly during the day, a little night walk is worth it if you spend the night at Mount Kōya: the atmosphere of the paved path is different under the dim lighting.
- 3 Garan (伽藍) (on the west side of town) – A temple complex designed by Kūkai. In its center is the pagoda Konpon Daitō (根本 大 塔), which according to the Shingon doctrine represents the central point of a mandala covering Mount Kōya and all of Japan.
- 4 Kongōbu-ji temple (金剛峯 寺) (in the western part of town)
500 JPY. – The huge headquarters with the special atmosphere of the Shingon sect, with a stone garden that outclasses many of Kyoto's best. The entrance fee includes a rice cracker and a cup of tea.
Most (if not all) sites close at 17 h, so there is little to do in the evening unless you are staying in a temple.
Do
Hiking around Mount Kōya is a good choice. Among many routes, there is one starting at Daimon (大門, large gate), leading to a small shrine at the top of Bentengaku (弁 天 岳), then descending to Nyonindō (女人 堂). It's not a difficult hike, and should only take a few hours, depending on how often you stop along the way to take photos. You may encounter a few species of lizards and snakes along the way, such as the jimuguri (ジ ム グ リ, Japanese Forest Snakes), band skinks Japanese, and lizards Japanese. From the top, the view south stretches to Wakayama town and the ocean.
To buy
Eat
All accommodations in temples at Mount Kōya offer purely vegetarian food for monks, shōjin ryōri (精進 料理). People for whom vegetarian food rhymes with blandness will be surprised - in their hundreds of years of experience with vegetarian cuisine, the monks invented tasty dishes. A local specialty, Kōya-dōfu, is prepared by lyophilization and reconstitution of tōfu.
- Hanabishi (花 菱) (east of Senjuinbashi / 千手 院 橋 bus stop),
81 736-56-2236 to eat lunch shōjin ryōri: 2 100 JPY; full set of vegetarian kaiseki dishes: 5000-10 500 JPY (cheaper at lunchtime). – This chic restaurant has been serving for over 120 years and is a good choice for enjoying Buddhist vegetarian dishes if you are not staying for the night. As some of the bentō boxes are not vegetarian, stick to shōjin ryōri if you want to stay in the local spirit.
For those who don't want to eat vegetarian, a number of restaurants offer classic Japanese and Chinese cuisine. There are also a lot ofizakaya reasonably priced around downtown offering a diverse range of traditional Japanese bistro food.
- Ima-chan (left side of the road from the city to Nyonindo, just after the Tokugawa mausoleum) 300-1 500 JPY. – A bistro specializing in fresh fish; much of the menu is based on the time of year. English menu not available.
- Inoue (Diagonal from the CoCo grocery store) – Prides itself on offering the greatest omuraisu (omelet filled with rice and meat) from Japan, 550 JPY. English menu available.
- International Cafe (Bon An Sha) (left side of main town road to Okunoin cemetery, at 150 m main traffic lights) – This café and art gallery specializes in organic vegetarian meals (the price varies according to the content of the menu. The menu, whose price (800-1 200 JPY) varies according to content, changes daily, and a number of homemade cakes are available, as well as coffees and teas (300 JPY). The couple who run the café are native speakers of French, English and Japanese, and are fluent in Italian and Mandarin Chinese.
Have a drink / Go out
Housing
Cheap
- Koyasan Guest House Kokuu 〒648-0211 49-43 Itogun Koyacho Koyasan, 81 736-26-7216, fax : 81 50-3730-6935 3 500 JPY for a capsule place, 6 000 JPY for a single room and 9 000 JPY for a double (more expensive on weekends). – A modern capsule-style hostel.
Luxury
About half of the city's more than 120 temples provide pilgrims with accommodation, called in Japanese shukubō. Prices vary between 9 000 JPY and 15 000 JPY per night and include two meals. You will have the opportunity to participate in the morning prayer session, a hypnotic experience involving sutra chanting, incense and gongs. In the off-peak season, you just need to show up at the Kōya cable car station and book from there, but in general advance reservations are best. A complete list is available on the official site, but it should be noted that not all temples are prepared to accommodate visitors who do not speak Japanese. Better to go through English-speaking sites to book.
- Daien-in (大圓 院 or 大 円 院) , 81 736-56-2009 from 12 000 JPY/ pers. half board. – A fairly typical temple, centrally located (both ends of town within walking distance) and run by a friendly group of monks who know a bit of English. Hearty breakfasts (7 h 10) and dinner (17 h 30) are provided by the monks, who pick you up from your room when the meals are ready, and in the morning for the morning prayer at 5 h 55 (So be awake and ready!) Temple curfew: 22 h at the sliding door, the main door closing 18 h.
- 1 Shōjōshin-in (清浄 心 院) (near the entrance to the cemetery closest to the city center.), 81-736-56-2006 room available from 14 h - 17 h, to be released before 10 h. from 9 450 JPY/ pers. in low season (in cash). – Temple with fairly comfortable accommodation. English is not widely spoken. Includes dinner (at 17 h 30) and a hearty vegetarian breakfast. Religious ceremony at 6 h (Apr-Sep) or 6 h 30 (Oct-Mar). The proximity makes it possible to visit the cemetery in the evening.
- Kōyasan Onsen Fukuchi-in (福智 院) 657 Koya San, Koya-cho (To 01 min walk from Keisatsusho-mae bus stop), 81-736-56-2021 from 22,000 ¥. – Kōya-san Natural Hot Springs are only available at this hotel, are open 24 h/ 24, and strictly reserved for customers. Only vegetarian dishes are served, and meals, which feature seasonal ingredients, are carefully planned and prepared by the chef with different dishes each month.
If the monks are not drinking, alcohol may be available for dinner, or even at a vending machine. Temples have set times when the front door is open and closed, and baths are available. This curfew can be as early as 21 h, so don't expect to be able to necessarily go out after dinner - that said, you might want to go to bed early anyway if you want to attend morning prayer (which may be 5 h)!
Communicate
Around
Many pilgrims visit Mount Kōya before performing the pilgrimage of the 88 temples on the island of Shikoku.
Not far outside Kōya, approx. To 15 min by car, is located Ōtaki, a small town aptly named for the large waterfalls at its entrance. Once past Oku-no-in, take the Ryūjin Expressway towards Shirahama and look for a small sign around 15 min on the road. The entrance should be on the right. Go down the small road for about 02 min and the two large waterfalls should be visible from the road. It is a particularly pleasant place to stop and have a picnic before leaving Kōya.
| Routes via Mount Kōya |
| Nanba ← Sakai higashi ← Kawachi nagano ← | O  E | → END |
| Nara ← Yoshino ← | NOT  S | → Kainan |
| Kawachi nagano ← Hashimoto ← | NOT  S | → Tanabe |
| Izumi Otsu ← Izumi ← | W  S | → Arida |
