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和歌山県
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Koyasan Okunoin
和歌山県
Japan's holiest Buddhist site — Kukai believed to remain in eternal meditation amid 200,000 stone monuments
Founded
835
Type
Temple
Visited
Want to go
Access
Right at Okunoin-mae bus stop
550 Koyasan, Koya-cho, Ito-gun, Wakayama
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Info
Temple
Founded 835
1191 years
Buddhist Sect
Koyasan Shingon
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Overview
Koyasan Okunoin is Japan's most sacred Buddhist site, containing the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi Kukai, who entered eternal meditation in 835. The 2-km approach is lined with 200,000 tombs and monuments among 1000-year-old cedars, including memorials to warlords from Nobunaga to Ieyasu. A core UNESCO World Heritage site.
Origins
In 816, Kukai (Kobo Daishi) received the land of Koyasan from Emperor Saga and began establishing it as the head temple of Shingon esoteric Buddhism. On March 21, 835, Kukai is said to have entered a state of eternal meditation (nyujo) at Okunoin, and it is believed that he remains in perpetual medi…
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祭
Festivals & Events
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8月
13
Koyasan Manto-e
About 100,000 candles illuminate the path to Okunoin, creating a mystical atmosphere.
もっと詳しく · 1

記
Related Articles
— 14

記
Koyasan Pilgrimage Guide: Kobo Daishi's Sacred Mountain, Okunoin, and Temple Lodging
Koyasan, opened by Kukai (Kobo Daishi) in 816, is Japan's premier sacred mountain and the center of Shingon Buddhism, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This guide covers Okunoin Mausoleum, Kongobuji Temple, Danjo Garan, and the unique shukubo temple lodging experience.
basics
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記
Mount Koya: A Pilgrim's Guide to Kukai's Sacred Domain and Shingon Buddhism
A guide to Mount Koya's principal sacred sites — Kongobuji, Okunoin, and Danjo Garan — examined through the lens of Kukai's life and Shingon esoteric doctrine, with guidance on temple lodging, the Choishi-michi pilgrimage road, and proper forms of veneration.
architecture
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記
Kobo Daishi Kukai: Founder of Shingon Buddhism and the 88 Temples Pilgrimage
Born in 774 in Sanuki Province (present-day Kagawa), Kukai brought Esoteric Buddhism from Tang China and founded three great sacred sites: Mt. Koya, Toji Temple, and the Shikoku 88-Temple Pilgrimage. This guide explores his teachings of Sokushin Jobutsu and the living tradition of Shingon Buddhism.
basics
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もっと詳しく · 11

人
Related Figures
— 3

Kūkai
Founder of Shingon Buddhism / Kobo Daishi
Age 61 at founding
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Enshrines the mausoleum where Kukai (Kobo Daishi) entered eternal meditation in 835; he is believed to still be meditating in bodily form to this day.
T
Takeda Shingen
Tiger of Kai — Furinkazan
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Along the approach to Koyasan Okunoin stands a memorial tower (kuyoto) dedicated to Takeda Shingen. During the Sengoku period, powerful daimyo built such towers near Kobo Daishi Kukai's mausoleum to pray for their clan's salvation. Shingen's tower stands alongside those of Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu, quietly resting along the ancient cedar-lined path today.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Taiko, Ruler of All
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Along the approach to Koyasan Okunoin stands a memorial tower dedicated to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who completed the unification of Japan. Like other prominent warlords — Oda Nobunaga, Takeda Shingen, and Tokugawa Ieyasu — Hideyoshi too had a memorial erected near the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi Kukai, reflecting the deep reverence that era's rulers held for Koyasan.
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Visiting Information
Hours
Okunoin approach path accessible any time. Torodo Hall open 6:00–17:00. Gokusho office 8:00–17:00 (May–Oct), 8:30–16:30 (Nov–Apr).
Admission
Free to visit the Okunoin approach path and Torodo Hall.
As of 2026-07-17. Subject to change.
Also Worth Visiting
高
Koyasan Danjo Garan
Kukai's original Shingon sanctuary — the vermilion Konpon Daito pagoda enshrines a three-dimensional mandala
2.6km
→
Kongobuji
Kukai's esoteric Buddhist headquarters on Mt. Koya — UNESCO World Heritage
2.2km
→
Koyasan Reihokan Museum
Treasury of 1,200 years of Koya — 21 National Treasures including Unkei's Hachidai Doji statues
2.6km
→
宝
Hoki-in
Site 6 of the Shin-Saigoku 33 Pilgrimage — Hoki-in subtemple on Mount Koya, where Kukai's robes are dedicated, one of Mount Koya's most distinguished temples
1.8km
→
観
Kannonji
A Buddhist temple in Koya…
1.2km
→
奥
Okuyukiji
A Buddhist temple in Koya…
1.3km
→
角
Kakuyukiji
A Buddhist temple in Koya…
1.3km
→
金
Kongo-sanmai-in
Site 7 of the Shin-Saigoku 33 Pilgrimage — Kongo-sanmai-in subtemple on Mount Koya, founded by Hojo Masako for Yoritomo's repose, with a National Treasure Tahoto pagoda
2.1km
→
記
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