A spiritual family trip to Koyasan, Japan’s most sacred destination

Arguably the most sacred mountain in Japan, Mount Koya, or Koyasan as it is locally known, is a religious town in Wakayama Prefecture, long closed off from anywhere else. Its temple-lodges and ancient forests invite spirituality while the sacred mountains of the Kii peninsula encompass the very essence of the spirit of Japan.

Koyasan was declared a UNESCO Heritage Site in 2004. It is the center of Shingon Buddhism, a Chinese influenced esoteric sect brought to Japan in 805 by Kobo Daishi (also known as Kukai), one of Japan’s most revered spiritual leaders. It is the start and end point of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage, and the start of our own family’s exploration of the region, a destination we had always dreamt of visiting.

Earthly peace and heavenly hike 

Kobo Daishi began construction of the main Garan temple complex in 816 after wandering the country for years in search of a suitable place to center his religion. Since then, over 100 temples have found their homes along the streets of Mount Koya, with the most important being the Kongobuji, the head temple of the Shingon Buddhism, and the incredible Okunoin cemetery, the site of Kobo Daishi’s mausoleum.

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• https://savvytokyo.com/

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