Night tour of the sacred sites of Koyasan
Koyasan is a sacred place of esoteric Buddhism founded by Kobo Daishi over 1,200 years ago. It is a Buddhist city surrounded by mountains over 1000 meters high. There are 117 temples in the city, 51 of which operate temple stays.
Okunoin is the most important place in Koyasan. At the very back is the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi, who founded Koyasan 1,200 years ago. He is said to still be alive and meditating.
There is a tour to visit Okunoin at night with an English guide. Participants gathered in the grounds of Ekoin temple.
We departed at 7pm.
First, there was an explanation about Bishamon-do Hall of Ekoin temple. The principal image of this hall is Vaisravana, said to have been created by Kobo Daishi.
After that, we walked a little and arrived at the bridge at the entrance to Okunoin.
There were many graves along the approach to the mausoleum, and it was very quiet.
Along the way, we were able to see the graves of many famous people from Japanese history.
The photo below is Takeda Shingen’s grave. He is known as a military commanders of the Warring States period who organized the strongest cavalry unit.
There was also a Ksitigarbha that is said to sweat for people, and a well that is said to mean that if you don’t see your image in it, you will die within three years.
The Ksitigarbha statue, which is said to make you beautiful when you put on makeup, made quite an impact.
As we went further in, we saw the bridge leading to the mausoleum.
From this point onwards, the most sacred area is reached and photography is prohibited.
As we walked across the bridge we came across a hall, and when we went around to the back we found the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi. The atmosphere was solemn, completely different from when I visited in the afternoon.
Afterwards, we boarded a bus in the parking lot and returned to the temple stay.
The night tour took about an hour and a half. We went in late October and the nights were cold. Koyasan is located at a high altitude, so if you are planning to visit during the cold season, we recommend that you dress warmly.
Night tours are held almost every day and can be booked on the day.
Booking Link
Koyasan Okunoin Night Tour
