A day trip to Koyasan (Mount Koya) Japan – Travel Guide

A day trip to Koyasan (Mount Koya) Japan – Travel Guide

[Music] Hi everyone, I am Anna. Today I’ll be sharing the highlights of our 1-day trip to Coyasan from Osaka. If you’re looking for a peaceful escape far away from busy city life, Coyasan is the place to be. Nestled in the Misty Mountains, it’s a serene destination that feels like stepping into a whole different world. Before we get started, here’s a bit of background on Coyasan. Located just south of Osaka, Coyasan is a large temple settlement tucked away in the northeastern mountains of Wakayama. It’s famous for being the headquarters of Shingong Buddhism and was founded by Kobo Daishi in 8:16 AD. Since the original temple was established, hundreds of others have followed and the small town of Koya developed around it. In 2004, UNESCO designated Coyasan as a world heritage site. Today, people visit not only to explore its temples and nature, but also to reconnect spiritually. Although many activities in Cooasan have a religious focus, you don’t have to be religious to enjoy your visit. The beauty and peacefulness of the place will captivate you, no matter your background. It’s definitely worth staying the night if you have time in your schedule. We visited during early spring, just before the Sakura season in March, but honestly, Coyasan is beautiful year round, so you can visit anytime without worrying too much about the season. Getting to Coyasan is simple from Osaka. We took the Nankai Koya line from Namba station which brought us all the way to Gokurakubashi station. We decided to take one of the earliest trains to avoid crowds. The last part of the train ride passes through a mountainous area offering beautiful views on the way. From there, we hopped on a cable car to Koasan Station. Once you arrive, buses are available to take you to your destination. We decided to start at the Great Diamond Gate and slowly make our way through Hoya Town. The Great Diamond Gate, located on the western side of Hoya, stands 25 m tall and marks the entrance to the sacred area. It’s a stunning spot, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding hills and valleys. As we walked through Coya Town, we noticed plenty of accommodations, perfect for those wanting to stay overnight. For accommodations, you have two main options. The first is guest houses, which are affordable and offer a cozy atmosphere. The second option is a bit pricier, but offers a unique experience. A shuko or temple lodging where you stay with monks in a temple. Our first stop was a relaxing matcha break at Kadohama Gatu Humpo. After that, we headed to the Danjo Garin Temple Complex, the heart of Koasan, conceived and constructed by Koboishi himself over 1,200 years ago. Most of it is easily walkable, so make sure to wear comfortable shoes, something essential anywhere in Japan. The Rokaku Kyozo or six-sided sutra repository is a pagodike tower built to house all 3,000 575 scrolls of the Trypitaka. The three baskets that contain the complete body of Buddhist scriptures. At the base of the tower are several wooden handles that can be used to rotate the interior shelves of the repository. It’s believed that anyone who completes three full clockwise rotations will gain the spiritual merit of having read all the scriptures. Next, we walk to Mio Shrine. Like much of Danjarant, the structures here are shaded by tall cedar trees. I really recommend spending a bit more time here to sit, reflect, and soak in the spirit of this peaceful place. Next to it you can see the cyto pagoda similar in style to the massive compondito. The cyto pagoda stands at 27 m tall. Originally built in 886. The current structure was rebuilt in 1834. The condo, the main pavilion at the heart of the complex is used during major religious celebrations. This building was one of the first built at Koasan, though it’s been destroyed and rebuilt seven times. For Buddhist monks and the entire mountain community, the condo is an important place used for many services. It’s also one of the largest buildings in Danjo. [Music] This massive pagod almost 50 m tall is called the great stupa and is the iconic centerpiece of Danjagar. Its colossal size is truly mesmerizing. Photos just don’t do it justice. The bright vermilion exterior and tall spire can be seen from almost anywhere on the temple grounds. Next, we headed to Kongabuji Temple, which was originally built by Toyotomy Hideoshi to commemorate the death of his mother. Later, it became the head temple of Shingon Buddhism. The temple is known for its long corridors, beautiful rooms, and its famous rock garden, the largest in Japan. There are also great lunch spots around Coyasan, and I’ll link the one we visited in the description below, which I highly recommend if you want to try real Buddhist food. [Music] Finally, we visited Okonoin Cemetery, Japan’s largest cemetery, which holds over 200,000 graves and memorials, including those of feudal lords and local people. This serene spot is one of the absolute highlights of Coyasan. Okonoin is considered one of Japan’s most sacred sites. It’s incredibly peaceful and reflective. Many visitors stop at statues along the path to make offerings of water in honor of their loved ones. I highly recommend spending at least 2 hours walking through the cemetery and really taking in the atmosphere. The Buddha once said, “As you walk and eat and travel, be where you are.” And a visit to Okonoin really brings that message to life. It’s an experience that’s hard not to be moved by. We walked through most of the cemetery in near silence, just taking it all in. Walking here is amazing, not just because of the sheer size of the cemetery, but also because of the natural beauty surrounding it. The cemetery is dedicated to Kukai, the founder of Shingan Buddhism and the supposed creator of the Hiragana alphabet of the Japanese language, though that hasn’t been definitively proven. Interestingly, you won’t find Kukai’s grave here because he is believed to still be alive meditating in eternal rest. One of the things that caught my attention in the cemetery is that there are areas dedicated to special memorials for employees of Japanese corporations. One of the largest belongs to Panasonic. If you’re looking for more details, check the description box below for additional information. Thanks for watching. If you like this video, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe to my channel for more travel tips and drone footage. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments. [Music]

Join me on a journey through Koyasan in Wakayama Prefecture in Japan— the heart of Shingon Buddhism — renowned for its historic temples, spectacular forest setting, and the unique opportunity to experience an overnight stay at its sacred temple lodgings.

Chapters:
0:00 – 0:30 – Intro
0:31 – 1:43 – Koyasan Background
1:44 – 2:12 – How to get to Koyasan from Osaka
2:13 – 2:33 – Great Diamond Gate
2:34 – 3:02 – Accommodations
3:02 – 3.12 – Coffee break place
3:13 – 5:32 – Danjo Garan temple complex
5:33 – 5:53 – Kongobu-ji temple
5:54 – 6:14 – lunch spot with Buddhist food
6:15 – 7:52 – Okunion Cemetery
7:53 – 8:10 – Outro

Place where we went for coffee:
https://www.gomatohu.com/kadohamagomatofu.html

Lunch spot:
https://yumekoya-seikeiin.com/

Okunion Cemetery:
https://markyourlandingspot.com/note/…

Footage recorded in March 2025

Drone: DJI Mini Pro 4
Camera: GoPro 9 black, iPhone 16 Pro

Music: https://www.epidemicsound.com/