Mount Koya
Located in the mountains of Wakayama, Mount Kōya is one of Japan’s most important centers of Buddhist spirituality. Established in 816 by the monk Kūkai (Kobo Daishi), this temple complex has served for more than 1,200 years as the heart of Shingon Buddhism and continues to welcome pilgrims seeking reflection and renewal.
With our thoughtfully organized stay, you can experience life within this sacred environment through shukubo, the traditional practice of lodging in a temple.
What to do in Mount Koya
Ajikan is a meditation method used in Esoteric Buddhism. You will experience this with qualified monks who will explain how to proceed in detail at the Ajikan Dojo.
This is the perfect activity to forget your busy life and focus on relaxation and spirituality.
You can experience sutra copying, which consists in writing by hand Buddhist scriptures as a form of devotion and meditation. This will help you to get away from distractions and to enhance your peace of mind.
All the temples in Koya-san will only serve you Shojin Ryori, a very healthy and meaningful cuisine with fresh and natural ingredients. It is the natural buddhist vegetarian cooking, a regime followed by all buddhist monks.
If you’re staying in Koya-san, you can join a night tour of the Okunoin cemetery, one of Japan's oldest and the largest, guided by an official and licensed Koya-san resident who will share his knowledge about the place in English. Experiencing the Okunoin cemetery at night will definitely be an unforgettable memory.
You can participate in the religious service that all Buddhist monks take part in every morning. Be aware that you will have to be up early as the monks’ day starts around 7am, but witnessing the calmness of an early morning in Mt Koya is sure to be an unforgettable experience.
Right after the morning religious service, you can also experience the Goma prayers, a Fire Ritual performed to improve and benefit anybody’s condition. The fire used is believed to be able to cleanse anybody spiritually and psychologically. Flames can go pretty high during this ceremony. You can attend just to watch or participate and pray for the well-being of your loved ones.