Koyasan 高野山

Koya-san is a mountaibn range with a temple town as a cente. It is the headquater of the Shingon Esoteric Buddhism established by Kukai (Kobo Daishi) in 816. Today 23 national treasures and 187 important cultural properties are houses in the 117 temples. Koyasan is part of the "Kii Sacred Mountains and Pilgrimage Route" nominated for the UNESCO World Heritage (2004). The major pilgrimage route leading up to Koyasan is "Cho-ishi michi", a 24km mountain trail marked with 180 stone pillar marker (Cho-ishi) every cho (109m). The pillar symbolises Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Sky. Surrounding Koya town is a Sanzai route (3 Sacred Mountains - Mt Mani, Yoryu, Tenjiku, 8.7km) and also Nyonin-do (Women's route, 6.9km), which was used by women pilgrims, who were not officially allowed in Koya before 1873. Walking thorugh the mountains gives us a glimpse of the belief of Sanchu takai ("entering the other world through the mountains"). (photo: Jison-in at the beginning of the Cho-ishi route (No. 180), which also celebrates Kukai's mother who was unable to visit Koya herself).

At the end of Koya town is Okuno-in, a graveyard in a dense ceder forest, leading up to Gobyo, where Kukai is worshiped. Koya is a spiritual place, where the human spirituality is found in nature, and the nature sharpens the human sensibility. Today Koyasan has its own forest "Kojino-mori" to ensure the supply of timber materials for the future restoration of wooden structures that may be requried in 300-400 year's time. There are also plantation of koya-maki (umbrella pine, cciadoptys verticillata), whose brahcnes are the main offering in Koyasan.

Koyasan http://www.shukubo.jp/eng/index.html