Trace the endless footsteps of time at the scenic and sacred Koyasan

Choishi-michi—Koyasan’s main pilgrimage route—stretches from the town of Kudoyama to the Konpon Daito pagoda in the Danjo Garan Sacred Temple Complex. Along the path, you’ll find 180 different stone pillars to guide you deeper into the holy site. Each is placed 109 meters from the previous one—the name “choishi” is a reference to this—And each pillar is carved with Sanskrit characters and a marker displaying the distance from the Danjo Garan.

A trail of roughly 22 kilometers will take you from Jison-in Temple in Kudoyama to the Konpon Daito pagoda. With so much natural beauty along the way, this spot comes highly recommended as a place to enjoy a leisurely hike.
Along the route, you’ll find plenty of photogenic spots to visit, including three sacred rocks (Kagami-ishi, Kesakake-ishi, and Oshiage-ishi), a lush bamboo forest, and an observatory that overlooks the scenic Kinokawa Plain. The area has seen countless visitors since the trail first opened, making for a perfect destination for you to create a few memories of your own.

Visitors to Choishi-michi will find a number of famous temples with deep-rooted ties to the Great Priest Kukai.
Of particular note is Jison-in Temple, the temple considered the starting point of the pilgrimage route where the priest’s mother, Tamayori Gozen, is said to have once lived before her passing. Kukai is said to have made this the final resting place for his mother’s spirit, earning it the nickname nyonin koya (“Koyasan for women”) and the attention of many women who come to pray.

Niutsuhime-jinja Shrine is said to enshrine Niutsuhime-no-Okami, revered as the younger sister of Amaterasu-Omikami and said to be the goddess who bestowed Kukai with the grounds of Koyasan. Also enshrined here is Takanomiko-no-Okami, the child of Niutsuhime said to have led Kukai to Koyasan. Built some 1,700 years ago, this shrine is the head of all Niu Shrine locations in Japan. In the past, the double torii gate in the middle of Choishi-michi was the original entrance as people would make their way to Koyasan after worshipping at Niutsuhime-jinja Shrine.　

Pass the main gate that serves as the entrance into Koyasan, and you’ll find the first of two sacred sites, the Danjo Garan. Inside stands the Kondo (“Golden Hall”)—the central hall on the mountain—as well as the 48.5 meter-high Konpon Daito pagoda that represents the philosophy of Koyasan Shingon Esoteric Buddhism, and nineteen other various halls nearby. It’s said that the Great Priest Kukai created a space here that expressed a realm of mandala ideology based on esoteric thought.

Progress further past the Danjo Garan, and you’ll find yourself at Kongobu-ji Head Temple, the head temple of Koyasan Shingon Buddhism, with its many halls. Inside its main hall sits the Ohiroma Room, a vast tatami-floored space which features a fusuma painting by the Kano school. In addition, you won’t want to miss Banryutei, the largest rock garden in Japan, built to commemorate 1,150 years since the Great Priest Kukai entered eternal meditation.

Along with the Danjo Garan, Okuno-in is considered one of the two most sacred areas in Koyasan. Kukai is said to have first come to enter eternal meditation here in the year 835, and it also serves as the site of his mausoleum. Here you’ll find a long stretch from the first bridge to the final mausoleum that’s dotted with over 200,000 stone memorials, as well as thousand-year-old cedar trees that hug this mystic walk.

It is said that at the mausoleum, Kukai remains in an eternal state of meditation from which he continues to help all people who pray to him for guidance and support. In front of the mausoleum, you’ll find a temple bridge in front of the holiest site. It is customary to pay your respects and say a prayer before you step across.

Many visitors like to commemorate their trip to Koyasan with a stay at temple lodgings, known as shukubo. Of the 117 temples on the mountain, 51 of them have shukubo accommodations available for your stay. A singular experience unlike any hotel, staying at the temple will give you exclusive access to see the ceremonies, partake in meals, and get a taste of temple life up close.

Come for a stay, and you’ll experience such activities as early morning services in front of the principal image, and“Ajikan”, a style of breathing and meditation based in the Koyasan Shingon Buddhist training. You’ll alsostill your heart and mind by copying sutras, giving you a chance to brush up against the real traditions and deep culture of Koyasan.
Another special highlight of a shukubo stay is a chance to enjoy shojin ryori, or traditional Buddhist cuisine—a full tapestry of delicate dishes prepared without using any meat or fish.

Please do note that this is primarily a temple experience, not a hotel. You will be expected to be polite, and to follow the customs as best you can. With that in mind, this is a special chance to step away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, feel the old-world heartbeat of Japan and steal yourself away in a holy Buddhist site.
Quiet your mind and discover your true self in a much-needed reset from the stress of the modern age.