Located in the Wakayama Mountains, south of Oasaka, Mount Koya, or Koyasan, is the nerve center of Shingon Buddhism, one of the most important Buddhist schools in the country. It is located in a valley surrounded by the eight peaks of the mountain of the same name, next to the town of Koya, in a place believed to be planted with lotuses. The name Koyasan derives from Kongobuji, the name of the most important temple in the area, which means "Temple of the Diamond Mountain."Over time, Koyasan has become one of the most popular pilgrimage tourist destinations in the country, attracting more and more visitors every day, both Japanese and foreign. The landscapes, the temples, the spirituality, and, above all, the experience of sleeping in a Buddhist temple while visiting the area, have a special charm. In short, Mount Koya is a haven of peace in nature.There's a lot to see on Mount Koya, because in addition to the main temples, there are more than a hundred temples scattered along the complex's main streets. It's worth wandering almost aimlessly through the entire central area to fully enjoy the experience.

Declared a National Treasure and built during the Edo period, Kongobuji Temple is more than just a retreat center; its main purpose is to serve as the headquarters of the Shingon Buddhist religious group. The site was chosen by the monk Kukai upon his return from China as a teaching place.The temple building was built in 1593 as Seigan-ji Temple by Toyotomi Hideyoshi after the death of his mother. It was later rebuilt in 1861 and given its current name in 1869. Many of the temple's rooms contain many sliding doors made of paper screens (fusuma) decorated by the painter Kanō Tanyū (1602-1764) and members of the Kanō school of Kyoto. Among these, the first, the main room with its paintings of cranes, stands out, and nearby the Plum and Willow rooms, named after the designs on their doors. The temple has many schools and a Buddhist university nearby. The temple's current Banryūtei rock garden, completed in 1984 to commemorate the 1150th anniversary of Kūkai's ascension to eternal meditation, is the largest in Japan (2,340 m²), featuring 140 granite stones brought from Shikoku (Kūkai's birthplace) and arranged to suggest a pair of dragons emerging from the clouds to protect the temple, and white sand brought from Kyoto. The temple also features a luxurious audience hall called the Jodannoma, with walls of sliding doors gilded and the ceiling decorated with carved flowers.The temple's natural garden, created in the Edo period, contains many of the mountain's native species. Among the flowers, the Japanese andromeda and the rhododendrons that grow around the pond stand out, while among the trees, the six trees of Koyasan are represented: Japanese cedar, hinoki cypress, Japanese red pine, hemlock, fir trees and koyamaki or Japanese umbrella pine.

One of the first complexes built by Kobo Daishi in Koyasan. Spacious, quiet, relaxing, full of temples, with a magnificent pagoda and a unique atmosphere.The complex has about twenty temples and buildings, including the Konpon Daito, the single-level "great pagoda," rebuilt in the late 1930s and painted entirely vermillion. This is a symbolic construction located in the center of a lotus-shaped mandala formed by the eight mountains surrounding Koyasan. Amidst legends and cults, Konpan Daito houses Dainichi Nyorai, the cosmic Buddha, surrounded by four other Buddhas who assist him. Kondo, the main pavilion that hosts the most important religious ceremonies, was built in 819 and rebuilt more recently in the 1930s. When the pavilion is open, you can glimpse a statue of Yakushi Nyorai, the healing Buddha.Among other wonders is Miedo, the "portrait temple," once reserved for Kobo Daishi's meditation. Hidden inside is a portrait of the founding monk along with ten other works by his disciples. It is generally always closed, but every March 21st during the Kyusho Mieku festival, Kukai can be contemplated and admired.

It is the largest cemetery in Japan, with more than 200,000 tombstones of all sizes, shapes, and ages, spread along the two-kilometer cobblestone path that winds through the forest. The moss-covered tombstones blend with the trees, creating a sacred atmosphere, full of peace and mystery.In 819, the monk Kukai (called Kobo Daishi after his death) chose Mount Koya as the headquarters of Shingon Buddhism (one of the main schools of Japanese Buddhism, with the largest number of followers, and the most important among the tantric schools outside of India and Tibet). Legend has it that Kukai never died, but attained Nirvana and remains silent, meditating eternally on Mount Koya. At one end of the cemetery, Kobo Daishi remains in his mausoleum (Kobo Daishi Gobyo) in meditation, concentrating on the liberation of all beings. Over the centuries, great personalities have sought to be laid to rest beside him, because placing their funeral urn under his protection is like being guaranteed that they will one day be reborn in paradise. This has led to the cemetery's increasing popularity, and with a certain limit on concessions, burial prices have skyrocketed. Some graves belong to former feudal lords such as Ieyasu Tokugawa and Hidetada Tokugawa, the first and second lords (respectively) of the shogunate, but many politicians and other prominent figures in industry are also buried there. Everyone wants to be laid to rest beside Kukai.