Hidden in the mountains, Mount Koya has become a top destination for both Japanese and foreign tourists in search of the tranquility in this secluded temple village. I know I have always dreamed of visiting Mount Koya. When I went to Japan the first time with my aunt I was living in Australia, I missed out on Mount Koya because of time restriction. I wanted to go so bad, the misty mountain seemed like a place where real magic lived. But unfortunately it was not meant to be.
Finally, after a three year wait I went back to Japan with my boyfriend and I made sure we went to Mount Koya. And I’m so happy we did. It was one of the most amazing things I have done to date. It’s one of those experience that stay with you for a lifetime, always on the surface of your nostalgia.
Home to more than 100 temples, Mount Koya is known for its Shukubo (temple lodging) where you are invited to experience what it’s like to live a monk’s lifestyle, including attending morning prayer and eating traditional vegetarian monks’ cuisine.
To me it was what I had been searching for since my first trip to Japan; tranquil temples hidden between the village paths and trees, gardens with koi fish and calming designs. Itās like being transported back in time when you reach the templeās doors.
The journey to Mount Koya can be a long one, especially if you’re like me and only plan the journey the night before. Thinking we could train fromĀ Nara to Koyasan directly, we were miserable to find that we had to train back to Osaka, take the Osaka Namba line, transfer to the Nankai Line and then transfer to the Koyasan-Line, then take the tram up the mountain where you then wait for a bus to take you to your temple’s stop. A six hour journey all together. Much longer day dragging around a suitcaseĀ than the 2 hour journey google had told us it would be.
ItĀ was more than worth it though.
When we arrived I was more than happy to find the mountain village was still like the photos I have been fawning over for years, the tranquil atmosphere Ā not ruined by hoards of noisy tourists like most sacred places have become. The eeriness you’d see in pictures was still very much true, especially when you walked the cemetery early after morning prayer while the fog was still heavy between the trees and tombstones.
It was magical and we were lucky to be mostly walking the twenty minute trail by ourselves till you got closer to the temples. If I could haveĀ I would have liked to spend more time on the mountain to fully enjoy what the village had to offer. But I was grateful that we made it to Koyasan with the amount of time we did.
A tip: be prepared for the morning prayer to be longer than you expect. Most prayers go on for about an hour starting at 6:00am.
Mount Koya is so worth the trip. I can’t recommend enough that you spend at least one night in the mountain village. I would have loved to have spent three 2 days on the mountain to really get a feel of the area. It’s all the more reason to go back tho!
Want to know more about Japan? Check out these posts!
5 Things To Do In Osaka
Everything You Need To Know About A Japanese Ryokan
You Need To See These Photos Of KyotoĀ
How To Travel Japan On A BudgetĀ
Have you heard of Mount Koya? If you’re heading to Japan you’ll love this post on travelling Japan cheaply and what you need to know before going!Ā
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8 Comments
myriam
January 21, 2018 at 2:03 pmHi! do you remember what was the name of the temple? cheers!
The Fernweh Wolf
January 23, 2018 at 7:57 amHey! I thinkkkkkk it might have been Shojoshin-in but I’m not a hundred percent š Let me know if you need anything else! Mount Koya was my fav
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August 3, 2015 at 10:54 am[…] and people perfectly. I agree with him fully. This photo was taken in the early morning on Mount Koya in […]
Chalsie
March 23, 2015 at 4:11 pmThis sounds incredible! I’ll have to make this a must on my next trip to Japan
Chalsie | The Workshop Co. x
thefernwehwolf
March 25, 2015 at 10:06 pmYou should! It was one of the most amazing places I’ve been it’s so secluded in the mountains š
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March 23, 2015 at 8:11 am[…] also got a chance to stay on Mount Koya, a Buhhdist town, ( read more about that here) in a traditional ryokan room and it was much the same as the guest house. Big room, mats and […]
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thefernwehwolf
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