Lanterns on Koyasan
Hanging lanterns @ Danjo Garan
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Posts tagged koyasan 高野山
Koyasan tip
Kongōbu-ji (金剛峯寺) on Koyasan
Japan’s temples and shrines, to me, are far more special alone. New Year’s Day crowds can be interesting too, but visiting a temple or shrine with loads of tourists isn’t usually my thing.
Here is a tip if you are on Koyasan. Some temples, like Kongobuji, close at 5. Dinner at most of the lodgings is at 5:30 or 6. Most people head back to their lodgings before 4 to relax before dinner. You are better off relaxing during the middle of the day when the places are crowded and experiencing the temples between 4 and 5 (or early in the morning) when they are empty.
Such was the case when I walked up through this gate to Kongobuji after 4 p.m. (passing many tourists scurrying back to their temple lodgings). I was the only one there!
Koyasan prayer banners
These paper slips hanging from the train station (either Gokurakubashi or Koyasan, I don’t remember which) ceiling on Koyasan contained a variety of thanks and wishes. The person who hung the one on the left wanted to lose 3 more kilos while the person to the right was merely thankful and grateful for their Koyasan experiences.
The Great Stupa
Daito (大塔) The Great Stupa @ Koyasan’s Danjo Garan
A break in the rain on Koyasan
Okunoin temple forest cemetery
Much of my first day on Koyasan was spent in the rain. That was OK as it only added to the rich atmosphere of the place. There were brief periods where a bit of sun and blue broke through though.