Koya-san (高野山) - Origin of Esoteric Buddism(密教) in Japan
The trip to Koya-san (高野山) started as as early as 7am in the morning. It was a 5hr bus ride to Mount Koya passing by Matsusaka, Iga, Nara etc. It was a great ride as we were greeted by great scenery along the way. Left: Sunrise Right: Mountains full of autumn colours. A brief on Koya-san. Founded in the 8th century (Tang Dynasty) by Kukai (空海) or Kobo-Dashi (弘法大師) to spread the Esoteric school (密教) of Buddism after he spent 2 years in China's Qinglong Monastery (青龍寺) and gained the knowledge. Located in a 800m high valley and surrounded by 8 peaks, it was said that when viewed from the top, it resembled a lotus in full bloom. Thus from Koyasan, Shingon sect buddhism of Esoteric school spreaded throughout Japan. In its peak years, Koyasan had over 1,500 shrines and temples in an area of approx 6km length and 3km wide. Currently, Koyasan has over hundreds of shrine and more than 500,000 graves spreading over 2km and includes the graves of famous fedual lords as well founders of corp...