Top Things to do in Koya-cho
Top Restaurants in Koya-cho
Countries
Top 10 Things to do in Koya-cho, Kinki
Discover the best top things to do in Koya-cho, Japan including Koyasan Okunoin, Kongobu-ji Temple, Koyasan Danjo Garan, Mt. Koya, Koyasan Choishimichi, Koyasan Reihokan Museum, Torodo Temple, Koyasan Daimon, Koyasan Daishi Kyokai, Koyasan Station.
Restaurants in Koya-cho
1. Koyasan Okunoin
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,261 reviews
Reviewed By ggm96822 - Honolulu, United States
A place to let your soul re-awaken. Having last stayed in a monastery here 19 years ago, before it was added to the World Heritage list, I was apprehensive about returning, having heard of busloads of noisy tourists overunning everything, but it defies defilement; one of the world's truly sacred spaces. Early morning and dusk are the best time to visit, early there are monks chanting, at dusk as the shadows fall the 200,000 tombs of the cedar forest begin to stir quietly.
2. Kongobu-ji Temple
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 504 reviews
Reviewed By AB_Stb_OZ - Oud-Zuilen, The Netherlands
Kongobu-ji temple is the center of the Shogun Buddhist community. There are many temples and subtemples and there is an interesting (huge) Zen Garden. Staff is highly accomodating to visitors.
3. Koyasan Danjo Garan
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 374 reviews
Reviewed By ggm96822 - Honolulu, United States
This is the spot where Kobo Daishi found the vajra he had hurled to determine where to build a monastery, 1200 years ago. Around twenty beautiful temples and pagodas, including the bright vermillion "great pagoda," Konpon Daito, rebuilt in the 1930s and kept freshly painted. Early in the morning, there are monks chanting in the Kondo (the main pavilion) and the 'no entry' apparently only applies to tour groups, a monk nodded me in without any objection.
4. Mt. Koya
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 818 reviews
Wooden temples hidden among the trees, mist-covered mountains, smooth-headed monks in colorful robes--all the Buddhist film archetypes are alive on Mt. Koya. A deeply sacred place, central to the Shingon sect of Buddhism, Mt. Koya is also a World Heritage Site due to its more than 1000-year-old teaching and meditation sites.
Reviewed By epicure49
We stayed with the young monks at Yochi-In and absolutely loved walking around this stunning mountain-top enclave of Buddhist temples. This is surely what all we tourists expected and wanted of Japan. Peace and quiet in a remote wooded area... beautiful shrines and temples with an other-worldly quality so far removed from the hubbub of your normal lives. I took too many photos to show here but have included just a few... A very definite MUST VISIT place.
5. Koyasan Choishimichi
6. Koyasan Reihokan Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 161 reviews
Koyasan Reihokan Museum holds numerous treasures of Koyasan: a total of over 28,000 objects designated either as National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties, and over 50,000 of non-designated issues. These treasures are displayed over 4 exhibitions in the course of one year.
Reviewed By ggm96822 - Honolulu, United States
Koyasan recently celebrated it 1200th anniversary, and some of the treasures in this museum are that old, loaned from some of the 100 monasteries on this mountain. The museum is small and so displays at any time only about 100 carefully selected artworks of the 28,000 objects it stores that are designated national treasures or important cultural properties (out of some 50,000 holdings) with rotating exhibitions. Built out of wood, and opened in 1921, the museum's entrance hall is styled after Byodoin Temple in Uji. The scroll depicting the "Reclining Sakyamuni Buddha on His Last Day" and the two enormous tankhas (one a replica) are particularly impressive, as is the gold and silver calligraphy of sutras on indigo blue paper. Photography prohibited.
7. Torodo Temple
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 41 reviews
Reviewed By AB_Stb_OZ - Oud-Zuilen, The Netherlands
This temple is just in front of the mausoleum of Kobe Daishi Kukai ( the founder of Shogun Buddhism in Japan. It is a place of peace and inspiration, particularly during the morning chanting of the monks at 5am.
8. Koyasan Daimon
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 246 reviews
Reviewed By kaioatey - Half Moon Bay, United States
Symbolic entrance to the city, with two large protector deities enshrined on the sides. The site is at the edge of the mountain so you have a nice view of the misty hills. Very windy. I was very tempted to go on the trail that winds up the hill (see photo), I wonder where it goes.
9. Koyasan Daishi Kyokai
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 90 reviews
Reviewed By jajavalB - Lampang, Thailand
I went to this attraction ,named as multicross-cultural center for visitor to Koyasan ,just opposite Koya tourism center. I bought the combo tickets,including highlighted place admission fee and "Jukai" ceremony by Japanese monk at this center. I had to register at the recepiton counter and they asked for my name for the service calling in the ritual,this sacred ritual took 40 minutes for getting the 10 good deeds for buddhists ,finally I got the certificate as proof of ritual completion. there is also souvenir shop and small exhibition there. The place for "Jukai" ceremony is solemnly sacred,I felt calm and peaceful while sitting in the ceremony .
10. Koyasan Station
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 183 reviews
Reviewed By ACT1943 - Mumbai, India
From Nara we had to take two trains and a cable car to reach Koyasan at a height. The Japanese value time in its true sense, theirs and ours. We hardly ever waited for trains, ever there, even the cable car! Most admirable culture, hospitality and values! If all countries were such we would be living in Paradise!
