JP · Wakayama Prefecture · 34.21°N 135.59°E

koyasan

Sleep in a temple, eat monk food and walk Okunoin's lantern-lit forest cemetery.

Best time
Spring and autumn are lovely, with autumn colours from late October to early November. It's noticeably cooler than Osaka all year, and winter brings snow.
How long
2 days, 1 night
Getting there
Fly from KL to Kansai Airport, about 6.5 hours. From Namba in Osaka, take the Nankai Koya Line to Gokurakubashi, then a cable car and bus up the mountain. Allow about 2 hours.
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JP · Wakayama Prefecturekoyasan34.21°N 135.59°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Sleep in a temple, eat monk food and walk Okunoin's lantern-lit forest cemetery.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingKoyasanJP, Wakayama Prefecture
KLkoyasan
≈ 4,922 km from KL, as the crow flies
Danjōgaran in Mount Kōya, Wakayama prefecture, Japan.

Photo: 663highland · CC BY 2.5

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

A mountaintop temple town in Wakayama, south of Osaka, and the centre of Shingon Buddhism for about 1,200 years. More than 100 temples sit on the plateau, and dozens of them take in overnight guests, with vegetarian monk food and morning prayers.

Makan

  1. Shojin ryoriBuddhist vegetarian cooking served at the temple lodgings, with no meat, fish, onion or garlic.Map ↗
  2. Goma-dofuSilky sesame 'tofu', Koyasan's signature dish.Map ↗
  3. Koya-dofuFreeze-dried tofu said to have been first made here, simmered in a light broth.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. OkunoinA forest cemetery of over 200,000 graves under huge cedars, leading to Kobo Daishi's mausoleum. Walk it at dusk or join a night tour.Map ↗
  2. Kongobu-jiThe head temple of Shingon Buddhism, with painted sliding doors and a large rock garden.Map ↗
  3. Danjo GaranThe sacred complex at the heart of town, with the bright-red Konpon Daito pagoda.Map ↗
  4. A temple staySleep in a shukubo, eat shojin ryori and join the monks' morning prayers.Map ↗
  5. DaimonThe huge old gate at the western entrance to town, best at sunset.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Book temple lodging ahead, especially in autumn. Dinner is early, and most temples have an evening curfew.
  • Photos aren't allowed past the bridge leading to Kobo Daishi's mausoleum at Okunoin.
  • Bring layers. Nights on the mountain are cold even in spring and autumn.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.