Koya-san: Wakayama Road Trip Part I

At 3:30am Saturday March 19th, Maria, Angie, Chelsea, and I set off from Tottori. After dropping Chelsea off in Osaka, Angie, Maria, and I continued southeast into Wakayama prefecture to visit Koya-san. This remote mountain village is home to Japan’s largest cemetery, and serves as the spiritual head of Esoteric Buddhism. There is a long pilgrimage to it, where people walk to various temples and shrines throughout the prefecture, but for practical reasons taking the car seemed to be the better idea.

As we drove further into the mountains, the roads became narrower and more treacherous. Soon we were winding through the mountains with little more than a cars-width worth of pavement beneath us. Personally I had fun driving around these thrilling mountain roads through heavily forested areas. The road to Hana pales in comparison, but it is the closest equivalent I can think of within the US. The size of the road undulated constantly, creating small sections just wide enough for two vehicles to graze past each other in between the completely blind corners.



Before arriving in town, we saw a small wooden sign for a short hike to a waterfall. We wedged the car onto the side of the road and ventured up. Along the way we saw a dead fox, who had merely passed away in it’s sleep on the stairwell. It was odd to see something die of old age in nature, and Maria and Angie had fun photographing the somewhat morbid scene. The waterfall at the end of the trail was majestic, and it’s remote location reminded me of the cheezy martial arts training montages where people meditate under the falling water.

Photo credit Maria Chaverri

After winding more roads we arrived in Koya-san. We dropped our stuff at one of the most architecturally interesting hostels I have been to. Comprised of a single hallway with a vaulted ceiling. The hostel had capsule like compartments along the walls. It had a very fun vibe and the white paint was a good aesthetic. After settling in, we walked into town.

The misty, cloudy air of Koya-san complimented the grand nature of the Okunoin Cemetery, seated right in the middle of an ancient cedar forest. Pictures can not accurately convey the grandeur of this place. I was completely taken aback by the sprawling ancient forest of trees and equally ancient graves. Dilapidated graves covered in moss sat next to pristine, newly constructed monuments. In between them all were even more tiny gravestones. Some graves were so old and weathered that they had complete collapsed. This un-ordered, eclectic collection of monuments inundated the forest, only broken up by the walkway and the massive tree trunks.

Shortly after entering the cemetery we met Takakatsu Matsumura, a doctor in Osaka who spend his weekends volunteering for the cemetery as a guide. He explained many things about the cemetery to us as we walked through, greatly enriching the experience.

The pagoda-styled, five stone monuments are Buddhist graves. These are the most common grave style since the cemetery is also home to the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi, the founder of Esoteric Buddhism. Each stone represents a different element: earth, water, fire, wind, and sky(space). The 6th element, not physically represented, is consciousness, which pervades through all living beings. I also learned the large wooden sticks in graves represent the 1st, 3rd, 7th, and 13th anniversary of death.

In many sections of the cemetery, as well as other holy places I have visited in Japan, I have seen many small stacks of stones. I learned from Matsumura this stone stacking is actually people making small 'poor people' pagodas, since only wealthy persons and royalty could afford to build the actual massive buildings.

Other things of note within the cemetery are three bridges, which represent passageways between sacred realms. The sections closer to the mausoleum and temple are considered more sacred than the further areas, so the price and exclusivity of grave sites varies accordingly. There is also a Sweaty Buddha statue, which is said to take on the stresses and worries of worshipers, and literally sweat for you (it's probably collecting condensation in reality). There is also a well, where if you look in and do not see your reflection, you are to die within 3 years, so better start thinking about that grave plot soon!

We also passed the founder of Kabuki theater's grave. There is some fanfare around visiting graves, much like seeing a guitar of a dead rock star. People like to come and see the memorials for famous people. Along the same line, some of the more interesting features of the graveyard are the corporate sponsored monuments. The first one is Konosuke Matsushita, Panasonic’s founder and the "God of Business" in Japan (one heck of a nickname). Yet his is not alone. In the newer section of the graveyard there are many company sites, many of which thematically display their company’s brand. The highlights were ACC, a coffee company which has gigantic stone coffee cups filled with ‘coffee’, and a tacky rocketship right at the new section entrance. Also saw people decorating graves for Ohogan, which was to happen that Monday. The Japanese equivalent to Day of the Dead. They adorn the graves with flowers and say prayers for the deceased. Many other graves were adorned with pine branches, since flowers are traditionally uncommon in the mountainous area, and the pine lasts for a long time.

Afterwards we went into town, which featured the grand Kongobuji temple full of fantastic sliding door art and the Banryutei, the biggest rock garden in Japan. The art chronicled both legends of the area, history, and natural beauty. Unfortunately pictures were not allowed. Thankfully the internet can provide.

In another complex stood more Shinto and Buddhist buildings, one hosting 5 gigantic Buddhas in a very unique art style, again no photos here either. We wandered to a few more of these historic sites, which all featured ornate artwork and unique histories.

That afternoon Angie had to head into Osaka to meet up with some friends for prior engagements. So Maria and I continued our tour through Koya-san by going to participate in Jukai, a mediation ceremony core to Esoteric Buddhism. We entered a temple into a dark room, only slightly illuminated. The monk entered after it was dark and sat down, his silhouette illuminated. During the entire ceremony we never saw his face as he led everyone through a series of chants, followed by a quick sermon. At the end we were handed a certificate of our completion.  This ritual is an important ceremony in the Buddhist tradition, somewhat akin to the Christian sacraments, so completing it is central to being a devout follower of the faith.

After a quick, delicious curry dinner at our hostel we headed back to the entrance of the cemetery for a nighttime guided tour. Led by Nobu-san, a monk, I learned even more about the cemetery. The philosophy behind Shingon Esoteric Buddhism is to look for ‘secrets’, metaphors in nature. Examples include the lotus flower, which grows through muddy waters to bloom, representative of struggling through life for success and staying strong. Another one is consciousness is like the moon, it can become eclipsed by bad thoughts, but is bright when it reflects the sun (Buddhist principles). The latter was represented on the sides of the lanterns within the cemetery, easily visible at night.

Nobu was a great guide. He informed us that there are over 200,000 graves, and anyone of any faith or background can have a grave there. I asked about the state of the graves, and he said they usually leave them, but they might replace them if after 70 years no one has come to maintain the grave within their records. 

He also mentioned the stuff from earlier about the well, but then also mentioned new information about the stairs within the cemetery. Apparently if you trip, you will only have 3 years left to live. At first I saw this as a clever superstition to get people thinking about their mortality in a place where you can buy plots, but then as we reached the steps Nobu quipped “be careful, remember, 3 years” which was hilarious. 

At the top we reached some shrines, a small river, and a bridge. Across the bridge is the most holy place in the cemetery, where no pictures were allowed and the oldest (and richest) graves were placed, at the foot of the Torodo temple and a mausoleum. At this mausoleum it is said Kobo Daishi, the founder of the area and this branch of Buddhism continues to reside in perpetual meditation. In the nearby buildings monks make meals for him every day. Apparently he entered in 835 At 62, and in the 20th century, a monk entered to find him still in meditation, but his hair and beard had grown long. After trimming his hair and beard, the monk left, and no one has entered the mausoleum since.

Before we entered the section ourselves, we needed to cleanse ourselves in the river. Thankfully, not literally. Lining the river were various Buddha statues which you wash with ladles in your steed.

Crossing into the final section, the massive Torodo temple loomed over the grounds. Within this area, a small shrine containing a rock which weighs only as much as your sins sits. Tried to lift, barely got it off the ground. Much like the stairs, this rumor seems to prompt worshipers to think about their lifestyle, and probably devote more time to religious practices.

Torodo temple is massive, covered in all sides by lanterns (hence the name Toro) giving off an otherworldly orange glow. Each of these lanterns contained names, much like the graves in the area. As Nobu explained, Buddhism is mainly focused on death, while Shintoism (japan’s religion) is mainly focused on life. This is why they generally coexist together on the same religious grounds without interfering with each other, and why many people in Japan follow both traditions simultaneously. As we proceeded around the temple, in the back stood the mausoleum. As a group we followed Nobu in a reverent chant to Kobo Daishi and made a wish. 

As we left, in the nearby corner of the temple, maybe 100 feet away was a stone. There is a ritual where you touch the stone, drop 1 yen (a penny) into the donation box in front of the mausoleum 100 times. Doing so and your wish will be granted. This is meant as a metaphor for the work involved in making a wish come true. According to the Buddhist and Shinto philosophies, you can make a wish, but the Buddha and gods will only help you after you have made the effort to make that wish come true under your own volition. This is a teaching I greatly respect.

Generally speaking I have been quite impressed with the principles and logic of Shingon Buddhism. They encourage thoughtfulness and dutifulness. Furthering my respect comes from the history of it's founder, Kobo Daishi was a notable academic, engineer, and artist. Most notably, he created the phonetic alphabet, which is still used to this day in Japan (and has been integral to my meager attempts to learn Japanese).



The next morning we awoke for the 6am meditation back at the Torodo temple. After following the monks as they delivered Kobo Daishi’s breakfast, we joined them inside the temple for a guided meditation session in the grand hall.  

We then set off to our next destination, but on the way out we stopped at the massive ceremonial gate, which serves an important purpose in the pilgrimage to Koya-san. The gate was massive! I was barely able to fit it within frame on my camera.  I'm sure it is an inspiring site for those who have trekked their way to this remote mountain village.



Koya-san left quite an impression on me, and looking back is definitely one of my most treasured memories of Japan.

PS - The local mascot for the city (because in Japan every city has a mascot) is definitely my favorite! Koya-kun is a tiny little monk wearing the traditional pilgrimage hat. He is posted all around the city doing various activities and giving helpful advice!

PPS - If you want to see more photo's of this amazing place, and other cool places in Japan and around Asia, you can check out Maria's blog here: https://mchaverri.wordpress.com/