Koyasan

After a brisk seven k walk to the. Station at Nagiso we boarded the first of six trains, followed by two buses to reach the Holy town of Koyasan. Because of a landslide blocking the tracks the first bus laboured up the mountain road,often single lane, through forests of conifer higher and higher until We reached the Holy mountain.


On the rush to the station we passed many rushing streams - it is a very wet area - no water restrictions here!


A personal memorial along the road.


The stream has a paved bed!


Here 1200 year ago Kobo Daishi founded a monastic centre  and ever since has been a place of holy pilgrimage and is now a place of culture and historic assets.  
Our room in the monastery (one of 52 offering accomodation) is quite palatial with a seperate room for sleeping and an "armchair"!!
After a vegetarian meal served by a young monk we left for a walk (3k) tour of the cemetery accompanied by a monk. Here are over 200 thousand memorials and finally the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi where he remains intact inside his tomb. The cemetery also is surrounded by a number of ancient trees which tower over the grave stones - Buddha and Shinto share this holy place interacting to take care of the universe.


Our bedroom


Our living room

Boy- did we sleep well last night!

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