5 Exciting Things To Do in Mount Koya, Japan. Mount Koya or Koyasan is an area located in Wakayama Prefecture, about 50 kilometers south of Osaka City, Japan. This mountainous region at an altitude of 850 meters above sea level was discovered by a monk named Kobo Daishi (Kukai) in 819 AD, when he traveled south along Osaka and Nara towards the Kii Peninsula. Kukai realized that the area around the summit of Mount Koya was surrounded by 8 mountain peaks that formed lotus petals, which were believed to be symbols of purity. Mount Koya is also where a vajra that Kukai threw from China to his native land landed. That is why then Mount Koya was made the center of teaching and propagation of Shingon Buddhism, a form of Buddhist Tantrayana typical of the Land of Sakura. For hundreds of years, many people came and studied Buddhism in this place to then spread it throughout Japan. The Koyasan region was later recognized as Japan's UNESCO world heritage site since 2004, as a historic sacred site and pilgrimage route on the Kii Peninsula. In total there are 117 temples with 52 of them being shukubo (lodging places), in an area of 6 kilometers by 2 kilometers on Mount Koya. There are various exciting spiritual tourism activities that can be done on Mount Koya. These are 5 of them: 1. Visit the legendary Kongobuji Temple Kobo Daishi (Kukai) built a temple complex and a building used as a place of education for Buddhist monks. Kukai himself made various wooden buildings on the top of the mountain as a sacred place. There are more than 100 temple buildings built in the area of Mount Koya. One of the most famous is Kongobuji Temple which is the main Shingon Temple located in the middle of the Mount Koya tourist area. This is a temple that was made into a museum. Many sacred and artistic relics from the Kukai era can be enjoyed its beauty here. 2. Try staying at the temple What makes Mount Koya famous in the eyes of tourists, especially foreign tourists is not just the temple complex on this mountain alone. Here, visitors can feel the experience of staying in the temple which is also an inn called Shukubo. Visitors can experience everyday rituals led by Buddhist priests. There are about 50 temples in the Mount Koya area that provide this service to both pilgrims and regular visitors. Visitors who want to try to stay at this temple are advised to book first via online. If you don't have time, just come to the Tourist Information Center in Koyasan which will direct you to get a room at Shukubo. The cost of an overnight stay is around 8,000-15,000 yen, and some include dinner and breakfast. We are also free to go around the room in temples, parks, libraries or reading rooms, and also hot springs in certain temples. Lodging facilities in this temple are almost equivalent to a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn). The room is furnished with tatami mats, fusuma push doors, and futon beds. Heating is also available during late fall and winter. 3. Dinner with a monastic menu Visitors should have arrived and entered the temple inn around 16:00. Besides being related to ethical issues in the temple area, visitors usually have to prepare for dinner around 18:00. There is a typical monastic vegetarian (shojin ryori) menu that is served every night and morning. Some menus that might be tried include konnyaku (devils tongue jelly), yuba (tofu skin), and koyadofu (dry tofu). Some other specialties of Koyasan include tempura soba and oyako katsu don. In the morning visitors can also join the morning worship service together at 6, which is then connected with breakfast together at 7. 4. Around the Mount Koya area Mount Koya always has a charming natural scenery that can be enjoyed on the way from the station to the inn or temple on the slopes. Even though it is summer, the temperature in this region is quite cold, so it is better to bring thick clothes. To get around the Koyasan area, there are public buses that are quite easy to access. If it's strong, walking is the easiest way to get around various attractions in Koyasan, because the distance is not too far. When thirsty, there is a minimarket in which sells a variety of drinks, including canned sake. It is noteworthy, although Buddhist Pancasila forbids drinking intoxicating drinks, Kukai allows monks to drink sake in moderation, to warm the body. 5.. Visit the largest burial complex in Japan The largest cemetery in Japan is in Koyasan. Okunoin's name, contains more than 200,000 headstones, the majority of which are Buddhist monks or priests. The burial area is in a forest filled with giant trees aged for thousands of years. At the end of the journey to explore the tomb of more than 2 kilometers, there is a mausoleum, or tomb as well as the Kobo Daishi or Kukai museum. This is a sacred place which is the heart of Koyasan. But here visitors are prohibited from taking pictures or photographing. Simply save beautiful images seen in memory alone.