Okunoin – The Path to the Mausoleum of Kōbō Daishi
An evening walk with monk Nobo through the Okunoin cemetery in Kōyasan: towering cedars, stone lanterns, Jizō statues, ancient legends, and the path to Kōbō Daishi’s mausoleum.
On this page: Kōyasan — Parents: Asien › Japan — Photography, Technology & Science at the Tenckhoff Photo Archive.
Kōyasan is also a vibrant, spiritual place. Around 120 temples make up the monastic plateau; many offer shukubō—simple but hospitable overnight accommodations for laypeople—including morning meditation and vegetarian shōjin ryōri. The place is considered a gateway between this world and the next, a kind of metaphysical transition point where believers can experience the unity of body, mind, and universe.
Kōyasan is also the final destination of the 88-Temple Pilgrimage on Shikoku, which is also closely connected to Kūkai.
Every year, thousands of people make pilgrimages here in white robes—robes that are pure and unmarked at the beginning of their journey.
After the long pilgrimage, during which the believers collect symbols and stamps at each of the 88 monasteries, these robes are colorfully marked with the traces of the spiritual journey.
At the end is Kōyasan: the goal and the completion, the place where the pilgrim meets the spirit Kūkai.
