koyasan Archives - Joey is a Traveler

Mount Koya (Koyasan) is a remote temple town of 2,812 residents (2021) in the Wakayama prefecture. It has an altitude of 800 meters (2,624 ft) above sea level.

Back in 805 AD, the monk Kobo Daishi (Kukai) (774-835 AD) brought Shingon Buddhism, a sect that was influenced by the Chinese, to Japan. Kobo Daishi built the first temple in 826 AD in Mount Koya, and soon after it became the centre of Shingon Buddhism and Japan’s most sacred town. As a result, Kobo Daishi was one of the most significant religious characters in Japan.

Mount Koya is one of the three sacred sites of the Kii Mountain Range, and it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2004. Many pilgrims and tourists have visited Mount Koya for enlightenment and spirituality over time, and most have stayed in Buddhist temple lodging facilities (shukubo). Today, there are more than 100 temples in town, and about half of them offer authentic temple accommodations.

Want to learn more about Buddhism in Japan? Then booking accommodation at Fukuchiin Temple (657 Koyasan, Koya, Ito District, Wakayama 648-0211) is a great idea! From stunning artwork and antiques, relaxing onsen facilities, to Buddhist workshops and morning prayer sessions, there’s plenty of cool things to experience!

Staying at Fukuchiin Temple

A Short History of Fukuchiin Temple

Fukuchiin Temple is right in the heart of Mount Koya, and was founded by Kakuin Ajari in the 12th century. The main reason for opening the temple was to worship Aizen Myo-o, a Buddhist deity who has the power to make all wishes and desires come true.

Rooms and Amenities

Fukuchiin Temple offers 60 Japanese-style rooms on three floors for up to 250 guests. All rooms have tatami floors, futon bed(s), free Wi-Fi, air conditioning/heating, seating area, a yukata (Japanese-style bathrobe), and towel.

Some also have a TV and private Western-style toilet, and a nice garden view.

A simple, but bright room with light brown tatami flooring, AC/heater on the left, and a black short-legged table in the middle. There are some documents on the table, a red tea pot on the floor, and a green pillow to sit in front of the table. White, thin curtains cover the large windows, and there's a large closet with two sliding doors on the right hand side. — My room at Fukuchiin Temple. During the day, the futon bed is hidden in the closet. 😉

Apart from rooms, it’s possible to rent meeting rooms and conference rooms at Fukuchiin Temple as well.

Artwork, Antiques, and Onsen Facilities

As you wander around the temple hallways, take some time to admire the antiques from the Nara period (710-784 AD), calligraphy writings, and wall paintings. My favourite artwork is the colourful tiger painting! There are a few cozy sitting areas as well.

A colourful painting with a tiger standing on a cliff on the left side and white dragon on the right side. Both are separated by gorge filled with white/blue water. It also has bamboo stalks on the left side, and a mostly orange background. Two black dog-like statues sit on the left and right (in front of the painting canvas) and a black table in the middle.

An open sitting area with a table and two wooden chairs. A flower bouquet is sitting in the middle of the table. The wooden floor is dark brown, and there a black dresser on the left with lots of antiques on it. For example, a large red clock, and a glass closet on the right hand side.

A painting of dragons in many colours (grey, copper, gold, and beige) on a black background.

A black and white painting of two tigers next to each other on the left side, and ocean waves on the right side. There are clouds in the sky as well. In front of the painting, there's a large Samurai statue, two weapons, a Samurai helmet, and a black box with a small statue on top (left to right).

Fukuchiin Temple is proud to offer the only natural hot springs in Mount Koya. You can relax in their open air rock bath, indoor bath, family bath, or sauna. All are separated for men and women, but tattoos are not allowed. You can find more details on their onsen facilities here.

A small open air bath surrounded by large brown rocks and some bamboo plants. There's a silver handrail, so it's easier for guests to enter the bath. — Open air rock bath. Photo credit: Fukuchiin Temple.

Sutra Copying Workshop and Morning Prayer Session

For an even more authentic experience, overnight guests at Fukuchiin Temple are encouraged to join several Buddhist workshops and sessions.

For example, you can participate in a Sutra Copying workshop in the evening. After cleansing their hands with incense powder, every guest kneels down in front of a table. Then a monk gives you a paper with Japanese characters on it, and you’ll copy them with a very thin ink brush.

Besides, everyone needs to write down a wish on their paper. This meditation technique started in the Heian period (794-1185 AD), and you get a Buddhist bead bracelet, too! Guests are not allowed to drink alcohol before the workshop, as this takes a lot of focus.

Sutra Copying Workshop (photo credit: Fukuchiin Temple) and the bead bracelet I got!

Every morning at 6 am, guests are welcome to join the Morning Prayer session with the monks who live and work at the temple. It was very moving to listen to them chanting songs, and all the Buddhist treasures inside the room were super impressive! In the end, both the monks and visitors said a prayer and bowed afterwards. What an amazing experience!

A Buddhist monk is sitting in front of a small fire. He wears black and gold clothing and is surrounded by Buddhist treasure (for example, a bouquet of flowers or leaves (?) out of metal). Two large lamps are standing between the monk. There's candle light and incense as well. — Photo credit: Fukuchiin Temple.

Shojin ryoki cuisine at Fukuchiin Temple

As a Buddhist monk, it’s common to eat shojin ryori (monk’s diet) vegetarian meals. So at Fukuchiin Temple, you can book this kind of breakfast and/or dinner in advance, for an extra cost.

Guests sit in several traditional Japanese-style dining rooms, and wall separators are put up between groups for privacy. The kitchen uses local specialties, such as koya-dofu (frozen-dried tofu) and Kinzanji wasabi, and fresh seasonal vegetables, with miso soup, rice, and green tea.

The dishes at Fukuchiin Temple are made from scratch and change every month. Unfortunately, the kitchen is unable to accommodate food allergies or dietary needs.

A nice selection of shojin ryori dishes: Rice, plums, green tea, miso soup, porridge, and tofu dishes. — Breakfast meal at Fukuchiin Temple.

Temple Garden Areas

Fukuchiin Temple has three beautiful gardens: The Rock Garden (“Lotus Garden”), Aizen Garden, and Tosen Garden, and the last one has a pond as well. All of these were designed by the Japanese landscape architect Mirei Shigemori (1896-1975).

The gardens are famous for their powerful stonework and moss plants, and guests are welcome to walk around and relax here during their stay.

A large garden area with plenty of vertical rocks standing on the ground, and several green trees on the left and right side. In the middle, there's a pathway filled with little rocks that leads to a Buddhist worship building.

Coffee Corner, Gift Shop, and Directions to Fukuchiin Temple

Only a few steps from the breakfast rooms, you can drink a cup of coffee or tea in the cozy Coffee Corner room! There are some books and magazines, too. What a perfect spot to sit and relax, especially during the colder months!

Fukuchiin Temple has a small gift shop as well, which is open during limited hours of the day.

After arriving at Koyasan Station by cable car, it’s pretty easy to get to Fukuchiin Temple. Just hop on a local bus going to “Okunoin” or “Daimon”, and exit at the 4th stop, “Koya Keisatsu-mae”. The temple is on the right side, about 30 meters back from the direction of the bus.

My Opinion on Staying at Fukuchiin Temple

As you can probably tell by now, staying at Fukuchiin Temple is quite a special experience!

When you first enter the temple, you need to leave your shoes in the reception area, and put on slippers. Next, the English-speaking receptionists are happy to guide you about your stay. Please note that there’s a curfew at 9 pm, so be sure to be back at the temple by then.

A long hallway with brown wooden flooring, and several white/dark brown sliding doors on the left. On the right, there's a dark brown closet with many shoe/slipper compartments. — The temple hallway near the reception area.

Before Mount Koya, I was in Kyoto, and staying at Fukuchiin Temple was a great way to recover from the big city! It was quiet and calm, just as you’d imagine a Buddhist temple to be. So it’s perfect to relax, meditate, cleanse your body, and see what the simple life of a Buddhist monk is like!

My room was very clean and spacious, and I was grateful for the heater, lol! The Sutra Copying workshop and Morning Prayer session were perfect to learn about Buddhism in Japan and about a monk’s daily lifestyle inside the temple. The food at breakfast was delicious as well! 😛

So even though the nightly rate is quite high (¥ 15,000 to ¥ 30,000 per person, depending on the season), I highly recommend trying this kind of accommodation at least once in a lifetime!

Fukuchiin Temple is open year-round. Staying here is very popular, so it’s best to book this accommodation weeks or even months before your trip to Japan starts.

A large Buddhist temple with a dark brown sliding door on the bottom right, the rest of the building is white with many small windows (except for some grey on the roof). There are trees on the left and right of the picture (in front of the building), and a thinner tree and flower arrangements in the middle. A raked small rock pathway leads up to the building. — Fukuchiin Temple from the outside.

Mount Koya Okunoin Cemetery

The next morning, I wandered around Mount Koya’s town centre for a bit. After a while, I crossed Ichinohashi Bridge over the Odogawa river, which is the entrance to Okunoin Cemetery (132 Koyasan, Koya-cho, Ito-gun, Wakayama, 648-0211). It’s inside an ancient cedar forest grove, and with more than 200,000 tombstones, is Japan’s largest cemetery.

Some important historical figures are buried here. Examples are the Tokugawa family (who ruled Japan during the Edo period) and the Toyotomi family (who ruled the country before the Edo period). You’ll also find many Jizo statues (the Buddhist deity that protects children and travelers) along the 2 kilometer (1.24 mile) long walkway.

Several tombstones with a Buddhist figure (monk?) sitting on a stone chair in the middle of the picture. Trees are standing calmly in the background.

A cobblestoned forest pathway with stone lanterns and trees on the right and left side.

Tombstones with grey torii stone gates in the background. Many of these are covered with moss. There's a stone lantern in front of them as well.

Tombstones on the left and right side with flower bouquets in front of them.

At the end of the pathway is Mount Koya’s biggest attraction: Okunoin Temple, that is home to Kobo Daishi’s mausoleum. Thanks to his high significance in Japanese religion, this is one of Japan’s most sacred places and a popular spot for pilgrims.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to go all the way, but I felt so calm during my walk around Okunoin Cemetery! In my opinion, all the graves surrounded by the old cedar trees contribute to the serene and mystical (even almost magical) atmosphere of this place. It’s also perfect for some shirin-yoku (forest bathing)!

Okunoin Cemetery is open during the day and nighttime, and you can book a guided night walk at 7 pm each day (in English), that takes about 1.5 hours.

Other Things to Do in Mount Koya

Here are few more things to do in Mount Koya, that sadly, I couldn’t do this time:

Kongobuji is the most important temple of Shingon Buddhism in Japan. It was built in 1593 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and you can visit its rooms, that have cranes and flower blossoms on the walls. Admission to enter Kongobuji Temple is ¥ 1,000.
Behind Kongobuji is Banryutei Rock Garden, Japan’s biggest rock garden, which has been around since 1984. It has more than 100 large granite stones.
The Daimon Gate is the gateway to Mount Koya. It’s a multistoried tower gate at 25.1 meters (82.3 ft) high and was rebuilt in 1705, after the original gate was destroyed by fire and lightning.

A garden of large rocks in front of a dark brown and white temple building. — The Banryutei Rock Garden. Photo by **Hu Chen** on **Unsplash.**

Mount Koya also has some great hiking trails for all abilities. For example, the Kohechi Trail from Mount Koya to the Kumano Hongu Taisha Grand Shrine is a part of the famous Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage route. It’s a rugged and steep hike though, and is about 70 km (43 miles) long!

If you don’t feel super adventurous, Mount Koya also has some nice souvenir shops in the downtown area! 😀

Where to Eat & Drink in Mount Koya

If you’re not eating dinner at Fukuchiin Temple, Hanabishi Restaurant (769 Koyasan, Ito Gun Koya Cho, Wakayama, 648-0211) is a great choice! They offer Kaiseki cuisine (traditional Japanese multicourse dinner), sushi and bento box dishes, and shojin ryori (vegetarian).

I had the Sanko Zen Buddhist Vegetarian Meal, that consists of fried eggplant covered in bean paste, sesame tofu, cooked veggies, enokidake mushrooms, and more! While the price was a bit high (¥ 2,640), it was more than worth it, especially the eggplant was super tasty!

Please note that many restaurants in Mount Koya close by 5 or 6 pm. Besides, I was surprised to not see any konbini (convenience stores), but you can find some vending machines around town. 😉

How to Get To and Around Mount Koya on Public Transit

The closest big city is Osaka, which is about 2 hours north of Mount Koya. The most direct train option is to hop on the Nankai Limited Express in Shin-Imamiya Station to Gokurakubashi Station. Then transfer to the Nankai Koyasan Cable Car train to Koyasan Station, and local buses are ready to take you around town from there!

If you’re in Koyasan for two consecutive days, it makes sense to buy the Koyasan World Heritage Ticket. It includes roundtrip transportation from Namba or Shin-Imamiya Station to Mount Koya, unlimited local bus travel, and discounted admission to certain tourist attractions. The rate starts at ¥ 3,080 per person.

The closest airport to Mount Koya is Osaka Kansai International Airport.

If you’d like to read more about Japan, check out these posts:

How to Spend Four Days in Tokyo, Japan

One Day in Takayama, Japan

Is Nagoya Castle Worth Visiting? (Guest Post for The Directionally Challenged Traveler)

How to Spend 48 Hours in Kyoto, Japan

Disclosure: I only recommend products that I’ve used in the past, and all opinions expressed in this post are my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you use one of the links throughout the page to buy something, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks.

Tag: koyasan

FUKUCHIIN TEMPLE STAY IN MOUNT KOYA, JAPAN