Mount Koya, also known as Koya-san, is a World Heritage Site, because it’s the world headquarters of a particular sect of Japanese Buddhism. Many pilgrims spend years meditating in this mountainous area, and after spending time there, I felt the natural attraction.

The famous Okunoin Cemetery is Japan’s largest cemetery, home to 200,000 tombstones lining the 2km approach to the Kobo Daishi’s mausoleum. Kobo Daishi is the founder of the Buddhist sect, and is respected as one of the most religious people in Japan. All this history made the place feel peaceful and spiritual. The casual walk through the cemetery felt relaxing and somber. Tall trees and mossy grounds blended well with ancient tombstones.

There were also many famous temples in the area, but by this time, I had visited enough temples and shrines. Although their architecture was beautiful, there are just so many temples you can visit before needing a break to appreciate them again.

I spent the evening in a 800 year old temple that was converted into a hotel, with an onsen (hot springs), pebble garden, historical artifacts and simple but elegant rooms. Upon entering my chambers, I immediately noticed just a small table, a television – which really felt out of place – and no bed. You eat inside the room, and not in a common room with other guests, and the staff brought a larger table for dinner, then later removed it and prepared a comfy bed.

Dinner was the most tasty vegetarian meal I’ve ever had. It was many dishes, and even the plain white rice didn’t need seasoning. The things these monks can do without meat is close to magic!

After dinner I joined a class to learn about Buddhist writing. I don’t recall the exact scripture presented, but the students were to trace some Chinese characters with quill pens. I thought the class would include instructions to learn the proper writing technique, since there’s an order and structure to drawing each character. Instead, the “instructor” gave us a sheet of paper, told us to trace it, and then left the room. I figured he would return to further explain things and perhaps answer questions, but he didn’t.

At first I slowly and carefully traced each character, admiring their complexity, but after 30 minutes, I grew frustrated; I really wanted to learn more about what I was tracing and the class wasn’t cheap. After explaining this to management the next day, they apologized and offered a full refund. So friendly 🙂