Kōyasan #1  –  March 22, 2025 

  • Location:  Totsukawa > Kōyasan > Kasihara City 
  • Weather:  55-65° / sunny with winds 2-10 mph 

Kōyasan is the monastic headquarters for Shingon Buddhism founded 1,200 years ago by Kobo Daishi. Kobo Daishi is also attached to Shikoku 88 Buddhist Temple Pilgrimage I did in 2019. 

Temple.
Temple.
Kobo Daishi image carving.
This pilgrim is recognized by his white kimono with black writing on the back. He has completed the pilgrimage twice. After walking Shikoku 88 Buddhist Temple Pilgrimage is good to visit Kōyasan where Kobo Daishi is buried.

Koyasan’s Konpon Daitō – Thursday, April 18, 2019

  • Thursday, April 18, 2019 Day 36 Temples: Koyasan
  • Koyasan (53 miles from Ōsaka), Japan
  • Weather: 55-65 degrees blue skies
  • Miles 108 miles (bus, walk, car) / Total Miles 794

Konpon Daitō, the 174 foot tall pagoda, is the symbol of Koyasan.

  1. Konpon Daitō
  2. Konpon Daitō, Namiyo and Saburo T.
  3. Bell at Konpon Daitō’s

Koyasan’s Okunion – Thursday, April 18, 2019

  • Thursday, April 18, 2019 Day 36
  • Temples: Koyasan
  • Koyasan (53 miles from Ōsaka), Japan
  • Weather: 55-65 degrees blue skies
  • Miles 108 miles (bus, walk, car) / Total Miles 794

Okunion is a most sacred place and the largest graveyard in Japan with over 200,000 graves. Included is mausoleum of Kōbō Daishi. It is said he is here in eternal meditation.

  1. Saburo explains this tomb is a famous ancient samurai
  2. Ancient Tomb
  3. Contemporary tomb of a comedian

Lobsters – Thursday, April 18, 2019

  • Thursday, April 18, 2019 Day 36
  • Temples: Koyasan
  • Koyasan (53 miles from Ōsaka), Japan
  • Weather: 55-65 degrees blue skies
  • Miles 108 miles (bus, walk, car) / Total Miles 794

My last onsen. I kept stepping out of the hotel’s bath only to return. Capture the moment as this will be an often recalled memory. It feels like your body is encased in hot liquid wax. The hot water encapsulate you. When this becomes too hot, lower yourself into an ice cold bath. You sense your skin being cold but the internal residual heat keeps you hot at the same time. Soon the body is numbed by the icy cold bath and you still sense the residual heat keeping you hot. It’s ecstasy.

Do lobsters feel this euphoric before they are cooked alive?

  1. Koyasan
  2. Koyasan
  3. Koyasan