奥の院 – Okuno-in

The ride up to Mount Koya is even more scenic than the one to Takayama – or at least just as impressive.  As you go deeper into the forest and further up the mountain, the cedar trees and misty rain make it feel like you’re being transported in time to another age where there are no phones, or trains, or electricity.

Getting up the mountain can be a bit time-consuming but it is relatively easy from Osaka’s Namba Station on the Nankai Railway.  It’s even possible to buy a combined ticket that includes discount coupons on admission to a number of Mount Koya’s attractions.  From Gokurakubashi Station it was just a quick ride up by cable car.  Everyone uses the bus to get around; on some roads, such as the one from the cable car station to the first stop on the bus line, pedestrians are forbidden.

I started my tour of Mount Koya with the Okuno-in, a temple known for having the largest graveyard in Japan, enveloped in a great cedar forest.  Okuno-in is the site for the mausoleum for Kukai, founder of Shingon Buddhism and one of the most revered individuals in Japanese history.  It is believed that Kukai rests in eternal meditation here as he awaits Miroku Nyorai, providing relief to those who seek salvation in the meantime.  As a result, Okuno-in is one of the most sacred places in Japan and a popular pilgrimage spot to this day.

I decided to make my approach the traditional way, via the Ichinohashi bridge, which used to mark the entrance to Okuno-in in the past.  Today, there is another (shorter) route, but it takes you through the more modern sections of the graveyard.

The stone-laid path leading to the temple grounds, combined with the over 200,000 stone graves and green cedar trees lining the approach, makes you feel so peaceful while walking through.  Sound doesn’t carry very far, and the path to the temple leads you deep into the forest, away from streets and cars.  It made me understand why people still make pilgrimages here.

On my way to Okuno-in, I couldn’t help but notice some of the more striking epitaphs… such as the one dedicated to the members of the Panasonic Corporation.

Many big names of Japanese history are housed here, and I made it my mission to try and find all the warlords from the Sengoku Period that I could.  I caught Oda Nobunaga, Takeda Shingen and his son Takeda Katsuyori, Uesugi Kenshin, Date Masamune, and even Akechi Mitsuhide.  I couldn’t help but feel more than a little tickled at how much more in donations Akechi Mitsuhide had received than Oda Nobunaga… the warlord would not be pleased I imagine.

After about 2 kilometers, I arrived at the Offering Hall, beside which stands a row of Jizo statues, a popular Bodhisattva known for looking after children, travelers, and the souls of the deceased.  Here, visitors can make offerings and throw water onto the statues to pray for departed family members.

Past the Jizo statues, there is another bridge, known as Gobyonohashi, which separates the innermost grounds of the Okuno-in from the rest of the temple complex.  In the deepest and most sacred part of these temple grounds, photography, food, and drink is forbidden.  The first point of interest in this area would be the Miroku Stone, which you can try to lift.  If it’s heavy, you have a sinful spirit.  If you have a pure spirit, it should weigh nothing.  I was able to lift the rock, but alas, it had a heavy, sinful weight to it.

The main attraction however is the lantern hall and the mausoleum to Kukai itself, which has a solemn but impressive air.  The hundreds, thousands of lanterns donated in memory of those who have died by their families appear to almost float from the ceiling and walls in the dimness.  Behind the hall is the mausoleum, where Kukai is believed to rest in eternal meditation.

On your way back, I recommend being adventurous and trying a different route as there are multiple paths leading to and from the Okuno-in.  You never know what you might find on your way.  In my case, I found a pleasant small temple crowned with beautiful autumn-colored trees.

I would, however, like to end with an important note:  Although I highly recommend the Okuno-in and its graveyard and forest, please be respectful.  This is still a cemetery first and foremost, not a tourist attraction.  Families still visit and pay respects to their loved ones here, and may be upset by tourists treading over them and callously snapping photos everywhere.  Try to stick to the stone path, and keep your voice down to a “movie-theater” level.

Vital Information:

• Open: Offering Hall 8:30 to 16:30; Lantern Hall6:00 to 17:30

• No Closing Days

• Free Admission

• Semi-English Friendly

• Take the bus to the Okunoin-guchi stop.