A Buddhist retreat
Koya-san, high in the mountains near Osaka, is a famous Buddhist town and retreat. Getting there required taking a subway to a train to another train to a cable car to a bus to the temple where we would be staying overnight.
Statues of Buddha greeted visitors on the entrance, and shoes were prohibited inside the temple. The accommodations were traditional Japanese-style ryokan, meaning the beds were futons on tatami mats on the floor, and there was a low table to kneel at for tea. It sounds quite spare, maybe, but it’s very beautiful and pretty comfortable, too.
At the temple, the monks served traditional vegetarian fare, which was eaten sitting on tatami mats as well. The meals were actually really elaborate, with various soups, tofu dishes, rice and vegetables. There wasn’t much to do in the evening. It was pretty cold so we were all sitting around wearing layers of all the clothing we brought with us, trying to keep entertained by reading amusing sections of a Japanese phrasebook, until someone pointed out that the rooms have heaters. Oh, bliss! Warm and cozy on the futon, I slept like a baby.
Another bloody… temple
In Europe, there were ABCs. In Japan, there are ABTs. Every five feet in Koyasan, there was another shrine or temple. They are all elaborate and beautiful, though they do start to blend together after a while. One of the shrines had a series of about 30 paintings set up to tell a story of a warrior and his son; another had an explanation of the different beads and good luck charms, and so on, and so forth. Interspersed between the shrines were lots of souvenir stores, all selling the same tacky souvenirs. I bought a set of chopsticks, but not much else looked interesting.
The Blair Witch Project
One of the highlight attractions of Koyasan is the cemetery. It is large and has statues and all kinds of interesting things to look at. It’s also a bit creepy, and moreover, it goes on forever. Walking, walking and more walking, until you wonder if there’s an end in sight and turn around and walk back. I can’t help but wonder how many other backpackers there are caught in the cemetery who never made it out.
The beautiful mountain air
Despite the clouds and the fog, Koyasan is absolutely beautiful. There’s none of the pollution of the cities; it’s just peaceful, serene, with a mist hanging over the mountains that’s easier to describe than it is to photograph. No wonder the Buddhists like it so much.
Up next: Kyoto.