I have visited Mount Koya in the past but
this was my first time to stay at one of Mount Koya's temples. A
large group of us arrived early in the morning at Namba Nankai train
station in Osaka and picked up our Mount Koya "free service" pass
which would allow us to get a special price on return train fare, free
bus fare, and discounted entrance tickets to some of the major
temples. At Namba Nankai station we also picked up "The World Heritage Koyasan"
free guide which provides a nice introduction and a basic map of the
temples around Mount Koya (you can also pick up another English map a
the Mount Koya cable car station). From Namba Nankai train station we
took the Express train on the Mount Koya Rail Line, and it took us
about 100 minutes to get to the Mount Koya cable car station. There is
also a Limited Express train which is a bit faster (90 minutes) but
all seats are reserved and it is more expensive. [Top]
Once we arrived at the base of Mount Koya, the train made its way
slowly up part of the mountain. This ride was very pretty
with the train weaving in and out of the surrounding forest, and from
the train you could see glimpses of the tiny villages and mountain streams
below. We got off the train at the last stop - Gokurakubashi train
station - and then we transferred to the cable car which took us up
the final stretch to the bus station at the top of the mountain. The
cable car ride was a bit exhilarating - a very steep 5 minute climb
but from the cable car you could also enjoy a nice view of the
countryside below. Once we arrived at the bus station we went to the Information Centre and picked up an English
map of Mount Koya and then located the temple where we planned to stay
that night - Shojoshin-in. There was a mad dash by the other visitors
to the bus which was waiting at the station and it filled up fast.
However, we quickly discovered the buses leave fairly regularly so
we waited until the next one and boarded a practically empty bus and
had a comfortable ride to the main temple area. [Top]
From the bus station it takes about 5 minutes before you start to
see the first temples of many, many temples. Shojoshin-in was located at the
other end of the temple area, and it took us about 20 minutes to reach Ichinohashi-guchi bus stop which is in front of both Shojoshin-in and
the entrance to Okunoin - the famous cemetery on the mountain.
Shojoshin-in is a very large temple and one of the oldest on Mount
Koya. Indeed, it was built 3 years before Kongobuji Temple which is
one of Mount Koya's main temples. The architecture is exquisite,
and the whole atmosphere is makes you feel you have entered a very
special place. We checked in to the
temple and the monks took our luggage and stored it for us. We then spent the rest of the day exploring the countless
temples and soaking up the fine autumn weather. Upon returning to the
temple we picked up our luggage and one of the monks escorted us to
our room. Since there was a large group of us, we were given three
adjoining rooms separated by Japanese "fusuma" or sliding paper doors.
The trees, animals, mountains, people pictured on the fusuma were
terrific and the
Japanese "tokonoma" was also tastefully done. In fact, everything
complemented each other
and made you feel you were staying in an ancient and holy place. From
our three rooms we looked out on to a gorgeous Japanese garden, and
after we unpacked we just relaxed in our rooms and gazed out on to the
garden. [Top]
At dinner time, one of the monks
guided us to our dining area which was an exquisitely decorated tatami
mat room. Each of us had our own little table and the tables were lined up
next to each other and we sat in two rows facing each other on
opposite sides of the room. The
vegetarian meals were already set out before us and the presentation
was wonderful. The monk who served us explained some of the temples
prepare meals on the temple grounds but in the case of Shojoshin-in
the meals are prepared nearby and brought to the temple. The monks, he
explained, are far too busy with their religious duties to devote
their entire time to taking care of the guests. This was one of the
frustrating things about offering accommodation at a temple, he said -
the monks
really want to offer the best service they can but they are also
restricted by their religious duties. While we communicated in Japanese to the monk, he could
also speak some English which put the non-Japanese speaking people in
the group at ease. The vegetarian dinner at Shojoshin-in was very
good. Even though there is no meat or fish, the meal was certainly
filling. I had trouble figuring out what most of the dishes were but
it did not really matter. It was all very tasty. [Top]
After dinner while everyone else relaxed and talked in the dining
area, I slipped out and took my bath. Bathing hours are restricted
from 4:00 until 9:00 at Shojoshin-in. While most people at the temple bathed before going to
bed, I took an early bath to beat the evening rush. The rooms at
Shojoshin-in do not have any private baths or toilets - all washroom facilities are shared.
This added to the sense
of communal living which exits among the monks at the temple. The men's bath was a
beautiful wooden bath, and I could stretch right out and relax with my
head resting on the edge of the bath. I could smell and
feel the wood while I rested my head on the edge of the bed and I
almost fell asleep! After my bath I put on my Japanese "yukata" (cotton robe) and
"tanzen" (cotton coat) to stay nice and warm, and I made my way back to
my room. The temple was eerily quiet at night and I enjoyed walking
along the numerous temple hallways in my yukata and tanzen. It was October 23 and the temperature dropped
to 3 degrees Celsius that night which made the cozy, warm tanzen come in very handy!
At night the monks set out candle lanterns along the wooden corridor
beside the Japanese garden. Walking along the corridor on a cold
October night and sweeping by the candles in my yukata and tanzen
made me feel I was really experiencing Buddhist temple life, something I
had never come close to doing in my life. [Top]
Shojoshin-in is located beside the entrance to
Okunoin which is an enormous cemetery of over 200,000 gravestones in
a cedar forest. Many of the cedar trees are huge and seeing the graves
among the cedar trees is truly a unique sight. After dinner and an
evening bath, I highly
recommend an evening stroll through the graveyard. The "sando" (entrance path) is about 2
kilometers long and it is lit by stone lanterns
and overhead lights. It is light enough to see but just dark enough
not to lessen the effect of the gravestones and the towering cedar
trees on either side of you.
Being close to Halloween, I was very nervous about walking along the
path at night by myself so I took my niece for protection! Surprisingly, it was
not Halloween-spooky at all. Actually, it was incredibly peaceful
and relaxing and we enjoyed ourselves immensely. We both later commented it
was one of the highlights of the trip. There was nobody
around and I felt a complete inner calm and tranquility, almost like
being in a large beautiful church you know so very well or a special
place you like to go to be alone and at peace with yourself. We left
the temple quite late and we had to hurry a bit as we walked but we
were never spooked or felt unease at all. The walk
along the "sando" at night after a bath is highly recommended for any
guest at Shojoshin-in. [Top]
Probably the only thing better than the evening walk at Okunoin was the
early morning service at Shojoshin-in. We woke up at 6:00am and after
splashing cold water my face, brushing my teeth, and having a cold
water shave all of us made our way to the prayer temple. The prayer
area was full with the other guests and five monks. We lined ourselves up
beside each other on the tatami mats behind the monks (for those
who did not like to kneel on the mats there was a row of seats against
the back wall). The prayer room was beautifully decorated and when the
monks began to chant I drifted off into a kind of hypnotic state
and soaked up the rhythmic state of the chants. The choral chanting
performed by the monks was wonderful, and although I did not
understand what was being said I thoroughly enjoyed it. After the service
(which lasted about 30 minutes) we were taken to the treasure rooms and shown some of Shojoshin-in's priceless valuables.
Only
Japanese was spoken during the service and the tour of the treasure
rooms but the sights and sounds of that morning needed no
translation. Although I have almost no knowledge of Buddhism, that
did not in any detract from this very holy experience. If you decide to stay at a temple, please attend the
morning service - it is truly a once-in-a-lifetime event and not to be missed. After the morning service we returned to our dining
area and had our vegetarian breakfast. Again, it was a very delicious
meal and a perfect way to finish our stay at Shojoshin-in. [Top]
If you decide to stay at a temple, there are a few things to keep
in mind. A temple does not offer the personal service of a ryokan and
there is less flexibility. At a temple your stay is more regimented
and you must follow a certain "to do" list in a particular order:
- check in to the temple
- have dinner in the dining area at a specific time (not in your
room like a ryokan)
- take a bath (bathing hours are limited)
- wake up very early to attend the morning service
- "freshen up" (wash your face, brush your teeth, etc. - the baths
are closed)
- attend the morning service
- have breakfast in the dining area
- check out of the temple
The temple rooms are not as modern as many ryokan guest rooms.
While they are tastefully decorated, the rooms are not as insulated as
most rooms in the ryokans. For example, during the colder months the
rooms can become very cold at night. The heaters in the rooms are
modern kerosene heaters and they warmed up the room quickly (tip: after you
push the button you have to wait for a little before the heat turns
on). The futons were nice and thick but at night my head was cold
after we turned off the heaters. I recommend turning the heaters on
again in the middle of the night for a short time to warm up the room
again. The kerosene gives off a bit of an odor so I would not leave
them on all night. [Top]
Whether you are living in Japan or visiting Japan
for the first time, you must try an overnight stay at a temple on
Mount Koya. Although
it may be a bit of a journey to get to Mount Koya, it is well worth
the effort and you will come away with a very special feeling toward
this holy mountain together with some wonderful memories. [Top]
Photos of Mount Koya
Stay Overnight at a Buddhist Temple on Mount
Koya
Other Useful Ryokan Information
If you have never stayed at a ryokan, then Planning
Your Stay at a Japanese Ryokan will help you better plan
your stay.
Our Ryokan Styles page
will tell you about the various types of ryokans available
If it is your first time staying at a ryokan, you may want to
read our page on Ryokan Customs
Here is some more detailed information about Staying
at a Ryokan including ryokan cuisine
For more information about dining on Japanese "kaiseki," please
see Japanese "Kaiseki" (traditional,
multi-course dinner)
In A Ryokan Experience,
a guest describes his stay at a ryokan on Miyajima Island
Read Interviews with
Three Kyoto Ryokan Owners and their experiences hosting foreign
guests
A step-by-step explanation of how
to put on a Japanese "yukata" (robe)
Here is a description about the dos and don'ts of Japanese
Bathing Etiquette, and here is how to use a Japanese-style
toilet
How big is a tatami mat room? Go to this Tatami
Mat Conversion Table and find out.
Read David Paget's article "Japanese
Buddhist Temple Overnight" about
his experiences staying overnight at Buddhist Temples on Mt
Koya in Wakayama Prefecture.
Guests' Comments about
their ryokan stays
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