About Koyasan, the Religious Town

About Koyasan

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The religious city of Koyasan was founded by Kobo Daishi (Kukai).
Since it was founded as a place for Buddhist training and ascetic practices some 1200 years ago, this sacred site of religious faith has built up its own unique history and culture.
Just a few hours from Japan’s famous old capitals of Kyoto and Nara, Koyasan offers an entire mountaintop of distilled, mystical enchantment.

Registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, and then granted three stars in the Michelin Green Guide Japan in 2009, Koyasan is becoming increasingly popular with visitors from all over the world.
Why not add on an extra day to your visit to Japan, and enjoy this old, yet new, holy site of Japan?

*Who was Kobo Daishi?: Kobo Daishi, born in Japan in the year 774, was the priest who founded Koyasan, the religious city on the mountaintop.
His intelligence was noted from his earliest years, and at age 31 he journeyed to China. On his return he was able to bring new teachings to Japan, and, after using what he had learned in China for social projects, he founded Koyasan in 816 as a place of study for Zen training and to pray for divine protection of the state.

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