Okunoin Temple | Touring round Japan

It’s situated on the northeast facet of Koyasan Okunoin Shrine is a shrine with the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi (also called Kukai). Kobo Daishi was a well-known monk, scholar, engineer and founding father of Shingon Buddhism who lived from 774-835 AD. Legend has it that he nonetheless rests in a mausoleum in a state of everlasting meditation.

From Koyasan Station, take a bus that can drop you off at Okunoin-mae Bus Cease. It’s a couple of kilometer from the cease.

For individuals who wish to stroll all the size of the paved street to Okunoin, get off on the Ichi-no-hashi-guchi bus cease.

The temple's sprawling grounds are dwelling to Japan's largest cemetery, with greater than 200,000 graves, together with a few of the most well-known figures in Japanese historical past. All these souls yearn to get nearer to Kobo Daishi, the founding father of Shingon Buddhism, and hope to search out the way in which to salvation.

The 2-kilometer paved walkway resulting in Okunoin is lined with outdated moss-covered cedars, dotted with the graves of struggle useless, trendy businessmen, royalty, monks, feudal lords and different well-known historic figures, in addition to unknown tombstones. Every memorial situated right here represents an individual's needs and retains their legacy alive.

The Torodo Corridor – often called the Corridor of Lanterns – is situated in entrance of the Kobo Daishi Mausoleum and is the middle of worship. The glittering religious sanctuary is called after the greater than 20,000 lanterns (together with the adjoining Lantern Memorial Corridor) which might be completely illuminated all through the temple.

Entry to the mausoleum is prohibited in order to not disturb Kobo Daishi, who’s believed to be in a steady state of meditation. As a substitute, monks, pilgrims and most of the people worship exterior the mausoleum.

The Ichi-no-hashi Bridge marks the official entrance to the temple grounds and is a gateway between two worlds, the sacred world and the mundane. Guests are anticipated to bow to indicate respect to Kobo Daishi earlier than crossing the bridge and coming into the sacred grounds of Okunoin. Subsequent, you cross the Gobyo-no-hashi Bridge and enter the innermost a part of the temple. From this level on, consuming, ingesting and pictures are prohibited.

You’ll be able to discover the realm in a number of hours. Within the night, you possibly can get pleasure from a really quiet and mysterious environment on this sacred space of ​​Japan.