Himeji: Kokoen Garden
The Kokoen, located a short walk from the castle, consists of 9 formal gardens, some of them very beautiful.
Category: Japanese Culture
Himeji Castle
The city of Himeji boasts Japan’s most impressive-looking surviving castle. A castle was first built on the site in 1333 but was largely destroyed in the subsequent civil wars. The… Read more »
Osaka: Doutonbori
Doutonbori Street is Osaka’s primary entertainment district. It comes to life at night: bright, noisy and crowded.
Koya-san Central Temples
An interesting cluster of temples is located near the center of Koya-san, where Kobodaishi first established his monastery.
Koya-san Corporate Monuments
We leave the cemetery by the “corporate monuments path,” along which major corporations have built monuments for the spiritual benefit of their workers (and also possibly for the advertising value.)
Koya-san: The Tale of the Poor Girl’s Lantern
Many years ago, in a time when the land was wracked by famine, a baby girl was abandoned by her desperate parents. An elderly couple found the child and decided… Read more »
Koya-san: The Okunoin
At the heart of the cemetery lies the Okunoin, a temple or mausoleum built over the cave where Kobodaishi, the founder of Shingon Buddhism, has spent the last 1,100 years… Read more »
Koya-san: The Okunoin Cemetery
On the eastern side of the plateau there is a gigantic cemetery, centuries old, where monuments for half a million people sit beneath towering 700-year-old trees.
Koya-san Accomodations
There are no hotels in Koya-san itself, but there are about 50 temples that will accommodate overnight guests for a reasonable fee. The Shojoshinin is one of the few that… Read more »
Koya-san
Koya-san is an alpine basin located in the mountains south of Osaka. It is the headquarters of the Shingon sect of esoteric Buddhism. It was first settled in the year… Read more »