Koyasan Okunoin: Japan’s Most Sacred Cemetery & Spiritual Heart of Shingon Buddhism

Introduction

Koyasan (Mount Koya) sits in a mountain basin about 800 meters above sea level in northern Wakayama Prefecture. At its eastern end lies Okunoin, where Kobo Daishi Kukai is believed to remain in eternal meditation. The roughly 2-kilometer approach from Ichinohashi Bridge to the Gobyo (mausoleum) is lined with more than 200,000 tombstones and memorial towers standing among cedar trees.

Okunoin was registered in 2004 as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range.” This article covers its history, the highlights along the approach, nearby sights, and how to get there.

Overview of Koyasan Okunoin

Okunoin is the sacred precinct at the eastern end of Koyasan, centered on the Gobyo of Kobo Daishi Kukai. The roughly 2-kilometer path from Ichinohashi Bridge to the Gobyo, known as the Okunoin Approach, is both a cemetery and a pilgrimage route.

*Please check the official Koyasan website for the latest visiting information.

Along the approach, the graves and memorial towers of warlords such as Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Takeda Shingen, Uesugi Kenshin and Date Masamune stand side by side, regardless of which side they fought on.

The Gobyo at the far end is where Kobo Daishi Kukai entered eternal meditation (nyujo) in 835 (Jowa 2). In Shingon Esoteric Buddhism, Kukai did not die but entered eternal meditation and still prays for the salvation of all beings. This belief in nyujo is the core of faith at Okunoin.

History of Koyasan Okunoin

1. Kobo Daishi Kukai and the Founding of Koyasan (816)

Kukai (774-835) was born in Sanuki Province (present-day Kagawa Prefecture). In 804 he traveled to Tang China with a diplomatic mission and received the teachings of Esoteric Buddhism from Master Huiguo at Qinglong Temple in Chang’an. After returning to Japan, he searched for a place to practice them.

In 816 (Konin 7), Emperor Saga granted Kukai the land of Koyasan, where he founded a Shingon training center. He is said to have likened the basin, ringed by eight peaks, to an eight-petaled lotus. A legend also tells that a three-pronged vajra (sankosho) he threw when leaving China was later found caught in a pine tree on Mount Koya.

Building on the mountain was slowed by the difficulty of hauling materials and by harsh winters, but halls such as the Kondo (Main Hall) and the Daito (Great Pagoda) were gradually completed.

2. Kukai’s Entering of Eternal Meditation and the Birth of Okunoin Faith (835)

On March 21, 835 (Jowa 2), Kukai entered eternal meditation on Koyasan. Nyujo means entering a permanent state of deep meditation; Kukai is believed to continue meditating until the future Buddha Maitreya descends to this world, working all the while for the salvation of all beings.

This belief lives on in “Shojinku,” the meal offering carried to the Gobyo twice a day, at 6:00 AM and 10:30 AM. The ritual of serving food to Kukai is said to have continued since his nyujo.

After Kukai’s nyujo, his disciples built hermitages around Okunoin to continue practicing near their master. The wish to “rest beside Kukai” gradually spread, and aristocrats, warriors and monks began building graves and memorial towers here. This was the beginning of today’s tombstones.

3. The Medieval Period—Warrior Faith and Koyasan’s Growth

From the late Heian through the Kamakura period, Koyasan received devout patronage from the imperial family and powerful nobles such as the Fujiwara clan. Retired Emperor Shirakawa also made pilgrimages here, and memorial towers for imperial family members and nobles were built along the Okunoin approach during this time.

In the Sengoku (Warring States) period, Okunoin drew the faith of military commanders. Rivals such as Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin, or Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, now lie along the same approach.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi had close ties to Koyasan. In 1585 (Tensho 13), during his campaign against Kishu, he demanded Koyasan’s surrender, but negotiations spared the mountain from being burned. Hideyoshi later built Seigan-ji Temple (the predecessor of present-day Kongobu-ji) to pray for his late mother.

4. The Early Modern Period—The Rise of Commoner Pilgrimages and the Meiji-Era Ordeal

In the Edo period, Koyasan enjoyed stability under the protection of the shogunate. In 1643 (Kan’ei 20), the third shogun Iemitsu built the Tokugawa Family Mausoleum (an Important Cultural Property), enshrining Ieyasu and Hidetada.

From the mid-Edo period onward, “Koya-mode” (pilgrimages to Koyasan) spread among commoners, and the temple lodgings (shukubo) were busy with pilgrims.

The 1868 edict separating Shinto and Buddhism and the anti-Buddhist movement that followed hit temples across Japan, and Koyasan also lost temple lands. Even so, the Gobyo and the tombstones along the Okunoin approach were preserved, and the faith has been handed down to the present day.

5. The Modern Era—World Heritage Registration and Becoming an International Sacred Site

In 1925, the Nankai Railway’s Koya Line was extended to Koyashimo Station, and in 1930 a cable car opened from Gokurakubashi Station, making day trips from Osaka possible.

In July 2004, Koyasan was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range,” together with Kumano Sanzan and Yoshino-Omine, and visitors from abroad have increased.

On Okunoin night tours, organized by temple lodgings and others, you can walk the approach after dark with a monk as your guide. In 2015, a Grand Ceremony marking the 1200th anniversary of Koyasan’s founding was held.

Highlights & Recommended Spots

1. The Approach from Ichinohashi Bridge to Gobyobashi Bridge—Walking Through a Corridor of History

The formal pilgrimage to Okunoin begins at Ichinohashi Bridge (the First Bridge). It is customary to bow before crossing. For about 2 kilometers from Ichinohashi to Gobyobashi Bridge, tombstones and memorial towers line the feet of giant cedars.

Among the graves you will find both the large burial site of the Toyotomi family and the modest memorial tower of Oda Nobunaga; comparing them as you walk is part of the interest.

The tombstones vary widely, from five-ring towers (gorinto) several meters tall to tiny Jizo statues half-buried in moss, all built across eras and social ranks in the hope of being “near Kobo Daishi.” Early morning, when mist often hangs among the cedars, is an especially quiet time to walk the approach.

2. The Gobyo & Torodo Hall—The Holiest Ground Where Kobo Daishi Kukai Rests

Beyond Gobyobashi Bridge is a sacred area where photography is prohibited. Before crossing, press your palms together and bow; beyond this point, remove your hat and refrain from eating or drinking. The stream flowing under the bridge is the Tamagawa River.

The Torodo (Lantern Hall), just before the Gobyo, is said to have been founded by Shinzen, the second head of Koyasan, and enlarged to nearly its present size by Fujiwara no Michinaga in 1023 (Jian 3). Inside, “eternal flames” keep burning, including the Kishin Lantern donated by the monk Kishin Shonin, the Shirakawa Lantern donated by Retired Emperor Shirakawa, and the “Poor Woman’s Lantern,” said to have been offered by a poor girl named Oteru, who sold her hair to pay for it.

Beneath the Torodo is the Underground Sanctuary (Chika Hojo), where you can pray to Kobo Daishi close to the Gobyo. Its walls are lined with countless small Buddha statues.

3. Touring the Graves of Feudal Warlords—A Sacred Place of Equality Where Enemies Rest Together

Visiting the graves of feudal warlords is one of the most popular things to do on the Okunoin approach.

The graves of Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin, who fought five battles at Kawanakajima, are both on this approach.

You will also find the grave of Date Masamune, the memorial tower of Akechi Mitsuhide set slightly back from the path, and Oda Nobunaga’s memorial tower near Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s grave. If you are interested in the history of the samurai, searching for familiar names can easily fill an afternoon.

4. Mizumuke Jizo—A Serene Place to Pray for the Departed

The Mizumuke Jizo (Water-Offering Jizo), just before Gobyobashi Bridge, is a row of Jizo Bodhisattva statues on the bank of the Tamagawa River. Here visitors offer a “mizutoba” (water memorial tablet) inscribed with the posthumous Buddhist name or secular name of a deceased loved one and pray for their repose. Mizutoba are accepted at the offering station (check the fee on site), and anyone can request one.

More than a dozen moss-covered Jizo statues stand in a row, and in autumn fallen leaves float on the Tamagawa.

Because the Mizumuke Jizo lie on the way to the Gobyo, they are easy to pass by in a hurry. Pausing here to remember the departed before going on to the Gobyo is part of the Okunoin pilgrimage.

5. Corporate Memorial Towers—Modern Expressions of Faith

The approach is also home to many memorial towers erected by modern companies.

The best known is UCC Ueshima Coffee’s coffee-cup-shaped memorial. Others, such as a termite memorial and a rocket-shaped memorial, reflect the businesses that built them.

Some visitors may feel these look out of place in a sacred site. But they were built to mourn employees and other lives connected with the business, sometimes even “things,” and, like the warlords’ graves, they show that the wish to be memorialized “beside Kobo Daishi” is still alive.

Nearby Attractions

1. Danjo Garan—Koyasan’s Other Sacred Precinct

Alongside Okunoin, Koyasan’s other great sacred precinct is the Danjo Garan. About 30 minutes on foot (about 10 minutes by bus) from Okunoin, it is where Kobo Daishi Kukai first began building temple halls, and it is home to the vermilion Konpon Daito (Great Fundamental Pagoda), about 48.5 meters tall.

The Danjo Garan has about 20 halls and pagodas, including the Kondo (Main Hall), the Konpon Daito, the Mie-do (Portrait Hall) and the Fudo-do (a National Treasure). Inside the Konpon Daito is a three-dimensional mandala centered on Dainichi Nyorai of the Womb Realm. If Okunoin is “where Kukai rests,” the Danjo Garan is “where Kukai gave his teachings physical form”; visiting both shows how Koyasan fits together.

The Sanko no Matsu (Three-Pronged Pine), between the Kondo and the Mie-do, is said to be the pine where the vajra Kukai threw from China was found. Like the vajra, its needles grow in threes, and visitors take fallen needles home as good-luck charms.

2. Kongobu-ji Temple—Head Temple of Shingon Buddhism

Kongobu-ji Temple, about 15 minutes by bus from Okunoin, is the head temple of Koyasan Shingon Buddhism. Its main hall (Ohshuden) was rebuilt in 1862 (Bunkyu 2) and was designated an Important Cultural Property in 2024.

The fusuma (sliding door) paintings are a highlight. The Willow Room (Yanagi no Ma) holds the “Willow and Heron” paintings by Yamamoto (Kano) Tansai and is also known as the room where Toyotomi Hidetsugu took his own life in 1595 (Bunroku 4). The paintings in the Plum Room (Ume no Ma) are attributed to Saito Toshitsu. The Banryutei rock garden, one of the largest in Japan at 2,340 square meters, depicts a pair of dragons facing each other in a sea of clouds, rendered in white sand and stones. It was created in 1984 to mark the 1,150th anniversary of Kobo Daishi’s nyujo.

On Koyasan you can stay at a temple lodging, eat shojin ryori (Buddhist vegetarian cuisine) and join the morning service. Staying overnight also makes it easier to join early-morning or night visits to Okunoin.

3. Koyasan Reihokan Museum—A Collection of National Treasure-Class Buddhist Art

The Koyasan Reihokan Museum, close to the Danjo Garan (about 15 minutes by bus from Okunoin), houses and displays Buddhist art handed down on Koyasan. Its collection includes 21 National Treasures and 148 Important Cultural Properties.

Its best-known works are the National Treasure “Eight Great Attendant Statues” (Hachidai Doji Ritsuzo), attributed to Unkei: eight attendants of Fudo Myoo, each with a different expression and pose. The museum also holds the Heian-period National Treasure “Painting of the Buddha’s Parinirvana” (Butsu Nehanzu).

Admission is 1,300 yen for adults. Exhibits rotate, so check what is on display if there is a particular work you want to see. It pairs well with Todai-ji Temple and Horyu-ji Temple on a trip focused on Buddhist art.

How to Get There

By Train

The Nankai Railway is the easiest way to reach Koyasan. From Osaka’s Namba Station, take the Nankai Koya Line limited express “Koya” to the terminus at Gokurakubashi Station (about 1 hour 30 minutes), then the Nankai Koyasan Cable Car to Koyasan Station (about 5 minutes). From Koyasan Station, take a Nankai Rinkan Bus to the “Okunoin-guchi” stop (about 15 minutes, for starting at Ichinohashi Bridge) or the “Okunoin-mae” stop (about 20 minutes, for starting at Nakanohashi).

From Tokyo, take the Shinkansen to Shin-Osaka (about 2 hours 30 minutes), the Midosuji subway line to Namba (about 15 minutes), and the Nankai limited express to Gokurakubashi (about 1 hour 30 minutes): about 4 hours 30 minutes in total. From Kyoto, too, the easiest route is to go to Namba and change to the Nankai limited express.

By Bus

Within Koyasan, Nankai Rinkan Buses run from Koyasan Station to stops including Danjo Garan, Kongobu-ji-mae, Okunoin-guchi and Okunoin-mae. The “Koyasan World Heritage Ticket” (4,210 yen for adults from Namba Station, or 5,200 yen including an outbound limited express ticket for the “Koya”; as of September 2026) combines round-trip Nankai train fare with unlimited bus rides on the mountain.

By Car

By car, it takes about 1 hour 30 minutes from the Kishiwada-Izumi IC on the Hanwa Expressway via National Route 480. The closest parking to Okunoin is the Nakanohashi Parking Lot (free). Expect crowds in the autumn foliage season and during Golden Week. The mountain road is winding, so if you are not a confident driver, the train and cable car are the safer choice.

Recommended Access Method

We recommend the Nankai Railway and cable car route. For more on transportation in Japan, see our related article. There is a lot to see, so staying a night at a temple lodging and visiting Okunoin early in the morning or at night lets you explore at a relaxed pace.

Conclusion

Ever since Kobo Daishi Kukai entered eternal meditation, Okunoin has drawn people who wish to “rest beside Kukai.” That faith is still visible in the approach lined with over 200,000 tombstones, the “eternal flames” of the Torodo, and the meals carried to the Gobyo every day.

You may also like our articles on Kongobu-ji Temple, and on fellow World Heritage Site Kumano Sanzan and Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei.

Frequently Asked Questions