Koyasan

In Japan, the fantastically futuristic co-exists with the incredibly ancient. After a few days in Tokyo we'd had plenty of neon and plastic. Mt. Koya provided the perfect retreat to nature.

Koyasan was founded by the famous monk Kobodaishi, as a religious retreat for Shingon Buddhism in the year 816. Today, there are over 100 temples on Koyasan. About fifty of these temples provide lodging for travelers, so I booked a stay at Shojoshinin, the temple at the entrance to Okunoin, or the Inner Sanctuary, a vast cemetery in a dense forest of towering cedars. It is home to the mausoleums of many famous Japanese, including that of the samurai ruler Toyotomi Hideyoshi. At the end of the 2km cemetery path, stand two giant structures, the Mausoleum of Kobodaishi and the Lantern Hall where some lanterns are said to have been continuously burning for over 900 years.

The forest of Okunoin had an absolutely magical and serene atmosphere. We walked through it at 8am during a light rain shower. The cedar trees are massive and impossibly tall. When we reached Kobodaishi's Mausoleum and the Latern Hall I was surprised by the enormity of the buildings. The interior of the Latern Hall was breath taking. Imagine a very large, old library with dark wood bookshelves that reach from floor to ceiling but replace the books with thousands of laterns lining the shelves, all glowing with a soft golden light.

We were able to take photos while walking through Okunoin but photography was not allowed at the site of Kobodaishi's Mausoleum and the Lantern Hall.