Koyasan: Buddhist Retreat

We traveled via bullet train, loop train, regular train, and cable car for many hours to reach Koyasan. Koyasan is a beautiful small mountain town surrounded by 7 peaks.  It feels like we’re at the top of the world but it’s only 800 m / 2500 ft.

Koyasan is the birthplace of Japanese Esoteric Buddhism. We are staying in a temple - shukubo. We woke at sunrise to observe the morning prayer which was hypnotic chanting and gong-ringing. Although absolutely freezing, it was a great experience.  Although I respect the very little I know of it, we’re not here for the religion.

So what are in Koyasan for? We’re here for the food. It’s probably time to admit that this is a food stop-over. Not a foodie-vacation, but a food-cation.  We're not snobby eaters, we are wide-eyed and wonderous eaters. Seeking new, different, sometimes confusing foods is a hobby. Perhaps my favorite hobby.  The monks prepare multi-dish vegan meals. This is a delightful chance to eat things I cannot identify yet know I can eat.  Who knew you could cook tofu into a little bag with a bow made of tofu and then put more food inside the bag-with-a-bow? Or pickle horseradish? Or make amazing tempura? Well, that one is obvious - fried anything is a yes.

We also explored the cemetery.  It was absolutely stunning with Japanese Cedar trees reaching 150+ feet into the air, green dripping moss, and light shining through the trees.  Some of the headstones were almost 900 years old.  The whole thing is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Which made it that more confusing when we came upon headstones (sponsored? recognizing?) corporations like Nissan, OCC Coffee, and more.  So even an ancient cemetery can be commercialized.  We wondered if perhaps the patriarch (and likely a woman too who didn’t get any credit) of that company was buried there and so it wasn’t exactly as bad as could be? I’m usually down to ask any number of questions of whomever will engage in conversation but this one seemed like one we’ll just let be.