Last Updated: Jan 24, 2024

Overnight on Mt. Koya

Spending a Night on This Sacred Peak

This story was originally published on donnykimball.com and has been syndicated here on Medium

Grizzled veterans of Japan travel are likely cringing right now. Really, Donny? Mt. Koya? I thought you focused exclusively on off the beaten path destinations. What gives? Hasn’t this mountaintop Buddhist enclave gotten enough attention already? Honestly, here the answer is a resounding no. While those of you who visit Japan regularly are probably well aware of Mt. Koya, there are huge hosts of first time visitors to Japan who are utterly oblivious to this sacred site. Moreover, I’d also bet a good portion of the minority that do know Mt. Koya are oblivious to the fact that you can spend a night at one of the temples.

Now, I am most certainly a seasoned connoisseur of hidden gems in Japan. Left to my own devices, I’ll default to locations much like this time lost shrine in the hills of Yokosuka. Despite my personal proclivities, I’ve also made a commitment to getting more folks off the so-called Golden Route (Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka) and out into the prefectures. As such, I’ve been peppering my more obscure introductions with ones more mainstream visitors can appreciate. In this regard, Mt. Koya strikes the perfect balance between the mainstream shrines, the temples of Kyoto, and some of the lesser known spots that I typically favor.