Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [333]
Festivals & Events
Aoba Matsuri Held on 15 June to celebrate the birth of Kōbō Daishi. Various traditional ceremonies are performed at the temples around town.
Rōsoku Matsuri (Candle Festival) This more interesting festival is held on 13 August in remembrance of departed souls. Thousands of mourners light candles along the approaches to Oku-no-in.
Sleeping
There are more than 50 temples in Kōya-san offering shukubō. It’s worth staying the night at a temple here, especially to try shōjin-ryōri (Buddhist vegetarian food – no meat, fish, onions or garlic). Because shukubō is intended for religious pilgrims, in the morning you may be asked to participate in morning Buddhist prayer. While participation is not mandatory, taking part enables you to appreciate the daily workings of a Japanese temple.
Most lodgings start at ¥9500 per person including two meals. There is a lot of variation in prices, not just between temples, but also within temples, depending upon room, meals and season (needless to say, the more you pay, the better the room and the meals).
Make advance reservations by fax through the Kōya-san Tourist Association or directly with the temples (getting a Japanese speaker to help will make this easier). Even if you contact the temples directly, you will usually be asked to go to the Tourist Association to pick up a reservation slip–voucher.
Kōya-san Youth Hostel (56-3889; fax 56-3889; dm ¥4160; ) This YH is a friendly and comfortable budget choice if the prices at the temples are out of your range. It’s closed for parts of December and January. Call ahead for reservations.
Haryō-in (56-2702; fax 56-2936; r per person with 2 meals from ¥6825) This temple is one of the cheaper shukubō and functions as a kokumin-shukusha (people’s lodge).
Rengejō-in (56-2233; fax 56-4743; r per person with 2 meals from ¥9500, single travellers ¥11,550) This lovely temple has superb rooms, many with garden views, fine painted fusuma (sliding doors) and interesting art on display. English is spoken here and sometimes explanation of Buddhist practices and meditation is available. It is highly recommended.
Ekō-in (56-2514; fax 56-2891; ekoin@mbox.co.jp; r per person with 2 meals from ¥10,000; ) One of the nicer temples in town, Ekō-in is run by a friendly bunch of young monks and the rooms look onto beautiful gardens. This is also one of the two temples in town (the other is Kongōbu-ji) where you can study zazen (seated meditation). Call ahead to make arrangements.
Yōchi-in (56-2003; fax 56-3628; r per person with 2 meals from ¥11,000) This simple temple is a welcoming and friendly place with a nice garden outside its entryway. It’s very close to the Garan and the centre of town.
Henjōson-in (56-2434; fax 56-3641; r per person with 2 meals from ¥15,750) This is another good choice. The rooms here also have good garden views and are quite spacious. High-quality meals are served in the dining hall. The communal bathtubs here are huge and have nice views. And the flowers in the entryway are usually stunning.
Other good choices:
Muryōkō-in (56-2104; fax 56-4555; r per person with 2 meals ¥9500) A fine place with an interesting morning Buddhist ceremony.
Shōjōshin-in (56-2006; fax 56-4770; r per person with 2 meals from ¥11,100) Friendly spot.
Eating
The culinary speciality of Kōya-san is shōjin-ryōri, which you can sample at your temple lodgings. Two tasty tofu specialities are goma-tōfu (sesame tofu) and kōya-tōfu (local tofu). If you’re just in town for the day, you can try shōjin-ryōri at any of the temples that offer shukubō. Ask at the Kōya-san Tourist Association office Click here and staff will call ahead to make reservations. Prices are fixed at ¥2700, ¥3700 and ¥5300,