Koyasan

Mount Koya (Koyasan) lies hidden away on a mountain plain that is surrounded by intensely forested 1,000 meter peaks, seemingly far away from the hustle and bustle of Japan’s cities.

This is the place where Buddhist monk Kukai, founder of the Shingon branch of Japanese Buddhism, established a mountain monastery in early 800.

Over 1,200 years later and Koyasan is still a thriving religious center. Located 2hr by train from Osaka, it is one of Japan’s Shangri-la not to be missed.