Okunoin
高野山奥之院
Along an approximately 2 km approach beneath ancient cedars, more than 200,000 grave markers and memorial towers line both sides of the path, ending at the mausoleum of Kōbō Daishi.
The Okunoin approach runs about 2 km from Ichinohashi to the mausoleum of Kōbō Daishi. Beneath cedars several hundred to a thousand years old stand more than 200,000 memorial towers for daimyō such as Oda Nobunaga, the Toyotomi family, and Takeda Shingen, as well as for companies from various eras. In front of the mausoleum, the Lantern Hall holds over ten thousand lanterns, among them the 'Flame That Never Dies' (Kiezu no Hi), said to have burned for a thousand years without going out. Every day at 6:00 and 10:30, monks perform the Shōjin-ku ritual, presenting meals to Kōbō Daishi. Beyond the Mausoleum Bridge, photography and eating are prohibited. Admission is free and the area is open all day (the Lantern Hall is open approximately 6:00–17:30). Some temple lodgings organize evening tours.
Opening hours
Approach path open all day; Lantern Hall about 06:00–17:30
Nearby sights
- Ekoin Temple
- Karukaya-do Hall
- Kongo Sanmai-in Temple
- Kongobu-ji Temple
- Tokugawa Mausoleum
- Koyasan Daishi Kyokai
- Nyonindo Hall
- Koyasan Reihokan Museum