At the bottom of the picturesque Wakayama prefecture of Honshu, Japan, is Mount Koya, known worldwide as the seat of the Koyasan Shingon-shu sect of Japanese Buddhism.
The city of Koya and its monastery are sites to see, but the real gem of the region is the Okunoin cemetery, which holds 0,000 ancient tombs. But for those who practice the Shingon Buddhism, none of those buried are actually dead. They are just waiting for the coming of the future Buddha.
Strolling down this road 1.2 mile through the forest of Mount Koya, you will find the graves on either side of you . These silent monuments lie in Okunoin, which is the largest cemetery of Japan.
Flickr / Antti Sadinmaa
Wikipedia
Mount Koya was settled by Kūkai posthumously named Kobo-Daishi - which means "The great Teacher who Buddhist spread education" - in 819 CE
Flickr / Karolina Lubryczynska
Wikipedia
Wikipedia
Kūkai was the founder of a sect of Buddhism called Shingon, meaning "true words".
Wikipedia
Wikipedia
Flickr / saldesalsal
The strength of the Shingon Buddhism lies in the two mandalas - the Womb kingdom and the Kingdom of Diamond. The performances of each are always mounted on each side of Shingon altars.
Flickr / Natee P
Flickr / Alexander Synaptic
Flickr / Nov-13
Near the end of the path is Toro-do, which is a pavilion filled with 10,000 lanterns. Legend has it that two lanterns burned since 1088 AD A represents an old emperor, and the other is a peasant woman who sold her hair for her to pray there.
Flickr / Alexis Bross
A the end of the path is the mausoleum of Kūkai, where a ceremonial meal is placed every day.
Wikipedia
is not the most exciting tourist attractions, but if you are looking for a peaceful march through history, there is no better place than this one. In 05, Mount Koya was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
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