El Yunque Rainforest – Puerto Rico’s Mosquito-Free Tropical Forest
Few places in the world offer more beautiful sites than El Yunque rainforest in the Luquillo mountains. Legend has it that...
Miedo, Danjo Garan’s Portrait Hall and One Of Kōyasan’s Most Sacred Locations
This portrait hall is one of the most sacred locations in Kōyasan and was originally the building that Kōbō Daishi (Kūkai)...
Miyashiro – Kōyasan’s Sacred Shinto Shrine
Miyashiro refers to the shrines dedicated to the deities who watch over Kōyasan. When Kōbō Daishi (Kūkai) consecrated Kōyasan in 819,...
Konpon Daitō – The Great Pagoda That Is Now A Symbol Of Kōyasan, Japan
Konpon Daitō (Thre Great Stupa) is a 48.5 metre-tall tower painted in vermillion lacquer. It was a fundamental part of...
Danjo Garan Complex, The Location of Kōyasan’s First Temple
Danjo Garan Complex is one of Kōyasan’s two sacred sanctuaries and the location of its first temple, erected by Kōbō...
Kongōbuji Temple – Home To Japan’s Largest Rock Garden and a Kitchen Big Enough To Feed 2,000
Kongōbuji Temple is home to Japan’s largest rock garden, which spans 2,340 square metres and contains 140 granite stones arranged...
Kongōbuji Temple (金剛峯寺), Headquarters of Kōyasan’s Shingon-Shū Sect Of Buddhism
Originally the name for the entire monastic complex at Kōyasan was Kongōbuji, however it now refers specifically to the headquarters...
Shingon Esoteric Buddhism – Founded in Kōyasan 1200 Years Ago, Now One Of The Most Popular Sects of Japanese Buddhism
Shingon Esoteric Buddhism is a form of Tantric (Vajrayāna or Esoteric) Buddhism that was brought to Japan, via China, from...
Kōbō Daishi, Kūkai – One Of The Most Revered Religious Figures in Japanese History
Kōbō Daishi, or Kūkai, is one of the most revered religious figures in the history of Japan and known as...
Kōyasan, Japan’s Secluded Temple Town Located on a Sacred Mountain
Kōyasan, known to English speakers as Mount Koya, refers to both a mountain in Wakayama prefecture and the small town...