places Categories: Attractions and Tombs
Okunoin is the site of the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi (also known as Kukai), the founder of Shingon Buddhism and one of the most revered persons in the religious history of Japan. Instead of having died, Kobo Daishi is believed to rest in eternal meditation as he awaits Miroku Nyorai (Maihreya), the Buddha of the Future, and provides relief to those who ask for salvation in the meantime. Okunoin is one of the most sacred places in Japan and a popular pilgrimage spot.
The Ichinohashi Bridge (first bridge) marks the traditional entrance to Okunoin, and visitors should bow to pay respect to Kobo Daishi before crossing it. Across the bridge starts Okunoin’s cemetery, the largest in Japan, with over 200,000 tombstones lining the almost two kilometer long approach to Kobo Daishi’s mausoleum. Wishing to be close to Kobo Daishi in death to receive salvation, many people, including prominent monks and feudal lords, have had their tombstones erected here over the centuries.
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- 550 Koyasan, Kōya, Ito District, Wakayama Prefecture 648-0294, Japan
Wakayama
Wakayama
Japan -
Okunoin Cemetery, Japan’s biggest at 2km-long and home to more than 200,000 graves of Buddhist monks who are said to be waiting for the resurrection of the Future Buddha. It dates back to at least 816AD, and every inch of it is sacred. But right now, it only felt creepy. Read more...
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Yoshino Mountain is a mountain located in the town of Yoshino in Yoshino District, Nara Prefecture, Japan. In 2004, it was designated as part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the name Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range.Yoshino Mountain was the subject of a waka poem in the 10th century poetry compilation Kokin Wakashū. It is also the subject of several poems in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu. Several important Read more...
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Osaka Castle Park is a public urban park and historical site situated at Osaka-Jō in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. It lies on the south of the Ōkawa (Kyū-Yodo River) and occupies a large area in the center of the city of Osaka. This park is the second largest park in the city. The park was constructed on a site with a long history. In the fifteenth Read more...
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Osaka Castle is a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. The castle is one of Japan’s most famous landmarks and it played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi-Momoyama period The main tower of Osaka Castle is situated on a plot of land roughly one square kilometer. It is built on two raised platforms of landfill supported by sheer walls Read more...
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Nara Park is a public park located in the city of Nara, Japan, at the foot of Mount Wakakusa. Established in 1880 it is one of the oldest parks in Japan. Administratively, the park is under the control of Nara Prefecture. The park is one of the “Places of Scenic Beauty” designated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). Over 1,200 wild sika deer Read more...
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