Koya San

          In the Kansai area, just few hours far from the cities of Osaka and Nara, stands the mountain village of Mount Koya. This mystic place is a famous temples village, where  Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines fill that peaceful area, surrounded by green forests and natural landscapes.  This small village house more than 100 temples and it`s the headquarter of the Shingon school of Buddhism. This school entered in Japan on 805, carried in by the famous monk Kobo Daishi.

This place has been used as a stage for "The Last Samurai" movie, the popular samurai drama featured by Tom Cruise.
Some of the temples in the area function as shukubo, where tourists are welcome to overnight, try shojin ryori, the vegetarian cuisine of monks and participate in the morning prayers. This could be a unique chance to experiment the hearth of Japanese traditional Buddhism.