Koyasan
Koyasan includes "Kongobu-ji" that was built by Kukai in 816 as the principal stage for esoteric Buddhism on a 800m high mountain basin, "Jison-in" that was built as an administrative office to facilitate the construction and management of Kongobu-ji, "Niukanshofu-jinja" that was constructed as a guardian shrine to protect the Niukanshofu estate of Kongobu-ji and "Niutsuhime-jinja that is situated in the Amano basin between Kongobu-ji and Jison-in which is closely connected to Koyasan and enshrines "Koya Myojin," who legend tells gave land to Kukai when he choose the compound of Kongobu-ji, and "Niu Myojin," who legend tells guided him, and all of them are connected by the pilgrimage route "Koyasan Choishimichi".
Having 1200 years of religious history, Koyasan is a mountain top religious city formed by 117 temples, combined with the surrounding steep mountain ridges and deep forests, it produces a cultural landscape related to faith.
Again, the Sacred Site Koyasan includes Kongobu-ji, Niutsuhime-jinja, Jison-in and Niukanshofu-jinja.
Niutsuhime-jinja
Kamiamano Katsuragi Town Ito County, Wakayama Prefecture [MAP 3-A]
Known as a protective shrine of Koyasan, this shrine has kept close relations with Koyasan from ancient times.
Inviting and enshrining Kehi-myojin of Tsuruga no Kuni and Itsukushima of Aki no Kuni in 1208, this shrine had been worshiped as "Niushisho-myojin." After the Shintoism and Buddhism Separation Degree in the 1st year of Meiji, all of the Buddhism facilities were destroyed and took the present shape.
The compound of the shrine and Koyasan Choishimichi are connected by Hatchozaka.,
and "Futatsu Torii" is erected at the junction to pray for this
shrine.
Law protection: Compound (Historic Site), Four main shrine buildings including
guest shrine buildings and Romon (Important Cultural Property)
Kongobu-ji
Koyasan Koya Town Ito County, Wakayama Prefecture [MAP 3-B]
Koyasan Koya Town Ito County, Wakayama Prefecture.
This is a mountain top temple that has a unique style of Garan arrangement kept from its foundation in 816, and has been worshiped as the principal stage for the Shingon Sect of esoteric Buddhism. Kongobu-ji includes Garan Area, Okuno-in Area, Daimon Area, Kongosammai-in Area, Tokugawake Reidai Area and Honzan Area.
Garan Area
Also called Danjo Garan, placing Chumon and Kondo on the north-south line and placing Kompon Pagoda that expresses the Womb World in the East and Saito Pagoda that expresses the Diamond World in the West behind the line, this area has a unique style of arrangement that expresses the doctoring of esoteric Buddhism. Along with Okuno-in, this area is called "Ryodan" and is the most sacred religious area in Koyasan.
Law protection: Compound (Historic Site), Fudo-do (National Treasure), Three buildings of Sanno-in Honden including Torii gate and Sukibei fence (Important Cultural Property)
Okuno-in Area
Surrounded by the three mountains of Mt. Tenjiku, Mt. Mani and Mt. Yoryu, this is a huge cemetery and sacred place where Kukai decided to make a grave for himself before death, and it is believed that Kukai is still alive here.
It is said that there are more than 300,000 stone pagodas that have been built by various ranks and various ages of people from all over Japan. Even now, people still build graves here. These distributed graves and cedar trees that are forbidden to be cut down make this a cultural landscape as a sacred place.
Law protection: (Historic Site) Kyozo, Uesugi Kenshin Tamaya, Satake Yoshishige Tamaya (including five Hokyointo) and Matsudaira Hideyasu and Dohaha Tamaya (including Hideyasu Tamaya, five Hokyointo and Hideyasu-haha two Hokyointo (Important Cultural Property) Toyotomike Bosho,Zenni Jochi Hi, Sugen-hujin Gorinto, Korai Tekimikata Kuyohi and Okuno-in Osugi Bayashi (Prefectural Designated Property)
Daimon Area
This is the area of Daimon, which is the main gate of the sacred mountains. It is said that the gate used to be a Torii style gate and was placed in Kuoredani along Choishimichi a couple of hundred meters below the present place. The present gate was reconstructed at 1705 during Edo Era. It is a double-story gate that has three five ken (about 4.5m) wide entrances and is suitable as the main gate for Kongobu-ji.
Law protection: Compound (Historic Site), Daimon (including a ridge board) (Important Cultural Property)
Kongosammai-in Area
Formerly, this temple was used as "Zenjo-in" that was built by Hojo Masako to pray for the death of her husband, and she repaired Zenjo-in and changed its name to Kongosammai-in to pray for the death of her son Sanetomo.
This is a representative example that shows how Koyasan developed through the donation and construction by powerful aristocrats and warlords for the facilities of prayer-giving places.
Law protection: Compound (Historic Site), Tahoto (National Treasure), Kyozo, Shisho- myojinsha Honden, and Kyakuden and Daidokoro. (Important Cultural Property)
Tokugawake Reidai Area
Mausoleums of the first Shogun Ieyasu and second Shogun Hidetada constructed by the order of the third Shogun Iemitsu stand in this area. These two mausoleums are separated by a Sukibei (or lattice-window wall), and are located on an East-West line. Using the various techniques of arts, the inside of the mausoleums are exquisitely decorated and detailed.
Law protection: Compound (Historic Site), Two mausoleums of Tokugawake Reidai (including Ieyasu Tamaya-Zushi chest, Hidetada Tamaya (including-Zushi chest) (Important National Property)
Honzan Area
Once divided into Seigan-ji and Kozan-ji, in 1869, these two temples were unified and formed Kongobu-ji. It is the religious headquarters of the Koyasan Shingon sect, and is the place where the main buildings of the Sohonzan Kongobu-ji are located. Many of the existing buildings are those of Seigan-ji, centered by Daishuden and Okushoin, Prefectural Designated Cultural Properties such as Kyozo, Shoro, Sinzendo, Gomado, Sammon, Ekamon and Kagobei stand in the compound.
Law protection: Compound (Historic Site), Daishuden, Okushoin, Kyozo, Shoro, Sinzendo, Gomado, Sammon, Ekamon and Kagobei (Prefectural Designated Cultural Property)
Jison-in
Jisonin Kudoyama Town Ito, County Wakayama Prefecture [MAP 3-C]
This temple was built on the south side of the Kinokawa River about 20km down the Koya Mountains to administrate and facilitate the construction of Kongobu-ji. At the entrance of the pilgrimage route Koyasan Choishimichi, this temple provided accommodation to pilgrims and received religious attention.
Sitting in the Main Hall Mirokudo is the wooden National Treasure Miroku-bosatsu.
Law protection: Compound (Historic Site), Mirokudo (including stone-exprosed-plank and ridge board) (Important Cultural Property)
Niukanshofu-jinja
Jisonin Kudoyama Town Ito, County Wakayama Prefecture [MAP 3-D]
Located on the hill south of Jison-in, this shrine enshrines Niu and Koya myojin as protective gods for the Kanshofu estate. Later, the two gods Itsukushima and Kehi were invited and worshiped as "Shisho-myojin". Until the Shintoism and Buddhism Separation Degree was issued in the 1st year of Meiji, there used to be Buddhist temple buildings in its compound and this shrine received worship in tandem with Jison-in.
Law protection: Compound (Historic Site), Three Main Hall Buildings (including four Kuden buildings and two ridge boards) (Important Cultural Property)