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Candle festival in western Japan

Candles are lit to form the Chinese character for "bloom" in the annual candle festival at Okunoin cemetery at the Kongobuji temple in Mt. Koya in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Aug. 13, 2025.

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Religious dance at western Japan temple

An "Otaiya" religious dance is performed at Buddhist Shingon-sect Kongobu-ji temple on Mt. Koya in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on April 17, 2025, in honor of the sect's founder Kukai (774-835), posthumously known as Kobo Daishi.

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Religious dance at western Japan temple

An "Otaiya" religious dance is performed at Buddhist Shingon-sect Kongobu-ji temple on Mt. Koya in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on April 17, 2025, in honor of the sect's founder Kukai (774-835), posthumously known as Kobo Daishi.

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Vetro Montagna classic car festival starts in Mt. Koya

HASHIMOTO, Japan - Various types of classic cars are parked at the exhibition site of the Vetro Montagna Koyasan classic car festival on Nov. 8, 2014, at Mt. Koya in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan.

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Repaired hall of Shinto shrine shown to press

HASHIMOTO, Japan - The repaired main hall of the Niutsuhime Shinto shrine in Katsuragi, Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, at the foot of Mt. Koya, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is shown to the press on Oct. 27, 2014, ahead of the transfer of its enshrined deity to the refurbished shrine in November, the first such ritual in 37 years.

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National World Heritage tourism summit held in Japan

HASHIMOTO, Japan - Michiyo Kubo, a World Heritage site researcher, gives a lecture at a "summit" on national World Heritage tourism on Sept. 29, 2014, at Koyasan University in Koya, Wakayama Prefecture. Mt. Koya in the western Japan prefecture was registered on UNESCO's World Heritage list in 2004.

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Dalai Lama delivers sermon at Mt. Koya in Japan

OSAKA, Japan - The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet, delivers a lay sermon at Mt. Koya, one of the most sacred sites in Japanese Buddhism, in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on April 13, 2014.

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Fire festival held at Mt. Koya in western Japan

HASHIMOTO, Japan - The "Koya Fire Festival" is held at Kongobuji, a Buddhist temple on Mt. Koya in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on March 2, 2014, to pray for good luck and ward off evil spirits.

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Monk follows Kukai's footsteps for 30 yrs

OSAKA, Japan - Jien Shizuka, a monk from Mt. Koya in Wakayama Prefecture, speaks about pilgrimages to China he has made for 30 years to follow the footsteps of Japanese monk Kukai, during an interview on Nov. 4, 2013. Mt. Koya is Japan's headquarters of the Shingon sect of esoteric Buddhism founded by Kukai in the early ninth century.

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Buddhism cafe in Tokyo

TOKYO, Japan - Participants in a pre-opening event for a Buddhist cafe called "Koyasan Cafe" try mediation in the style of the Shingon sect of Buddhism in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on Aug. 20, 2013. The cafe, which will open Aug. 30 until Sept. 8 near JR Tokyo Station, will let visitors talk with Buddhist monks from Mt. Koya in Wakayama Prefecture and experience mediation and "shakyo" sutra transcription.

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Buddhism cafe in Tokyo

TOKYO, Japan - Participants in a pre-opening event for a Buddhist cafe called "Koyasan Cafe" sit in a circle with Buddhist monks in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on Aug. 20, 2013. The cafe, which will open Aug. 30 until Sept. 8 near JR Tokyo Station, will let visitors talk with Buddhist monks from Mt. Koya in Wakayama Prefecture and experience mediation and "shakyo" sutra transcription.

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Leaves turn to autumn colors at Mt. Koya

WAKAYAMA, Japan - People view leaves that have turned red and yellow at Mt. Koya in Wakayama Prefecture on Oct. 27, 2009.

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Skunk cabbages in full bloom on Mt. Koya in Wakayama Pref.

WAKAYAMA, Japan - Skunk cabbages are seen in full bloom on Mt. Koya in Wakayama Prefecture on April 24.

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People purify themselves by taking a wintertime dip

KOYA, Japan - People bath in cold water to purify themselves for religious training purposes at the Okunoin area of Mt. Koya in Wakayama Prefecture on Jan. 21.

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Year's 1st snow falls on Mt. Koya in Wakayama Pref.

KOYA, Japan - Pilgrims brave the year's first snow on Mt. Koya in Wakayama Prefecture on Dec. 4. The temperature fell below zero on its summit where there are many Buddhist temples and buildings.

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Leaves turn red, yellow on Mt. Koya

KOYA, Japan - Leaves begin to turn red and yellow on Mt. Koya in Wakayama Prefecture on Oct. 25.

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Cold water ritual held on Mt. Koya

KOYA, Japan - Adults and children take part in a cold water ritual Jan. 25 on Mt. Koya in Wakayama Prefecture, chanting a sutra seven times to purify themselves.

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Japanese monks to perform Buddhist music in Poland

HASHIMOTO, Japan - A group of young monks living on Mt. Koya in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, will give a series of performances of Buddhist music with actress Mari Natsuki in Poland beginning later this month. The Koyasan Shomyo-no-kai (Mt. Koya chanting troupe) members (file photo) will sing six songs with Natsuki performing a solo act during their Polish tour, which will include performances in the capital Warsaw on Oct. 28 and 29 and Kielce on Oct. 31.

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Autumn leaves on Mt. Koyasan

KOYA, Japan - Visitors walk around the Buddhist monastery at the summit of Mt. Koyasan on Nov. 8 in the western Japan prefecture of Wakayama, where the leaves have already turned red and yellow. It is the best time for visitors to enjoy the autumn colors.

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Classic car festival in Japan

KOYA, Japan - Some 60 cars show up Nov. 6 in the eighth ''Vetro Montagna Koyasan'' classic car festival, held at Kongobuji temple on Mt. Koya in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan.

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Cold water ritual in western Japan

People bathe in cold water and chant sutras as part of a Buddhist training to purify themselves on Mt. Koya in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Jan. 30, 2022.

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Cold water ritual in western Japan

People bathe in cold water and chant sutras as part of a Buddhist training to purify themselves on Mt. Koya in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Jan. 30, 2022.

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Cold water ritual held on Mt. Koya

KOYA, Japan - Adults and children take part in a cold water ritual Jan. 25 on Mt. Koya in Wakayama Prefecture, chanting a sutra seven times to purify themselves. (Kyodo)

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Cold water ritual in western Japan

People bathe in cold water and chant sutras as part of a Buddhist training to purify themselves at the Okunoin inner sanctuary on Mt. Koya in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Jan. 24, 2021.

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Hundreds of wind bells displayed at western Japan train station

People walk through the "wind bell tunnel" at the Gokurakubashi Station of Nankai Electric Railway Co. in the western Japan town of Koya on July 1, 2016. The installation with around 550 glass wind bells has been a feature there every summer since 2013 to entertain tourists who visit Mt. Koya, a World Heritage site, by cable car from the station. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Abe asks Americans to visit Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (C) smiles alongside former New York Yankees slugger Hideki Matsui (L) and American actress Charlotte Kate Fox at a tourism seminar in New York on Sept. 28, 2015. Abe told the participants that Kyoto and Mt. Koya, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are not the only travel destinations in Japan, asking Americans to visit various sightseeing spots in the country. (Pool photo)(Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Copy of "Ryokai Mandara" dedicated to Kongobuji

A copy of the "Ryokai Mandara," an important national cultural property, hangs at the main temple hall of the Danjo Garan, the central area of Mt. Koya where major Buddhist services are held, at Kongobuji, the head temple of the Koyasan Shingon Sect of Buddhism in Koya Town, Wakayama Prefecture, on July 3, 2015. The copy, made by Toppan Printing Co. using the latest digital technology, was dedicated to the temple the same day. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Buddhist practitioners' school on Mt. Koya

New green leaves in a garden are seen reflected on a polished floor at Koyasan Senshugakuin, a Buddhist practitioners' school on Mt. Koya in western Japan on May 6, 2015. This year marks the 1,200th anniversary of the establishment of a monastery on the mountain by Kukai, the founder of the Shingon school of Buddhism. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Buddhist practitioners' school on Mt. Koya

Photo taken after sunset on April 27, 2015, shows Koyasan Senshugakuin, a Buddhist practitioners' school on Mt. Koya in western Japan. This year marks the 1,200th anniversary of the establishment of a monastery on the mountain by Kukai, the founder of the Shingon school of Buddhism. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Buddhist practitioners' school on Mt. Koya

A student of Koyasan Senshugakuin, a Buddhist practitioners' school, arranges flowers in a flower arrangement class at the Buddhist practitioners' school on Mt. Koya, western Japan, on April 23, 2015. In addition to flower arrangement, Japanese tea ceremony and calligraphy are also included in the curriculum to deepen one's cultural understanding. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Buddhist practitioners' school on Mt. Koya

Students of Koyasan Senshugakuin, undergoing yearlong training and group living to become a Shingon Buddhist monk, walk in front of the Kompon Daito pagoda on Mt. Koya in western Japan on May 7, 2015. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Buddhist practitioners' school on Mt. Koya

A student of Koyasan Senshugakuin, a Buddhist practitioners' school, reads a book of a Buddhist sutra on May 11, 2015, on Mt. Koya in western Japan. This year marks the 1,200th anniversary of the establishment of a monastery on the mountain by Kukai, the founder of the Shingon school of Buddhism. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Buddhist practitioners' school on Mt. Koya

Students of Koyasan Senshugakuin, undergoing yearlong training and group living to become a Shingon Buddhist monk, attend a class to study sutras and Buddhism in a classroom at the Buddhist practitioners' school on Mt. Koya, western Japan, on April 28, 2015. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Buddhist practitioners' school on Mt. Koya

Students of Koyasan Senshugakuin, a Buddhist practitioners' school, chat on May 18, 2015, in a room at the school's dormitory on Mt. Koya in western Japan. This year marks the 1,200th anniversary of the establishment of a monastery on the mountain by Kukai, the founder of the Shingon school of Buddhism. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Video image projected onto huge pagoda at Koyasan World Heritage site

A giant video image of Buddha is projected on May 13, 2015, onto the Konpon Daito Pagoda in the Danjo Garan area, a heartland of the Shingon school of Buddhism in the Koyasan (Mt. Koya) region in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, which is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The occasion was an illumination show using laser beams. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Abe vows to welcome tourists with more tax-free shops, speedy customs

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe answers reporters' questions during a visit on May 16, 2015 to Mt. Koya, a Buddhist pilgrimage site and tourist spot in Wakayama Prefecture. Abe said he wants to increase the number of tax-free stores in provincial cities around Japan and improve border facilities to attract more tourists from overseas. (Pool photo)(Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Dance integrated with Buddhism performed at Koyasan University

A dance integrated with a Buddhist service is performed at Koyasan University in Koya Town, Wakayama Prefecture, on May 9, 2015. Koyasan or Mt. Koya is the center of the Koyasan Shingon Sect, one of the Buddhist denominations. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Sacred fire rite for 1st time in 150 yrs at Wakayama shrine

A sacred fire rite is conducted at Niutsuhime Shrine in Wakayama Prefecture, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in western Japan, for the first time in about 150 years on April 22, 2015, to mark the 1,200th anniversary of the founding of Mt. Koya monastery. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Annual festival held at World Heritage site in Wakayama, western Japan

People in traditional costumes parade during an annual festival on April 19, 2015, at the Niutsuhime shrine, a World Heritage site in Katsuragi, Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, at the foot of Mt. Koya, the headquarters of the Koyasan Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Minamisanriku drum group dedicates performance at Mt. Koya

A Japanese drum group from the 2011 tsunami-hit Minamisanriku Town, Miyagi Prefecture, performs at Danjo Garan, the central area of Mt. Koya where major Buddhist services are conducted, in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on April 11, 2015. A series of events to mark the 1,200th anniversary of the founding of the Mt. Koya monastery by Kobo Daishi are being held from April 2 to May 21. Koyasan Shingon Buddhist sect has donated 11 drums to the group, which lost their drums in the disaster. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Drum performance of Minamisanriku dedicated to Mt. Koya

Members of a Japanese drum group from the 2011 tsunami-hit Minamisanriku Town, Miyagi Prefecture, perform at Danjo Garan, the central area of Mt. Koya where major Buddhist services are conducted, in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on April 11, 2015. A series of events to mark the 1,200th anniversary of the founding of the Mt. Koya monastery by Kobo Daishi are being held from April 2 to May 21. Koyasan Shingon Buddhist sect has donated 11 drums to the group, which lost their drums in the disaster. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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1,200 years since start of monastic settlement on Mt. Koya

Sumo's grand champion Hakuho (C) dedicates a ring-entering ritual on April 2, 2015, during a ceremony to commemorate the 1,200th anniversary of a monastic settlement started by renowned monk Kukai at Mt. Koya in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan. Buddhist services will be held daily through May 21. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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1,200 years since start of monastic settlement on Mt. Koya

Monks read the sutras on April 2, 2015, during a ceremony to commemorate the 1,200th anniversary of a monastic settlement started by renowned monk Kukai at Mt. Koya in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan. Buddhist services will be held daily through May 21. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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1,200 years since start of monastic settlement on Mt. Koya

Monks attend a ceremony on April 2, 2015, to commemorate the 1,200th anniversary of a monastic settlement started by renowned monk Kukai at Mt. Koya in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan. Buddhist services will be held daily through May 21. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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1,200 years since start of monastic settlement on Mt. Koya

Photo taken on March 31, 2015 shows Konpon Daito Pagoda, built by renowned monk Kukai and one of the most prominent buildings of the Danjo Garan temple complex on Mt. Koya in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan. Buddhist services will be held daily from April 2 to May 21, 2015 to commemorate the 1,200th anniversary of monastic settlement. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Foreigners experience Buddhist monk life at Mt. Koya heritage site

A monk at Ekoin temple on Mt. Koya, a World Heritage Site in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, attends to visitors from abroad at the temple in April 2017. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Foreigners experience Buddhist monk life at Mt. Koya heritage site

Nobuhiro Tamura (R), a monk at Ekoin temple on Mt. Koya, a World Heritage Site in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, leads foreign visitors on a night tour of Okuno-in in April 2017. Tamura is among the monks who attend the increasing number of foreign visitors to the Buddhist pilgrimage site. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Foreigners experience Buddhist monk life at Mt. Koya heritage site

Nobuhiro Tamura (L), a monk at Ekoin temple on Mt. Koya, a World Heritage Site in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, leads a meditation class in English for foreign visitors to the temple in April 2017. Tamura is among the monks who attend the increasing number of foreign visitors to the Buddhist pilgrimage site. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Skunk cabbages in full bloom on Mt. Koya in Wakayama Pref.

WAKAYAMA, Japan - Skunk cabbages are seen in full bloom on Mt. Koya in Wakayama Prefecture on April 24. (Kyodo)

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Year's 1st snow falls on Mt. Koya in Wakayama Pref.

KOYA, Japan - Pilgrims brave the year's first snow on Mt. Koya in Wakayama Prefecture on Dec. 4. The temperature fell below zero on its summit where there are many Buddhist temples and buildings. (Kyodo)