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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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Buddhist monks seek donations

Buddhist monks from the Koyasan Shingon Sect visit a retail shop in Koya in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Jan. 24, 2025, for an annual event to seek donations.

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Buddhist monks seek donations

Buddhist monks from the Koyasan Shingon Sect gather at their temple before visiting houses in Koya in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Jan. 24, 2025, for an annual event to seek donations.

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Festival celebrating famed Buddhist monk's birthday

Aoba Matsuri, a festival celebrating the birthday of Buddhist monk Kukai (774-835) -- posthumously known as Kobo Daishi and the founder of the Shingon school of Buddhism -- is held on June 9, 2024, in the Wakayama prefecture town of Koya, western Japan, where he opened the Kongobuji temple in 816.

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Festival celebrating famed Buddhist monk's birthday

Aoba Matsuri, a festival celebrating the birthday of Buddhist monk Kukai (774-835) -- posthumously known as Kobo Daishi and the founder of the Shingon school of Buddhism -- is held on June 9, 2024, in the Wakayama prefecture town of Koya, western Japan, where he opened the Kongobuji temple in 816.

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Festival celebrating famed Buddhist monk's birthday

Aoba Matsuri, a festival celebrating the birthday of Buddhist monk Kukai (774-835) -- posthumously known as Kobo Daishi and the founder of the Shingon school of Buddhism -- is held on June 9, 2024, in the Wakayama prefecture town of Koya, western Japan, where he opened the Kongobuji temple in 816.

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Festival celebrating famed Buddhist monk's birthday

Aoba Matsuri, a festival celebrating the birthday of Buddhist monk Kukai (774-835) -- posthumously known as Kobo Daishi and the founder of the Shingon school of Buddhism -- is held on June 9, 2024, in the Wakayama prefecture town of Koya, western Japan, where he opened the Kongobuji temple in 816.

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Buddhist monks seek social welfare donations

Buddhist monks from the Koyasan Shingon Sect gather at their temple before visiting houses in Koya in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Jan. 26, 2024, for an annual event to seek donations. The approximately 1.14 million yen in donations collected will be used for social welfare purposes, including helping those affected by a powerful earthquake in central Japan on Jan. 1.

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Buddhist monks seek social welfare donations

Buddhist monks from the Koyasan Shingon Sect visit houses in Koya in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Jan. 26, 2024, during an annual event to seek donations. The approximately 1.14 million yen in donations collected will be used for social welfare purposes, including helping those affected by a powerful earthquake in central Japan on Jan. 1.

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Monks follow pilgrimage of Shingon founder as training

OSAKA, Japan - Monks walk in Koya, Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on May 30, 2014, as they proceed along a 55-kilometer pilgrimage that Kobo Daishi (774-835), founder of the Shingon school of Buddhism, is believed to have walked in his youth.

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Monks follow pilgrimage of Shingon founder as training

OSAKA, Japan - Monks read sutras in Koya, Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on May 30, 2014, as they proceed along a 55-kilometer pilgrimage that Kobo Daishi (774-835), founder of the Shingon school of Buddhism, is believed to have walked in his youth.

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Monks follow pilgrimage of Shingon founder as training

OSAKA, Japan - Monks depart from Kinpusenji, a temple in Yoshino, Nara Prefecture, on May 28, 2014, as they hit the road for a 55-kilometer pilgrimage that Kobo Daishi (774-835), founder of the Shingon school of Buddhism, is believed to have walked in his youth.

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Quality dried persimmons for New Year

HASHIMOTO, Japan - Choicest dried persimmons on skewers named "hyakujyu," meaning centenarian, for New Year ornaments are encased in Japanese cypress boxes at Kongobuji, the head temple of Koyasan Shingon Buddhism, in the Wakayama prefectural town of Koya, western Japan, on Dec. 15, 2014.

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Replica of famous monk's wooden statute almost completed

TOKYO, Japan - Setsuo Imazu of the Kyushu National Museum looks at an almost completed ceramic replica of a seated wooden statue of Kukai, founder of the Shingon (True Word) school of Buddhism, at Otsuka Ohmi Ceramics Co. in Koga, Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, in this file photo taken on July 22, 2014.

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Ceramic replica of Buddhist saint Kukai's wooden statue

OTSU, Japan - Otsuka Ohmi Ceramics Co. introduces a replica of the wooden statue of renowned monk Kukai (774-835), founder of the Shingon ("True Word") school of Buddhism, in Koga, Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, on July 24, 20014. The replica was created using the latest 3D technology and a traditional ceramic technique.

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Festival held to commemorate Kobo Daishi's birthday

HASHIMOTO, Japan - The "Aoba Matsuri," a festival to commemorate the birthday of Kobo Daishi, founder of the Shingon school of Buddhism, is held in Koya Town, Wakayama Prefecture, on June 15, 2015.

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4 girls chosen for Aoba Festa in western Japan

HASHIMOTO, Japan - Four girls selected for the Aoba Festival pose for photos in the town of Koya, Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, with local mascot character "Koyakun" on May 19. The June 15 festival celebrates the birth of Kobo Daishi, the founder of Shingon Buddhism and Kongobuji, the head temple of Koyasan Shingon Buddhism.

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Manjusri image at Chikurin-ji temple unveiled for 1st time in 50 years

KOCHI, Japan - "Monju Bosatsu, " an image of Manjusri, sitting atop a roaring lion, which symbolizes the powerful voice of Buddhist Law and the power of Buddhism to overcome all obstacles, goes on display to the public on April 25, 2014 for the first time in 50 years at Chikurin-ji, a Shingon temple in Kochi, Kochi Prefecture, western Japan. The temple is number 31 on the Shikoku 88 temple pilgrimage said to be launched by Kukai, a renowned monk also known as Kobo Daishi, 1,200 years ago. The display is open to the public through May 25. (Pool photo by Kochi Shimbun).

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Koyasan temple celebrates 515th master priest

HASHIMOTO, Japan - Kongobuji, the head temple of Koyasan Shingon Buddhism in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, celebrates the inauguration of the 515th master priest, Hosokawa Koyu (L), in a traditional ritual on March 12, 2014.

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Traditional storytelling on Buddhism

OSAKA, Japan - Professional storyteller Kyokudo Nankai talks about a history of Kukai, who founded the Shingon school of Buddhism, before a gathering of people at a temple in Osaka's Chuo Ward on Dec. 27, 2013.

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Big plaque of priest Kukai set up at Wakayama shrine

HASHIMOTO, Japan - People gather before a giant wooden plaque depicting an encounter between Kukai, the founder of the Shingon school of Buddhism, and Kariba Myojin, the deity of the Niukanshobu-jinja shrine, set up at the shrine in Kudoyama, Wakayama Prefecture, on Jan. 15, 2014.

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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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People purify themselves by bathing in cold water at Koyasan

HASHIMOTO, Japan - Followers of the Koyasan Shingon sect of Buddhism in the Koyasan area in the western Japan prefecture of Wakayama bath in cold water to purify themselves at the Okunoin inner sanctuary of the Kongobuji temple on Jan. 24, 2010. The wintertime dip is carried out for religious training purposes.

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Monks pray for peace in 2003

HASHIMOTO, Japan - Monks pray for peace and security in 2003 at Kongobuji Temple, headquarters of the Buddhist Koyasan-Shingon sect, in Wakayama Prefecture on Dec. 10. The monks remove dust from sutras by opening and closing them like accordions.

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Monks pray for peace in 2003

HASHIMOTO, Japan - Monks pray for peace and security in 2003 at Kongobuji Temple, headquarters of the Buddhist Koyasan-Shingon sect, in Wakayama Prefecture on Dec. 10. The monks remove dust from sutras by opening and closing them like accordions. (Kyodo)

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West Japan temple opens famed founder Kukai's statue to public

Visitors offer prayers in front of a statue of Buddhist monk Kukai enshrined at Kongobuji, the head temple of the Koyasan Shingon sect of Buddhism, in Koya, Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on its public opening day of Oct. 1, 2015. Kukai, posthumously known as Kobo Daishi and founder of the sect, also established the temple in the Koyasan mountain range, a UNESCO World Heritage site. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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West Japan temple opens famed founder Kukai's statue to public

A statue of Buddhist monk Kukai is opened to the public on Oct. 1, 2015, for a month-long run at Kongobuji, the head temple of the Koyasan Shingon sect of Buddhism, in Koya, Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan. Kukai, posthumously known as Kobo Daishi and founder of the sect, also established the temple in the Koyasan mountain range, a UNESCO World Heritage site. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Candle festa held at cemetery in Koya mountain range, western Japan

A candle festival is held on the approach to the Okunoin cemetery in the Koya mountain range, the center of Japan's Shingon school of Buddhism, in Koya, Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Aug. 13, 2015. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Ceramic replica of monk statue on show in western Japan

A visitor touches the ceramic replica of a statue of Kukai, founder of the Shingon sect of Buddhism, on Aug. 8, 2015, at an exhibition in Tokushima, western Japan. The exhibition was held to mark the 1,200th anniversary of Kukai's establishment of a monastery in the Koya mountain range in Wakayama, western Japan. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Western Japan museum to exhibit cultural assets from temples

A statue of Mahamayuri, a Buddhist deity depicted riding a peacock, as seen on July 9, 2015, is among about 60 important cultural assets being exhibited at the Koyasan Reihokan Museum in Koya, Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, from July 11 through Sept. 27. The exhibits are from temples in the Koyasan range of mountains, viewed as the center of the Shingon (true word) school of Buddhism. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Copy of "Ryokai Mandara" dedicated to Kongobuji

Kongobuji, the head temple of Koyasan Shingon Sect of Buddhism in Koya Town, Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, displays a copy of the "Ryokai Mandara" on July 3, 2015. The copy of the important national cultural property, made by Toppan Printing Co. using the latest digital technology, was dedicated to the temple the same day. (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

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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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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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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Tokyo snapshot: Approach to Nishiarai Daishi evokes image of Showa

Photo taken on Oct. 21, 2015, shows the approach to Nishiarai Daishi temple in Tokyo, built in 826 by legendary monk Kukai, also known as Kobo Daishi, as a citadel of the Shingon sect of Buddhism. It is lined with various small shops reminiscent of an atmosphere of the Showa era (1926-1989). (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Wisteria trellis at a teahouse,the Nakasendo Road

Wisteria blossoms on Nakasendo probably refers to the wisteria at Ushijima (present-day Ushijima in Kasukabe City, Saitama Prefecture), but this is not certain. If so, however, this would be the Shingon Sect Rengein Temple grounds where wisterias, said to have been planted by Kobo Daishi (the founder of the Shingon Sect), still can be found today. The wisteria trees are 1,200 years old, and the plot is some 700 square meters in area. The trees were designated a National Natural Monument in 1928. A private company called Tokaen currently manages the garden.==Date:unknown, Place:Tokyo, Photo:unknown, (Credit:Nagasaki University Library/Kyodo News Images) [Cabinet Number88‐34‐0]

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Nagasaki Kiyomizudera Temple

Kiyomizudera seen a short time before photograph #3854 was taken. A temple of the Shingon sect of Buddhism, it was founded by the Buddhist priest Keijun in 1623. There is a bell tower to the right when going up the stairs. The outer shape of the gate is square; the inside features an arch. The main building of the temple is in the centre of the photograph. It is made of wood, has a tiled roof, and is of the one-storied irimoya style. The Taishi-do hall is to the left of the main hall. Below that stands Shotendo which was built in 1822, burned to the ground, and was later rebuilt.==Date:Middle Meiji (1883-1897), Place:Nagasaki, Photo:unknown, (Credit:Nagasaki University Library/Kyodo News Images) [Cabinet Number75‐16‐0]

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The Great Bell Tower,Kawasaki Daishi Temple

Heikenji, head temple of the Chizan School of the Buddhist Shingon Sect, is commonly referred to as Kawasaki Daishi. Under the old treaties, the areas where foreigners could walk freely without passport were limited, and in Yokohama, Rokugo River was the eastern limit. Located near the eastern boundary, Kawasaki Daishi was a popular sightseeing spot among foreigners.==Date:unknown, Place:Yokohama, Photo:F. Beato, (Credit:Nagasaki University Library/Kyodo News Images) [Cabinet Number62‐31‐0]

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Stone steps up to Mt. Maya

One of the major temples of the Shingon Sect of Buddhism, Butsumo Mayasan Toritenjoji Temple was located on the hillside of Mt. Maya (alt. 700m). The main hall, Bunin-do, and Ema-do (the building on the upper left) stood about 400 steps up from the niomon gate. This photograph was taken around the same time as photograph #2802 (Odaki Waterfall of Nunobiki).==Date:unknown, Place:Kobe, Photo:unknown, (Credit:Nagasaki University Library/Kyodo News Images) [Cabinet Number56‐22‐0]