Sacred Kōyasan: A Pilgrimage to the Mountain Temple of Saint Kōbō Daishi and the Great Sun Buddha

For more than one thousand years, the vast Buddhist monastery and temple complex on remote Mount Koμya has been one of Japan’s most important religious centers. Saint Koμboμ Daishi (also known as Kuμkai), founder of the esoteric Shingon school and one of the great figures of world Buddhism, consecrated the mountain for holy purposes in the early 800s. Buried on Koμyasan, Koμboμ Daishi is said to be still alive, selflessly advocating for the salvation of all sentient beings.

Located south of Osaka, Koμyasan has attracted visitors from every station of Japanese life, and in recent years, more than a million tourists and pilgrims visit annually. In Sacred Koμyasan, the first book-length study in English of this holy Buddhist mountain, Philip L. Nicoloff invites readers to accompany him on a pilgrimage. Together with the author, the pilgrim-reader ascends the mountain, stays at a temple monastery, and explores Koμyasan’s main buildings, sacred statues, and famous forest cemetery. Author and reader participate in the full annual cycle of rituals and ceremonies, and explore the life and legend of Kobo Daishi and the history of the mountain.

Written for both the scholarly and general reader, Sacred Koμyasan will appeal to potential travelers, dedicated armchair travelers, and all readers interested in Buddhism and Japanese culture.