If you want to enjoy beer with lunch, you should go to Asahi or Kirin.
Imagine sitting on a beautiful futon and enjoying the eye-catching specialty of Shojin ryori vegetable rolls at an ancient temple on one of Japan’s most beautiful mountains, Koyasan. It’s no surprise that Fudoin Temple accepts visitors to stay at the temple and enjoy a dinner with wine.
Buddhist etiquette in Japan is not as strict as in places of worship in Thailand or Bhutan, where drinking alcohol near temples is prohibited. Another surprising point in Japan is that monks can marry.
The relic site is located in the middle of a forest of giant trees, creating a beautiful landscape (internet photo)
According to historical records, in 1872, the Meiji government declared that monks were free to eat meat without being considered a crime, if they were married and had children. This tradition has been maintained to this day and has never been broken.
Seion’s father was a monk at Fudoin Temple, following in the footsteps of his grandfather who was also a monk at this temple, a career passed down from father to son and one of the unique features of temples in Japan.
There are 117 temples in Koyasan, and Fudoin is one of the 52 temples that welcome visitors at night.
Located in Wakayama, Koyasan is a must-see destination when visiting Japan, a country famous for its sacred Buddhism.
The temple’s popularity began in 2004 when it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as one of the three most sacred sites in Japan’s Kii Mountain Range.
With a population of nearly 3,000, the temple is a sanctuary for Shingon Buddhism, a mystical sect influenced by China introduced to Japan in 805 by a man named Kobo Daishi, or Kukai, one of Japan’s most revered religious figures.
The area surrounding the temple is ancient forests and paved roads, with restaurants, schools, cafes and souvenir shops lining the roadside.
Anything built on the town of Koyasan needs to be protected by the government at Kongobuji, which functions as the central office of Shingon Buddhism of over 4,000 temples and shrines across Japan and abroad.
The Paths of Reverence
In a remote place in an ancient forest and sacred mountain range, Koyasan is one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Every temple and gate has been bleached by the harsh sun and rain, especially the architectural systems at Danjo Garan, often described as the second most sacred site in Koyasan.
Another beautiful sight that cannot be missed is Banryutei, the largest rock garden in Japan. This rock garden is located at Kongobuji Temple, it was completed in 1984 to commemorate the 1150th anniversary of the development of this wonderful Zen art.
Next, the highlight of the Koyasan trip is Okunoin, the most revered of the rest stops.
After crossing Ichinohashi, the first bridge, I was ready to go down the hill about 2 km of stone road to Okunoin mausoleum and Torodo Hall filled with 10,000 beautiful lanterns.
The path is paved with 200,000 paving stones, statues and symbols. The space also has a Shinto torii gate, a trail and a dense forest with giant trees that seem to shade a part of the sky in the clear, peaceful sunlight of the morning.
You could walk through this forest a hundred times and still notice the differences as if you had never walked through it before.
Meditation and free wifi
Tourists are given brochures about a part of the site and they want to visit it.
Visitors are then served breakfast, a fresh meal of shojin ryori, which you might give up on meat if you were served this every day. This is part of the secret of Koyasan life, the ability to embrace change while still holding fast to the core principles of Buddhist belief.
Koyasan area is considered the center of Buddhism in Japan (internet photo)
It is the duty of the monks to preserve ancient customs and traditions and help them survive through the generations.
But even so, new technologies and advances in science are still things that need to be grasped with understanding, Koyasan was introduced by a man who traveled by foot to spread the word about this sacred place.
Nowadays technology has made sharing information much easier, plus the fact that foreign tourists need access to the Internet for many different purposes such as contacting family or booking hotels…
Accommodation
All temples in Koyasan can be booked in advance through the Shukubo Koyasan website.
The level of comfort, and the price range, is also very diverse, at Fudoin, there are 22 Japanese-style guest rooms and two large halls. The rooms are comfortable and spacious, some of which have windows facing the beautiful garden.
The infrastructure here includes gardens, tea rooms, libraries, European-style restrooms, and shared bathrooms.
In addition to morning prayers, tourist activities include “sutra copying” which is the 262-word text in Hanya Shinkyo script and Ajikan meditation.
According to CNN
Hong Hanh
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