Rolling green hills, blue skies with fluffy white clouds and ornate Japanese houses are what I imagine when thinking about the Japanese countryside. The skyscrapers of Osaka slowly changed into the rolling hills of Wakayama as I zoomed by on the train. This entire journey was like a scene from a Studio Ghibli movie, I didn’t want to close my eyes in case I missed something beautiful. Honestly, Japan is just a dream destination for me and I’ve barely done anything exciting (I’ll apologise in advance for the extreme excitement which will happen when I visit Kyoto).
How do you recreate an incredibly beautiful journey you ask. It is simple especially when you have a 48 hour travel pass and love travelling by train (I know I do). I began by hopping on the Osaka metro from Umeda to Shinsaibashi station, a short and easy journey. My Photographer and I have heard some ridiculous rumours of Japanese transport being all Japanese, this isn’t true. It is really user friendly and all stations have numbers and colours e.g. Shinsaibashi station is M16 and the line I used was the red one. If my photographer and I can use the metro lines in Osaka, anyone can.
I then made a short walk to Namba station which is giant but the trains begin and terminate here, so there is no running along a platform to jump on a train (phew). There is also a really nice bakery and 7eleven opposite the platform gates and we all know snacks are a must for any train journey. I boarded a train on the Nankai-Koya line which was the express to Hashimoto. The train looked very similar to the one in Spirited Away but sadly didn’t go through the sea to get to my destination. Cityscapes turned to villages which finally turned into rolling green hills and I made it to Hashimoto. Local trains are the perfect way to see more of a country and I absolutely adore slower forms of transport.
I changed trains here and boarded a Local Gokurakubashi train which took me up into the mountains of Wakayama. It was a really beautiful train ride through the bamboo groves but I didn’t really enjoy it because my photographer spent the entire train ride moving seats and screaming, yes you read that right. A poor cicada had boarded the train and couldn’t find another exit, so it was buzzing up and down the train windows. I’m not sure who was more horrified by the situation, the cicada, my photographer or the whole of Wakayama. Do any of you travel with embarrassing humans, I know I do, sometimes I am glad to jump in the handbag of doom to hide away.
Safely away from the cicada, I left the train and made sure my photographer agreed to be quiet for the rest of the journey. I walked a short distance to the station where I boarded a funicular to go up possibly the steepest hill I have ever seen. It took five minutes to reach the top and when I got off the funicular my ears thought I had been on an airplane. If you’ve been keeping count on this journey there is only one form of land transport I hadn’t been on yet. The local bus, my 48 hour ticket covered me for the buses around Koyasan as well as the trains and funicular (really worth it, but stressful to keep safe). The mountain roads were continuous hairpin bends that had no crash barrier at the side, I thought it was a fun journey and I felt like I was on a rollercoaster. However, we kept encountering local deer traffic which really slowed down the journey but I was really excited to see them.
I finally arrived into Koyasan and immediately decided that I had not booked a long enough stay in the area. There is so much to see and do in this small town, even if you aren’t into visiting Temples. The streets are lined with beautiful wooden buildings and temples which are nestled in between them. Hydrangeas fill the spaces between houses and give bursts of blue along a brown and white backdrop. Life slows down in this scenic temple town and it’s wonderfully reminiscent of a Studio Ghibli movie. My wander took me towards the centre of town where I found the Kongobuji Temple (金剛峯寺).
This temple is the head monastery of the Shingon sect of Buddhism which was founded in 1593 originally as a memorial and then later became the Temple it is today. Although the building looks ancient, sadly it has been rebuilt several times due to fires. Prior to entering the temple I had to remove my shoes and leave them at the front door, well my photographer did because I don’t often wear shoes (only wellies). This was a really foreign experience to me because in the UK everyone wears shoes everywhere. You have to pay to enter the temple 1000 yen (£5.50) but I thought it was worth the money as I gained entry to the temple, garden and two exhibits going on inside. There is a route you have to follow and strict rules on photography which I found annoying but the ancient sliding doors need to be protected somehow. I wish I could show you the beautiful artwork but sadly no photography was allowed. Golden doors were adorned with cranes and other animals which had been painted hundreds of years ago and were still in pristine condition.
I headed through to the main Tatami hall where a female monk was speaking, sadly I have no idea what she was saying. Leaving the soothing Buddhist teachings behind, I headed outside in search of two dragons. At first I thought they meant dinosaurs but no it was definitely dragons. The dragons are emerging from a sea of clouds within Banryutei Rock Garden, the largest of its kind in Japan. There is something serene about being in a rock garden, even though there were a lot of people it was beautifully silent.
The next room I found was filled with screens covered in calligraphy (I think it is names of animals but forgive me if I am wrong). I love how Japan preserves and highlights the beautiful art forms found nowhere else in the world. Sadly, English translations were minimal so I couldn’t experience the full exhibition which was going on.
I headed back to the main building via the gift shop (eurgh why are places ruined with tourist tat). Following a wooden path around the outside of the building and through the most beautiful courtyard. Finally, I ended up walking past the golden Jodannoma Audience Room where the Emperor used to greet visiting dignitaries. One the way to the kitchen is two rooms with beautiful screens that were painted by a Japanese American artist, one depicts a waterfall and the other is a forest. I loved the forest because it was so lifelike.
Before leaving, I located humans shoes (from the smell alone) and had a final wander around the outbuildings but sadly it was starting to rain. Weirdly the rain made Koyasan even more beautiful. I made the short walk over to Garan which is the central temple complex and the photo you have probably seen when Googling the area. There are lots of temples and pagodas but I didn’t go in any because there was a ceremony going on and I didn’t want to intrude. As you walk towards the Kondo Hall from the tourist information each of the buildings gets bigger until you reach the red Konpon Daito Pagoda which is meant to represent a 3D Mandala.
Sadly, the rain was getting heavier, July is rainy season in Japan, so I did a faster walk around the complex until I reached a pine tree. The pine tree is unique for two reasons, the first being the three pronged needles which grow on this tree. I found one of these sprigs which is meant to bring good luck. Secondly, the tree is known for a famous legend; it caught the Sankosho thrown by Kobo Daishi all the way from China. This area is the starting and ending point for pilgrimages through the forest but sadly these are used less often nowadays thanks to the installation of the funicular up the mountain.
I walked back through the town with the noble aim of letting my photographer look around the shops whilst I had a snooze in the backpack but everything closes at 4pm in Koyasan. Finding a vending machine outside of a shop, I had a game of vending machine roulette and this time found something delicious, grape juice. Whilst I was having a break I noticed a white bridge leading into the forest and of course I had to go in and find out where it went to. I had stumbled upon Okunoin Cemetery without even trying and my photographer was overjoyed because it is a place they have wanted to visit for years.
Before crossing the bridge I bowed to pay my respects and then I was transported into a mystical realm that was enhanced by the dim lighting and torrential rain. My photographer has always been inspired by places which look like ancient fairy tales and Okunoin is like a scene from Princess Mononoke. Moss covers many of the 200,000 gravestones which line the 2km walk up to the tomb of Kobo Daishi, though some believe he is still alive in a deep meditative state. Slate graves belong to famous Samurai, feudal lords and some rather famous Japanese companies which had some really amusing slogans (Top tip – find the termite memorial). Buddha statues are hidden among the graves alongside smaller memorials wearing red, symbolising children in haunting outfits which really stand out amidst the background of green and grey.
I passed through the mausoleum silently as the local fire brigade were attending a memorial service among the lanterns and incense, a smell I will never forget. I walked back through a different area of graves which seemed to be much more modern that those near the bridge. A sombre walk took me back to the temple past the hydrangeas as the dark skies finally began to rain heavily.
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