Mt. Koya Sacred Sites in 1 Day Tour — Guide Nori

What Is a Private Day Tour of Koyasan Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests on this occasion were visitors from North America who were traveling in Japan for about a month, partly by cruise ship. Prior consultations about the itinerary were mainly conducted through one of the guests. Their destination was Mount Koya (Koyasan), and they seemed to have a deep interest in Japan's religious culture. After discussion, we decided to visit carefully so they could enjoy the atmosphere, covering "Okunoin and the Mausoleum" in the first half, and after lunch, "Kongobuji Temple, the Danjo Garan complex, and the Daimon Gate" in the second half.

Just before the day of the tour, one of the guests sent a somewhat puzzling email asking, "Isn't the meeting point Koyasan Railroad Station?" which briefly alarmed me, but on the morning of the tour I received a message saying it had been a misunderstanding, and I was relieved.

On the day, the heavy rain of the previous night had cleared into cloudy weather; although the humidity was high, there was hardly any sunshine, and we were able to enjoy an almost comfortable tour. In the first half, we traveled by bus to the entrance of Okunoin. On the way in at Okunoin, while viewing the vast array of tombstones including those of Warring States period warlords and countless historical figures, I explained the origins of Mount Koya and let the guests savor the atmosphere unique to a sacred site. On the way back, we walked a different route, passing along a path lined with tombstones of modern companies, organizations, and individuals, allowing them to feel the living reality of the faith in Kobo Daishi that continues to this day. The guests enjoyed the tranquility of Okunoin.

After lunch and a rest, we returned by bus to the central area where the temples stand clustered together, and visited Kongobuji Temple, the head temple of the Shingon sect. Along with the historic fusuma sliding-door paintings, we were able to take our time appreciating works of art by contemporary artists such as Hiroshi Senju. In front of the fusuma paintings of one contemporary artist, a monk was on hand to give an explanation, and we were able to hear detailed talks about the theme and origins of the paintings. I translated as much as possible into English to convey it to the guests, and this proved to be an invaluable experience for me as well. At the next stop, the Danjo Garan complex, the "Konpon Daito" great pagoda was especially impressive, and I had the guests view Kukai's "three-dimensional mandala." At the final stop, the Daimon Gate, we were unfortunately unable to see the spectacular view to the west due to the clouds, but they were able to appreciate that this is the place many worshippers have reached when making pilgrimages to this site since ancient times. In addition, one of the guests was interested in Japanese kimono fabrics and enjoyed searching for a favorite fabric at a shop along the way.

If there was one issue with this Koyasan tour, it would be the confusing nature of Nankai Electric Railway's "World Heritage Ticket (Limited Express Rinkan)." This ticket is often used for sightseeing in Koyasan and is convenient because it also allows use of the buses within Koyasan, but the problem is that a reserved seat on the limited express between Osaka/Namba and Gokurakubashi is guaranteed only for the outbound trip, and for the return trip you must pay the limited express fare. The guests this time also insisted, "This ticket should guarantee a limited express ticket for the return trip as well," and pressed the station staff about it. Since this happened after the guiding had ended, I hesitated a little, but I checked the ticket and explained that "the return limited express fare is not guaranteed." The guests reluctantly paid on board, but did not seem convinced. I had also experienced this problem the first time I handled a Koyasan tour, and I have been wondering whether it might be worth making some kind of request to Nankai Electric Railway. The conductor, who was also at a loss, acknowledged the problem and lamented, "We have been requesting improvements through the union all along, but it just doesn't get resolved." If there is anything that [Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.)](https://www.j-g-a.org/) could do about this, I would be grateful if some action could be taken.

Click here for more details: Mt. Koya Sacred Sites in 1 Day Tour with Licensed Guide

Tour Report by Nori

Hi, everyone! I’m Norifumi Kamon, a government registered guide interpreter. Please call me “Nori”, or “Kamon-san”.
Let me introdece myself. I was born on April 17th in 1952 in Miyazaki prefecture in Kyushu island. I used to be an English teacher of Osaka Prefectural high school. When I retired from a teacher ten years ago, I decided to get a professional guide license. I wanted to play a role of the bridge between Japanese people and the people from all over the world as a second life of mine. After two years efforts, I finally got the guide license. Since then, I have guided several handreds of foreign people mainly in Kyoto and Nara for about five years except Corona Pandemic period. Almost all the tourists were deeply impressed by the beauty of nature, traditoin, culture, and art of Japan. I can surely help you enjoy and be satisfied with the sightseeing in Japan. And I’m looking forward to seeing you soon.