Wakayama in One Day: Move: By bus to Daimon — Guide Nori

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

The guests this time were a group visiting from North America, traveling in Japan. Prior consultations about which places to visit were mainly done in advance. However, when it comes to a "Koyasan tour," there are no stops you can skip — starting from the Daimon Gate at the western edge, then Danjo Garan, Kongobu-ji Temple, and Okunoin — so I structured the day with lunch in between as "Walking Tour Part 1 (Daimon Gate → Danjo Garan → Kongobu-ji)," "Lunch and Break," and "Walking Tour Part 2 (Okunoin → Gobyo → Torodo Hall)." The guests happily agreed, saying, "It's an itinerary that lets us fully enjoy Koyasan, and we're looking forward to it."

On the day, even though it was only just the beginning of December, a severe cold wave struck the Japanese archipelago, and Koyasan had been snowy since the previous day, making it a cold day with temperatures below freezing all day long. As planned, I met the guests at 10:30 a.m. at Koyasan Station (cable car), exchanged brief greetings, confirmed the itinerary, and started the tour by bus. Both of them seemed to have a deep interest in Japanese religion (especially Shinto and Buddhism) and appeared to have basic knowledge about them. At the first stop, the Daimon Gate, I explained the difference between Shinto and Buddhism, and as we proceeded to Danjo Garan and Kongobu-ji, while explaining the outline of Shingon Buddhism founded by Kukai, the guests asked many questions, and answering them seemed to deepen their understanding.

After finishing the first half of the tour, we had lunch. Since the guests said, "It's cold, so we'd like to eat something warm," we had an udon set at a diner along the approach and took a relaxing break.

The second half was a stroll through Okunoin and a visit and prayer at Gobyo and Torodo Hall. The guests gazed with a moved expression at the countless large and small gravestones — said to number two hundred thousand or three hundred thousand — lined densely on both sides of the Okunoin approach. Okunoin is not a place for loud explanations, but rather a place to fully feel its atmosphere, so I did not say much. However, I did emphasize how many people, from powerful feudal lords across the country to merchants and common folk, have revered the virtue of Kobo Daishi and sought salvation, from a thousand years ago to the present day.

Although it was a suddenly bitterly cold winter day, it turned out to be a tour where the guests could feel the essence of Japanese Buddhism.

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.