Usual hours and prices, checked 2026-10-06 against the sources under “What this place is”. They can change for holidays and events — confirm before you go. Official site
Our guide
Kongōbu-ji, “Temple of the Diamond Mountain Peak”, on Mount Kōya in Wakayama, is the head temple of Kōyasan Shingon Buddhism and part of the World Heritage Site “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range”. It was first built in 1593 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi as Seigan-ji, on the death of his mother, rebuilt in 1861 and given its present name in 1869.
Inside are many sliding doors painted by Kanō Tanyū and other painters of the Kyoto Kanō school. Its modern rock garden, the Banryūtei, is the largest in Japan at 2,340 m²: 140 granite stones set to suggest a pair of dragons rising from the clouds to protect the temple.
Mount Koya is about 300 m from the point this page is mapped to, and Kongō Sanmai-in about 500 m. We have not checked opening hours or fees.
Written by japan-spots.com (2026-09-22) from the sources credited on this page. Distances are straight lines between map positions.
Photos
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, each under its own licence — see credits
- Danjogaran Koyasan16n4272 — 663highland · CC BY 2.5 · source · resized
- Danjogaran Koyasan02s5s3200 — 663highland · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Daisikyoukai01 — Dokudami · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Daimon Koyasan01n4272 — 663highland · CC BY 2.5 · source · resized
- Daiedou01 — Dokudami · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Banryutei01 — Dokudami · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Autumn leaves at Jabaramichi in Danjogaran of Mount Kōya (2021.11) 001 — Naokijp · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Asano Naganori Grave — KENPEI · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- 20120310-KoyaOdaNobunagaNoHaka — Velesperun · CC0 · source · resized
What this place is
Kongōbu-ji (金剛峯寺) is the ecclesiastic head temple of Kōyasan Shingon Buddhism, located on Mount Kōya (高野山, Kōya-san), Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. Its name means Temple of the Diamond Mountain Peak. It is part of the "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range" UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temple was first constructed as Seigan-ji Temple in 1593 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi on the death of his mother, rebuilt in 1861, and given its present name in 1869.It contains many sliding screen doors painted by Kanō Tanyū (1602-1674) and members of the Kyoto Kanō school. The temple's modern Banryūtei (蟠龍庭 rock garden) is Japan's largest (2340 square meters), with 140 granite stones arranged to suggest a pair of dragons emerging from clouds to protect the temple. The 414th abbot of Kongōbu-ji is the Reverend Kogi Kasai, who also acts as the archbishop of the Kōyasan Shingon school.
Visitor information checked: 2026-10-06 · Official visitor information
Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
What to expect at this type of place: Temple
Nearby station
Nearby station: Kōyasan (Nankai Cable Line), about 1.6 km from the spot in a straight line.
Worked out on 2026-09-14 from this place’s map position, using HeartRails Express station data and station names from Wikidata. The distance is a straight line, not a walking route, and says nothing about buses, transfers or timetables — plan the trip on Google Maps.
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