Kongōbu-ji
金剛峯寺
A Buddhist temple built for quiet — halls, gardens and incense smoke.
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.
Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Why it is worth the trip
- Main halls housing Buddhist statuary, some of it designated National Treasure or Important Cultural Property.
- Gardens designed to be looked at rather than walked through — raked gravel, moss, borrowed mountain scenery.
- Wooden architecture with deep eaves and joinery assembled without nails, often rebuilt over many centuries.
What you can do here
- Light incense at the burner and waft the smoke over yourself before entering the main hall.
- Sit on the veranda facing the garden — that is the intended way to see it, and it costs nothing extra.
- Receive a goshuin seal, or try a short zazen / sutra-copying session where offered.
- Walk the temple's pagoda, bell tower and sub-temples; many stay open later than the main hall.
Photos
Photos from Wikimedia Commons — click any image for the photographer and licence.
Getting there by public transport
Good to know before you go
- Remove your shoes where indicated and carry them in the plastic bag provided.
- Keep voices low inside halls; photography of the principal image is often prohibited.
- Autumn foliage and spring blossom seasons bring long queues — go right at opening.
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