VIC -Even Closer to Help You-

Our VIC(Visitor Information Center) office is in Daishi Kyokai which is near Kongobuji, the head temple of Koyasan Shingon Buddhism, on the west across from the big parking lot.
But still not many tourists can't recognize what it is like.
This is the picture of the entrance of Daishi Kyokai. Please come inside.
From outside, it looked darker but please do not hesitate to come in.

Then you'll see the friendly symbolic character "KOYA-KUN". Please take the right hand entrance, you'll see our counter.




You can see warm-welcoming smile of our staff member on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from April to November. (From December to March, only on Wedmesdays and Fridays. Sorry for your inconvenience.) Unless you're lucky enough coming on the day we're not open, you can also contact us on either 090-1486-2588 or 090-3263-5184.

(by KQ)

Thank you for coming all the way to Japan

From April to October, KCCN provides 3-hour-English guided tour around Koyasan on Wednesdays.

You can participate the tour without any reservation and you can get a general information about Koyasan during the tour.

Since Tohoku and north Kanto Earthquakes and the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant disaster,  less and less foreign visitors have come to Koyasan.

Well, actually Koyasan is about 700 or 800 km away from Fukushima and west part of Japan don't have much influcence from that.  But people in the west have been giving themselves self-restrain and even hesitated to do ordinarily.

But I hope people from abroad visit Kansai area and encourage us so that we could support people in Tohoku with cheerful smile and economically too.  Now the cherry blossoms are out of bloom in most area of Kansai but still you can enjoy spring flowers like wisteria, yellow Japanese rose, azalea, iris and so on.

And here in Koyasan, you can still enjoy cherry blossoms next week or later.  Well, it was 1.9 degrees Celcius today and the season were brought back to winter. People staying at Koyasan today is so surprised to feel the differences of the temperature.

On such a cold day, we were happy to have guests participating our Wednesday Tour.  They were from Holland and  they know a lot about Japanese history and Japanese samurai heroes.  The person in charge today was also a big fan of Japanese history and she was so happy to share the stories about samurai with them.  I hope they should come back sometime to see the grave of Date Masamune which they missed today.  

 

 (^-^) by KQ 

 

PS:Thank you for the candy!

On the Day with a Buddhist Ritual

At the head temple of Koyasan Shingon Buddhism, Kongobuji, the special decoration is done along the approach to the front and side gates on special days in Buddhism.

Classical wooden pails are lined up on both side of the approach and neat piles of Japanese cedar branches are placed by the gate. They are said to be used as drinking water and the grass for the horses who brought their masters to the temple.
The red tubs by the gate are said to be used for those masters purified their hands before entering the temple.

It was HANAMATSURI, the Flower Festival to celebrate the Buddha(Shakyamuni)'s birthday today. (By KQ)

Hana-Matsuri, the Flower Festival

HANA-MATSURI, the Flower Festival is held to celebrate the Buddha(Shakyamuni)'s birthday today, on April 8th.

At Kongobuji, the head temple of Koyasan Shingon Buddhism, abbots gathered in the main hall and hold the Buddhist Ceremony.

The alter decorated with colorful flowers holds a young Shakyamuni Buddha with his hand up in the pool of AMACHA, hydrangea tea inside.

After the ceremony offered for Buddha's birthday, his alter is placed in the hallway and any visitors celebrate his birthday with pouring (offering) hydrangea tea to the little Buddha.

The local kindergarten children as well visit Kongobuji and join this ceremony. They are all curious, line up in order and offering tea earnestly.

The visitors to the temple as well offered hydrangea tea served by wives of local temples. (By KQ)

VIC Small Opening

 After the long hibernation, we newly opened Koyasan Visitor Information Center to provide all the information about Koyasan and to answer your questions at the same place in Daishi Kyokai.
The entrance is a little difficult to find but please do not miss our sign.
We're waiting for your coming.

However the Reception is shared with 3 different organizations, so sometimes you may hesitate to come into our front desk when many Japanese visitors are buying their souvenirs or waiting for their order to have OJUKAI, the Buddhist ritual, SHAKYO, copying sutra, or GOSHUIN, the special calligraphy of Buddha. But once you see closely, under the English sign, you'll see our staff member smiling to you with our full hospitality. You can talk to us in English.
(By KQ)

Closed Temporarily For Remodeling

During December 2010 through March 2011,

VIC ( Koyasan Visitor Information Center ) 

is closed temporarily for remodeling.

We are very sorry to cause you inconvenience,

but we would ask for your kind understanding. 

Please feel free to contact us by
 phone or e-mails

at anytime when you need information about 

Koyasan and guided tours.

Thank you very much.

Mobile phone: 090-1486-2588 / 090-3263-5184

E-mail: mail@koyasan-ccn.com

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 = Koyasan Cross-cultural Communication Network =

KOYASAN IN TOKYO (1st Sept. through 12th Sept.)

Koaysan Cafe has been set up in Marunouchi,Tokyo on September 1st.

This is the fourth operation since 2007. Koyasan Cafe is getting popular among city residents as a place where anyone feel free to enjoy Buddhist expereiences including shojin-ryori, vegetarial cuisine for Buddhist monks, shakyo, copying sutra, and Ajikan, Buddhist meditation.　
With the cooperation of "Marunouchi House" which contains nine restaurants and open space inside, you can enjoy different types of shojin-ryori at each restaurant. It must be nice to escape from summer heat and refresh yourself at Koyasan Cafe.

Of course, it's better to visit Koyasan in Wakayama. There are over one hundred temples in Koyasan, and half of them offer accommodations. Also, excellent guided tours are available at anytime. Please contact us by e-mail or phone. (SKY)

Great Shower!

Wednesday, August 25     22℃       Cloudy/Shower

 

That's Koyasan!  In summer, we used to have a shower almost everyday.  But this summer, we didn't have any for almost 2 weeks and that made Koyasan terribly hot and humid.  (Well, still visitors say it's cool but Koyasan was not so hot as today.)  Anyway, since Monday, the 23rd, it started to have a shower.  The yard of Daishi Kyokai where our office is located turned to be like a ocean within 15 minutes.  But wait a minute?  It won't seem to stop.  Well, it never rains but pours turns to be true.  (KQ)

 

 

SAVE YOU 30% ON YOUR ADMISSIONS IN KOYASAN

Monday August 20, 2010  Sunny   26C(10:00am)

SAVE YOU 30% ON YOUR ADMISSIONS

KOYASAN COMBINATION TICKET will save you 30% on your admissions in Koyasan.

This ticket covers four places and two religious experiences, shakyo and o-jukai.

There are many places to see in Koyasan.
Many people are baffled, wondering where to go or what to do in Koyasan.

But, you don't have to worry. Just visit the places on this ticket and join in the ritual experiences.

Save your time and save your money. This ticket is availabe at VIC. (SKY)

KOYA-KUN

Nara has been celebrating the 1300 year anniversary after establishing the old capital there. Since its preparation, the new unique character, SENTO-KUN has been arousing much controversy. Well, its shocking first impression now got used to be seen.

On the other hand, some people doesn't like to have such an anime-like character appeared in this holly site of Koyasan but KOYA-KUN is getting more and more popular. There are many stationaries, T-shirt, keychains, cell phone straps and so on. Well, Mikkyo, the esoteric Buddhism has many different Buddhas and its teaching is how happy the Buddhas' world is. Buddhas, Boddhisattva, Deities with many different appearance exist there. Why not KOYA-KUN? He looks quite popular among Japanese visiting here. You can see him at KONGOBUJI, the head temple of Koyasan Shingon Buddhism every Sunday. (KQ)