Okunoin is the vast cemetery and sacred inner precinct of Koyasan, the mountain monastery town in Wakayama founded by the monk Kukai (Kobo Daishi) in 816. It is Japan's largest cemetery, with more than 200,000 graves and memorial monuments along a roughly 2km path through old-growth cedar forest. The path ends at the Gobyo, Kobo Daishi's mausoleum, where Shingon Buddhists believe he remains in eternal meditation; monks still carry meals to him twice a day. The outdoor paths are open 24 hours and free to walk, and Okunoin is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range.

When is the best time to visit Okunoin?

Early morning. Before the day-trip buses arrive from Osaka, mist often still hangs among the cedars, the paths are nearly empty, and you can watch the 6:00 meal-offering procession to Kobo Daishi's mausoleum. That is a strong argument for staying overnight at one of Koyasan's temple lodgings rather than visiting as a day trip. The second-best time is after dark, when the stone lanterns along the path are lit.

Wakayama · Japan

Okunoin

Two kilometres of path through old-growth cedar, lined with more than 200,000 graves — samurai lords, ordinary pilgrims, and a few companies — leading to the mausoleum where Kobo Daishi is believed to still be meditating.

Josep M. Gracia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Why everyone wants to be buried here

Shingon tradition holds that Kobo Daishi did not die in 835 but entered eternal meditation in his mausoleum at the end of the Okunoin path, where he waits for the arrival of the future Buddha, Maitreya. To be buried near him has been considered a way of being close at hand when that day comes — which is why, over more than a thousand years, emperors, feudal lords, monks, merchants and ordinary families have all sought a place here.

The result is less like a Western cemetery than a forest that happens to be full of graves. Moss-covered stone pagodas and memorials, some many centuries old, stand among cedars that are hundreds of years old themselves. The grave markers of rival warlords stand a short walk apart: Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin, who fought each other for years, have memorials near each other, and there is a memorial to Oda Nobunaga — a cenotaph rather than his actual remains.

Every day at 6:00 and 10:30, monks prepare a meal for Kobo Daishi at the Gokusho kitchen, offer it for a symbolic tasting at the Ajimi Jizo statue, and carry it in procession across Gobyo-bashi bridge to the mausoleum. The ceremony, called Shojingu, has continued for over 1,200 years, and visitors can watch the procession pass.

Visitors crossing Gobyo-bashi bridge toward the Torodo hall through tall cedars at Okunoin — Gobyo-bashi bridge, the entrance to the innermost sacred area. Torodo, the Hall of Lanterns, is visible up the steps beyond.

Which way to walk in

There are two ways to reach the mausoleum. Most visitors take the short route from the Okunoin-mae bus stop; the long route from Ichi-no-hashi passes the oldest and most atmospheric graves.

Okunoin approach routes compared
Route	Distance to mausoleum	Walking time	What you see
From Ichi-no-hashi bridge (traditional)	About 2km	30–40 min at a sightseeing pace	The oldest graves, samurai memorials, the deepest cedar forest
From Okunoin-mae bus stop	Under 1km	About 15–20 min	The newer section, including the corporate memorials; joins the main path near the end

Our suggestion: walk in from Ichi-no-hashi, then take the bus back to town from Okunoin-mae, so you see the old section without walking it twice. Buses from Senjuinbashi in the town centre to Okunoin-mae take about 10 minutes and run two to three times an hour.

Before you go

At the end of the path, Torodo — the Hall of Lanterns — holds more than 10,000 lanterns donated by worshippers. Two of them are said to have burned without going out for around 900 years. The hall is open 6:00–17:00 daily and admission is free.

Photography, eating and drinking are not allowed beyond Gobyo-bashi bridge, which marks the entrance to the innermost sacred area around Torodo and the mausoleum. Bow at the bridge, as pilgrims do, and put your camera away.

The newer section near Okunoin-mae has some of Japan's strangest graves: company memorials built for deceased employees. Look for a large stone coffee cup (UCC Coffee), a rocket modelled on Apollo 11 (the aircraft maker ShinMaywa, 1969), a memorial to termites put up by a pest-control company, and Panasonic's, one of the first, built by founder Konosuke Matsushita in 1938.

Guided night tours run most evenings, starting around 19:00 and ending at the mausoleum about 20:20 — usually booked through your temple lodging or the town's tour operators. The lanterns along the path stay lit from sunset until around midnight.

For somewhere to stay, see our Koyasan temple lodging guide — Ekoin and Sekishoin are both a short walk from the Ichi-no-hashi entrance. In mid-June, the Aoba Matsuri procession for Kobo Daishi's birthday starts at Ichi-no-hashi (the procession date varies by year — check before you go).

A bronze statue of two workers in front of a stone pillar at the Nissan memorial, Okunoin — One of the corporate memorials in Okunoin's newer section: Nissan's, a statue of two workers commemorating deceased employees.

Visiting: hours and admission

Unlike most of Koyasan's temple halls, the cemetery itself never closes.

Okunoin: hours and fees
Site	Hours	Admission
Cemetery paths	24 hours	Free
Torodo (Hall of Lanterns)	6:00 – 17:00, daily	Free
Shojingu meal procession	Daily at 6:00 and 10:30	Free to watch

Sources: japan-guide.com — Okunoin and Koyasan temple information. Hours can change for special events such as New Year and the August lantern festival.

Getting to Okunoin

From Osaka's Namba Station, take the Nankai Koya Line to Gokurakubashi, then the cable car up to Koyasan Station — about 1.5 to 2 hours in total. From Koyasan Station, buses run into town.

For Ichi-no-hashi, get off at Okunoin-guchi, or walk 10–15 minutes from Senjuinbashi in the town centre. For the short route, ride to the end of the line at Okunoin-mae. From the cable car station to Okunoin-mae takes about 20 minutes by bus.

Primary sources

Last updated: 2026-09-23