Introduction
The religious significance of Mount Koya stretches back to the 9th century when a monastic retreat was established on the mountain for the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism.
At one time there were more than a thousand temples here, but the 120 that remain today are still atmospheric, veiled in incense and abuzz with pilgrims and other visitors, many of who stay in a traditional temple lodging and join the resident monks in morning prayers.
The most famous of the temples on Mount Koya is Kongosan-mai, founded in memory of the head of the Genji clan by his widow and decorated with images of elephants, lions and exotic birds.
