I eventually settled on a temple stay in a Buddhist monastery at a place called Shojoshin-in, in Koyasan or Mount Koya, a religious community and one of Japan’s most sacred sites, and I booked the stay.
I was so happy with the service, I ended up booking both the Koyasan temple lodging and a traditional onsen ryokan, a traditional inn with hot springs.
Just down the road from the temple is the Okunoin Cemetery. If you’re looking for the ultimate in unique experiences in Japan, this is it. The Okunoin Cemetery in Koya-san, Japan is one of Japan’s most sacred places.
In fact, the area is so meaningful to its adherents that it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004. Okunoin is the oldest and most well-known cemetery in Japan.
This necropolis is the final resting place of about 300,000 residents. That number could be at least double because no one really knows for sure as this cemetery is over 1200 years old.
Beyond the religious aspects of the necropolis, it is the size of the place that is surprising. It holds a sea of stupas or headstones, stone lanterns, monuments and mausoleums as far as the eye can see.