Kobo Daishi chose Koyasan largely for its topography. Eight peaks, suggesting the eight petals of a lotus, surround the valley. In fact, the entire valley of Koyasan stands at the center of an enormous mandala covering the mountain and, by extension, all of Japan. And the Konpon Daito, the “Funda...

Kongobuji Temple, or the Temple of the Diamond Mountain, is the head temple of Shingon Buddhism, brought to Japan by Kobo Daishi in 805. The name Kongobuji originally referred to the entire Koyasan complex, but in 1593 Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered a new temple built in memory of his mother. In 1868 ...