came across an eight-peaked mountain basin in what’s now Wakayama Prefecture and chose the site to build an inaugural temple for his newly established Koyasan Shingon sect of Buddhism.

Koyasan, in the mountains of Wakayama Prefecture, is a sacred site of Shingon Buddhism. It was founded by the visionary monk, Kukai, about 1,200 years ago. Pilgrims and tourists alike stay in ...