Kongobuji – Susan Spann, Adventure, Mystery, and Mountains

A Visit to Kongobuji, Part 2: The Dragon Garden

Susan Spann Blog February 23, 2018February 19, 2018Banryutei Garden, Japan, Kongobuji, Koya, Koyasan, rock gardens, Shingon

(To start the visit to Kongobuji from the beginning, click here.) After entering the main building of Kongobuji, visitors pass through the gold-doored ohiroma (sadly, no photos allowed) and along a hallway with wooden floors worn smooth by time and the passage of many feet. Like many Japanese temples, Kongobuji features gardens in every outdoor space, no matter how small.

A Visit to Kongobuji, Part 1

Susan Spann Blog February 21, 2018February 19, 2018Buddhism, Japan, Kongobuji, Koyasan, Mount Koya, Shingon

Originally constructed in 1593 on the order of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Kongobuji is currently the head temple of Koyasan Shingon Buddhism in Japan. Kongobuji means “Temple of the Diamond Mountain Peak.” The temple acquired this name after joining with another temple (which was also the time when it became the head temple of Koyasan Shingon).