Entrance area of the oldest cemetery in Japan. You can see a small shrine and a stele with Japanese characters. Trees can be seen in the background.

The largest cemetery in Japan - Oku-no-in

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All Around The World
When you think of Japan, you immediately think of Tokyo, Kyoto and perhaps Osaka. But there is so much more to discover in this country than just the big cities. How about a cemetery?
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The Kōya-san mountain range is located around 70 kilometers south of Osaka and contains the largest cemetery in Japan. Kōya-san is the second most sacred site for the Japanese after Mount Fuji. Shingon Buddhism was founded here in 816 by a monk named Kūkai (Sea of Emptiness). The mausoleum of Kōbō Daishi (Master of the Propagation of Teachings, Kūkai's honorary title) is the centerpiece of the forest cemetery.

A wide sidewalk can be seen. To the left and right are tall pillars with trees in between. You can see part of the bright sky.
Entrance area to the Oku-no-in forest cemetery.
A small shrine in the entrance area, which is somewhat hidden on a hill and difficult to access. There are trees everywhere and the roots and damp leaves are a tripping hazard.
This somewhat concealed shrine can be found in the entrance area.

The Oku-no-in cemetery, also known as the place of waiting spirits, stretches for around three kilometers. At the end of the path lies the resting place of Kūkai, who waits in eternal meditation in his burial place for the appearance of the coming Buddha. For in Shingon Buddhism there are no deceased, only waiting spirits.

Ancient graves overgrown with moss at the forest cemetery
The graves, some of which are centuries old, look a little spooky at dusk

Monks bring food twice a day to the tomb of Kōbō Daishi (who is only meditating for them) and they pass more than 200,000 graves along the way. The final resting places of emperors, samurai and shoguns. But there are also curiosities: a pesticide manufacturer has donated a grave for all the insects that have been killed and the gravestone of a Japanese aircraft manufacturer can be seen from afar: a rocket. Many companies also have graves here: Toyota, Nissan and the electronics manufacturer Panasonic, among others.

The grave of an airplane manufacturer from Japan. He has chosen a rocket as a special attraction. The rocket with black stripes and a white background stands in front of some trees.
The grave of a Japanese aircraft manufacturer
The company grave of the Japanese car company Nissan. Two men are standing next to each other on a small square to which a few stone slabs lead. They are standing on a pedestal in the middle of a gravel bed.
The company tomb of Nissan on Koyasan.

In addition to the many stone lanterns, monk statues with red children's bibs are particularly striking. These are Jizō Bosatzu monk statues. The belief in the Jizō death cult helps mothers and fathers cope with the loss of their child. Parents are comforted by the knowledge that Jizō accompanies the deceased children (also known as water children) safely across the river of the underworld to paradise. Jizō recognizes the children by the smell of the red bib.

You can see a shining stone lantern with a Jitsu statue next to it. It is said to guide deceased children well into the afterlife.
You see the Jizo figures with the red bibs very often.
You can see a typical Japanese arch in the darkness. Just behind it is another memorial.
You should not rely on the stone lanterns in the dark.

The cemetery is open day and night. However, the light from the stone lanterns is very dim and the path is uneven. If you plan to visit in the evening or at night, you should take a flashlight with you.

The cemetery is lined with figures and flowers. The figures represent Japanese people who have been given fresh flowers.
Impressions of the Oku-no-in cemetery.

Sources:

https://Kōyasan.net

https://japan.de/staedte-kultur/Kōyasan/

Picture credits:

All pictures copyright by Ingrid Müller

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