Mount Koya, Wakayama
Founded in 816 AD by the monk Kukai – known posthumously as Kobo Daishi – Koyasan is the spiritual centre of Shingon Buddhism and one of Japan’s most remarkable pilgrimage destinations. At around 900 metres above sea level, the mountain town is home to 117 temples, arranged among towering cryptomeria forests.
At its heart lies Okunoin, a vast cemetery where more than 200,000 tombstones line a moss-covered path leading to Kukai’s mausoleum. His followers believe he rests here in eternal meditation rather than death. Stay overnight in a shukubo, or temple lodging, and the experience deepens. Mornings begin before dawn with prayers in a dim, incense-filled hall, followed by shojin ryori – the refined Buddhist vegetarian cuisine that has been served on this mountain for centuries.
Koyasan is around two hours from Osaka by train and cable car, but it feels much further removed. Given its sacredness, it’s especially important to be mindful of local etiquette and customs here (see 15 unwritten rules you should know before travelling to Japan).
Yakushima, Kagoshima
Yakushima feels like another world – a subtropical island wrapped in mist and carpeted in moss. Rain falls often, feeding ancient cedar forests, rivers that carve through deep gorges, and trails that wind past gnarled roots. It’s said to have inspired Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke, and it’s easy to see why.
Some of the island’s trees are thousands of years old. The most famous, Jomon Sugi, is estimated to be over 2,000 – possibly reaching 7,200 – its scale alone enough to shift your sense of time. Elsewhere, gentler paths lead through places like Shiratani Unsuikyo, where moss covers almost every surface.
Stay in one of the small guesthouses in Anbo or Miyanoura, where hosts will advise on trail conditions and often prepare a simple bento for the day’s walk.
