Where Hilma would send you
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1
Tokugawa Mausoleum
Landmark
Sep 19
Tokugawa Mausoleumβ β β β Hilma's pick
Two quiet early-Edo buildings built for the shoguns Ieyasu and Hidetada β not their actual graves (those are in NikkΕ) but a spirit house claiming KΕ«kai's blessing for the Tokugawa regime. The carved wooden dragons along the eaves are worth the short detour.
Near Okunoin, Koyasan, Koya-cho, Ito-gun, Wakayama 648-0211 -
2
Chuo Shokudo Sanbo
Restaurant
Sep 19
Chuo Shokudo Sanboβ β β β Hilma's pick
A no-fuss temple district lunch joint serving shojin ryori to pilgrims who don't need formality. The sesame tofu set is simple, honest, and affordable β the kind of meal that lets you eat well and get back to walking.
722 Koyasan, Koya-cho, Ito-gun, Wakayama 648-0211 -
3
Temple Cafe Seikeiin
Cafe
Sep 19
Temple Cafe Seikeiinβ β β β Hilma's pick
A temple converted into a cafΓ©, serving shojin-style sweets and matcha in a garden setting. The zen garden is small but perfectly raked, and the matcha is whisked to order. Good for an afternoon pause between Okunoin and the museum.
293 Koyasan, Koya Town, Ito County, Wakayama -
4
Fudozaka-guchi Nyonindo
Landmark
Sep 19
Fudozaka-guchi Nyonindoβ β β β β Hilma's pick
The only surviving women's hall from Koyasan's thousand-year ban on women entering the sacred mountain β a small wooden building at the northeast edge of the plateau where female pilgrims once prayed, worshipped, and rested. A quiet, powerful place that tells a story no temple hall can.
Fudozaka, Koyasan area, Koya-cho, Ito-gun, Wakayama