The Backpack Adventures

Located in the west end of the town of Koyasan / Mt. Kōya , Wakayama Prefecture in Japan , Mt. Kōya's Daimon  also called Koyasan Daimon Gate   ( 高野山 大門 ) is considered by many, especially the pilgrims, as the main entrance to the town. Mt. Koya's Daimon Koyasan Daimon Gate History Also called the  Great Gate ,  Mt. Kōya's  Daimon is an important cultural property of Japan . The first structure was built in the Tsuzuraoi Valley before being moved to the present site in the 12th century. The current building was rebuilt in 1705. The  daimon  is also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites dubbed "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range". Mt. Kōya's Daimon   ( 高野山 大門 ) - Koyasan, Wakayama This way to more UNESCO World Heritage Sites I wonder what that means... One of the fierce guardians enshrined in the Daimon A torii leading up to another part of the mountain History of the Daimon The Daimon Gate ...

Day 23   January 10, 2015 Koya-san Day Tour Good morning Japan ! I woke up extra early today so that I'd be the first to prepare for our planned trip today.  When everybody was ready, we left Kameyama residence heading to Wakayama Prefecture to the snowy mountain that Mr. Toshi told us about last night.  Heading to Koyasan which is 22 km away The mountain that I'm talking about is none other than Mt. Koya or Koyasan . According to Mr. Toshi, it is one of the most sacred mountains in Japan. Not to mention, it is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. Here's my first tunnel experience in Japan ! The road up to the mountain is covered by snow. As expected, there was little to no traffic at all during our drive to Mt. Koya . The weather was fine too but as a precaution Mr. Toshi had his tires changed to snow tires the day before. At first, I doubted that there would be snow on the mountain because we've been driving for several hours already and I didn't...

Day 21   January 8, 2015 Snowy Tsubasagaoka-kita Snowy morning Japan ! The cold weather outside demotivated me to go out today. I was actually planning to revisit Kyoto Prefecture today to check out the other old temples that I have missed during my first visit. I'm loving this weather! However, my wife and I decided to spend our day in Kameyama residence instead. To make this day special, we cooked lunch and dinner for our Japanese family. As expected they loved the dishes that we have prepared for them. As a matter of fact, Mr. Toshi even brought out one of his special sake for us to partake in and also as a way for us to celebrate the day.  Pajama while cooking mode! Three down, two to go! Mr. Toshi and I stayed up late that night and talked about a lot of things like history and politics. We were also drinking various kinds of beverages (with low alcoholic content) while doing so. Before we called it a night, He promised me that he'd bring us to m...