Best around Wakayama, Koyasan Spot List

18 Minamiteicho, Wakayama City, Wakayama Prefecture 640-8232 Access: Nankai [Wakayamashi Station] 12 minutes on foot ◆Nearest bus stop [Wakayama Shiyakusho-mae] 3 minutes ◆Wakayama City Hall 3 minutes ◆Wakayama Prefectural Office 3 minutes ◆District Court 7 minutes Parking lot: Paid 1,000 yen (tax included/night) 70 cars (vehicle height 1.8m or less, normal car, adjacent building (self-propelled)) No reservation required

Mt. Koya is a sacred mountaintop site founded by Kobo-Daishi Kukai in 816, and Okuno-in, which holds the Gobyo (mausoleum) of Kukai is the holiest place on the mountain. Surrounded by thick cedar trees, the approach stretches about two kilometers from Ichinohashi (Obashi) to Torodo and Gobyo, lined with about 200,000 graves and memorial towers including those of historical figures such as Sengoku Daimyo (feudal lords). Crossing Gobyobashi Bridge over the Tama-gawa River leads to the Gobyo of Kukai, who died in 835, and Torodo. In Torodo, you'll encounter a sacred lantern called Hinnyo no Itto or Choja no Mando (Shirakawatou) as well as another 20,000 votive lanterns glowing together to create a fantastic spectacle.

This is the second shop of the ramen restaurant Marui, which serves ramen piled high with chopped green onions. The store is brightly lit like a café and is popular among women, too.