Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage
Routes in the Kii MountainRangeKÔYASAN S CHÔISHI STUPA ROUTE

In July, 2004, the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes
in the Kii Mountains Range were added to UNESCO sWorld Heritage List.

The Chôishi Stupa Route begins at Jison-in Temple, located a short distance from Kudoyama station and Sanada-an(the one-time residence of Sanada Yukimura, a samurai warrior). Stone signpost number 180 marks the start of thepilgrimage route, and visitors can enjoy counting down each of these pillars as they proceed to the summit of Kôyasan.
Standing over three meters in height, each of the stone signposts marking the route is a stupa shaped in the form ofa gorintô comprising ﬁve tiers, representing the ﬁve principle elements of the esoteric Buddhist universe. The stupas
take Kompon Daitô as their point of origin and are numbered accordingly, with 36 more stupas connecting this central
pagoda to the Mausoleum of Kôbô Daishi (or Kôbô Daishi Gobyô). Over eighty percent of the stupas that we see today
were constructed in the Kamakura period, and they continue evoke the atmosphere of their distant past.
Long ago, pilgrims would stop and oﬀer prayers at each stupa as they made their way up to Kôyasan. Nowadays thiswell-maintained route oﬀers a pleasant outdoor experience for pilgrims and hikers alike, as they count down the 180stone signposts.

Access to theStarting Point

Namba stn.

Nankai Kôya Line Station Stops (Express/Rapid Express)
Rapid Express: Namba, Shin-Imamiya, Tengachaya, Sakai-higashi,
Kita-Noda, Kongô, Kawachi-Nagano, Mikka-ichi-chô, Mikanodai, and allstations between Rinkan-denen-toshi and Gokuraku-bashi.
Express: From Namba to Kawachi-Nagano, the Express makes thesame station stops as the Rapid Express and stops at all stations
between Kawachi-Nagano and Gokuraku-bashi.

Cable CarNankai Kôya Line
(Limited Express)about
11 min

about
5 min

about 1 hr
20 minTravel time to Namba Station from Gokuraku-bashi is about
1 hr 35 min by Express/Rapid Express.

0.5km
10min

3.1km
60min

0.7km
10min

0m

EN

TRAVELER S TIP

Kudoyama stn.

S

● Staying at Kôyasan

Sanada-anWyai KôNankKôya-shita stn.
riveani RdFudô4Danjô Garan

Many visitors who complete the climb to Kôyasan also choose to spend the nightand enjoy sightseeing the following day. Kôyasan is home to 117 temples, 53 ofwhich provide lodging for pilgrims and other travelers (Shukubô). Each of thesetemples oﬀers unique accommodations featuring splendid gardens and the colorful
tastes of vegetarian cooking, which includes wild edible plants from the region, as
well as Kôyasanʼs renowned goma-tofu. Visitors are sure to take home memories ofan experience far beyond the ordinary.

ea LinKôyasan stn.

123Daimon

For Inquiries: Kôyasan Shukubô Temple Lodging Cooperative
Telephone: 0736-56-2616

7613

128

Jison-in179

9177

Shimo-Kosawa stn.

173
180

24
25
166

167

168

170
28

26

13

Observatory

164
163

Kii-Hosokawa stn.

Kami-Kosawa stn.

162

Nankai Kôya Line

32Rt. 370 juncture

160
159
156

Amabikiyama crossroads

154

Yori-ishi

36
37

150

Scenic point
40

38
39

B

142

Kasagi Pass

144

C

86
90
137

Kesakake-ishi

80

Furu Pass

75

Ropponsugi Pass

72

54
58
57

109

59

70
95

109

Notes
Rest Area

Bus Stop

Souvenir Shop

Guidepost(Kinki Nature Walkways)

Scenic Point
One of the Hundred Best
Sunrise / Sunset Vistas

114

120

A108

113

64

96

Yadate Cyaya

Niri ishi

116

115

Niutsuhime-jinja

55

Futatsu-torii

124

Stone Signpost
Stupa (Chôishi)
PublicRestroom
PublicTelephone
Vending
Machine48
49

Yadate

91

136

180

45

Ôgo Pond

60

COURSE A

Distance: about 2.7 km.
Time Required: about 45 min.

Ropponsugi Pass

COURSE B

Distance: about 2.9 km.
Time Required: about 60 min.

Furu Pass

COURSE C

Distance: about 3.5 km.
Time Required: about 50 min.

Yadate42.5km
50min
3.5km
50min

1.3km
20min

Niutsuhime-jinja

Rt. 370 juncture
Kii-Hosokawa stn.

0.4km
8min

1.4km
25min

Futatsu-torii

Kami-Kosawa stn.

Danjô Garan

30min

Namba stn.

Nankai
Rinkan BusDaimon

1.6km

Gokuraku-bashi stn.
Kôyasan stn.

Yori-ishi

0.6km
10min

Senju-in-bashi
orKondô-mae

Roadway
crossing

2.7km
45min

Kesakake-ishi

10min

2.4km
40min

From the trailʼs end at Danjô Garan, the Nankai
Rinkan Bus provides service to Kôyasan Station.
Buses can be boarded at the nearby Kondô-mae
stop, or visitors may choose to proceed anotherten minutes on foot toward Okuno-in and board
bus at Senju-in-bashi, located in front of theKôyasan Tourist Association building. Service fromthe Senju-in-bashi bus stop is more frequent. A
cable car links Kôyasan Station to Gokuraku-bashi,
where passengers transfer to Nankai Kôya Line railservice.

Yadate

15min

0.5km

Kasagi Pass

8min

0.8km

Kudoyama stn.

Return Trip

about 1 hr 5 min

Niri-ishi

25min

0.4km

Ôgo Pond

1.4km■ For Osaka from KôyasanNankai Kôya Line (Express/Rapid Express)

Take JRʼs Wakayama Line and change at
Hashimoto for the Nankai Kôya Line,getting oﬀ at Kudoyama. From Kudoyama,
it's a 20-minute walk to Jison-in Temple.

Futatsu-torii

1.3km
25min

Furu Pass

1.3km
20min

Ropponsugi
Pass

1.8km
35min

Niutsuhime-jinja

1.3km
25min

Ropponsugi
Pass

1.6km
35min

Amabikiyama
crossroads

200m

1.0km
15min

Observatory

400m

0.5km
8min

Jison-in

600m

Sanada-an

Kudoyama stn.

800m

■ From Osaka

From Osaka:
Take Nankaiʼs Kôya Line from Namba
Station to Kudoyama, via either Express orRapid Express bound Kôyasan Gokurakubashi.(Note : some trains terminate atKôya-shita station.)

From Wakayama:KÔYASANʼS CHOISHI STUPA ROUTE(Distance: about 23.5 km. Time Required: about 7 hrs. 10 min.)
1000m

One of the three pilgrimage routes cited as important cultural properties is the Kôyasan's Chôishi Stupa Route. This 24-km footpath rising from
Kudoyama to Mt. Kôyaʼs Okuno-in serves as the front approach to the sacred mountain and dates back to the time when Kûkai(Kôbô Daishi)founded
the Kôyasan monastic complex. The name of the route derives from the many stone signposts(or“chôishi”)set at 109-meter intervals.