To escape the Tokyo heat, we went to Wakayama, to visit the sacred site of Koya san, on top of a mountain. It was wonderfully cool there, with fresh mountain air, and cool breezes.
For over 1200 years there have been temples here, and it’s now a World Heritage site. The train and cable car ride to get there was wonderful, through lush mountain valleys…
We stayed in a temple lodging, and wandered through the woods and around the various temple complexes.
My favourite was Kongobu-ji, with an incredible rock garden that represented two dragons rising from the clouds, Banryutei.
I sketched the temples, the forest with its glorious cedar trees, and the garden of the temple where we stayed.
It was a fascinating place to visit, and a lovely start to the summer holidays…