”Choishimichi” Walk….8　　
　Finally you are walking in the City of Koyasan. You can see easily the stone markers. Shortly before the entrance to the Garan you will find the stone marker 1 behind the fence, you will probably have a feeling of relief. You would like to see Mie-do (the Memorial hall of Kobo Daishi) and the Golden Hall, but this is reserved for the next time. Continuing the way to Oku-no-in you will find stone marker 10 (of the 36 stonemarkers from Garan to the Oku-no-in) close to the Daien-in where Yokobue (see stonemarker 112) became a bush warbler and committed suicide in the nearby well. What happened to the bush warbler? Its body was placed in the body of the Amida Buddha sculpture. Stone marker 17 is placed close to the entrance of the cemetery Oku-no-in. The stone marker 22 and 25 had been offered by the master builder of the “choishimichi” Yasumori Adachi in favor of his grandfather Kagemori Nyudo. Yasumori Adachi offered in total five stone markers. Crossing the third bridge called “Gobyo no Hashi”, leading to the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi close to the stairs which lead to the Latern Hall you will find stone marker 35. You will find stone marker 36 behind the fence surrounding the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi. It is difficult to see stone marker 36, but if you discover it, your “Choishimichi” walk of 2l6 stone markers finds its end.

Koyasan main street, National road 480.

Stone marker 1 behind the fence close to Garan

Kompon Daito, the great stupa is the starting point 0. The Kompon Daito is the symbol of enlightenment in Mikkyo, the esoteric Buddhist teaching, originally designed by Kobo Daishi. The stupa is constructed in form of a tahoto, a single story pagoda, around 50 m tall and red lacquered.

Inside is the construction of a three-dimensional Mandala composed  of the main Buddha Dainichi Nyorai of the Taizokai Mandala placed in the center and   surrounded with four Wisdom Buddhas of the Kongokai Mandala. On the pillars the 16 Mahabodhisattvas as well of the Kongokai Mandala are  painted colourfully, expressing in this form the world of the Mandala, the world of enlightenment.

Stone marker 4 at the corner of the 6 o’clock bell offered by Fukushima Masanori. The clock is still struck every two hours from 6 o’clock in the morning to 10 o’clock in the evening.
　　　Kongobuji, Head office of the Koyasan Shingon Buddhist Denomination 　Cherry trees planted in front of the Sanmaido by a monk-poet Saigyo who travelled many times between Koyasan and his temple called “Saigyo-Do” in Amano.

Stone marker 10 near Daien-in

The well of “Yokobue bush wrabler plum tree”(Yokobue-O-bai well) you find on your right side after passing through the gate of Daien-in

Stone marker 17 in front of the first bridge to the Oku-no-in called “Ichi-no-hashi”

 Practicing priests walking in line to the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi in Oku-no-in

Stone marker 25 shows an engraving of the name and title of a minister which can be read as “Akita Josuke Fujiwara no Ason Yasumori”.

“Gobyo no Hashi”, the bridge leading to  the mausoleum: on the bottom of the bridge are engraved Siddham letters refering to the 37 worshipping figures of the Kongokai Mandala. Crossing the bridge, you will reach the Lantern Hall and the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi behind the hall.
　

Stone marker 36 is seen within the fence of the mausoleum. There is no photo because shooting pictures is banned in this area. Please search by yourself.

　

Stone marker 35 is found on the left side close to the staircase leading to the Lantern Hall where the lantern donated by the “poor woman” has been kept burning for  about  one thousand years.