Getting to Kōyasan feels like a pilgrimage even on a motorcycle. The roads climb out of the Kinokawa valley through dense cedar forest, switchback after switchback, until you emerge onto a high basin at around eight hundred metres where a whole town of temples has grown up. The monk Kūkai, known after his death as Kōbō Daishi, founded the monastery here in the early ninth century as the centre of Shingon Buddhism, and Kongōbu-ji is the head temple of the sect. Its halls, painted sliding doors and the large rock garden are worth an unhurried visit, and the whole mountain is part of the UNESCO listing of the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range.
The most unforgettable place is Okunoin, the vast cemetery that stretches for a couple of kilometres through ancient cedars to Kūkai's mausoleum, where believers hold that he remains in eternal meditation. Moss-covered stone lanterns and gravestones of samurai clans, emperors and modern companies line the path. Walking it at dusk, when the lanterns are lit, is extraordinary. Many visitors stay overnight in one of the temple lodgings, sleeping on tatami, eating shōjin ryōri, the vegetarian Buddhist cuisine, and joining the monks for morning prayers.
For riders, the roads around Kōyasan are a treat. The climb up from Hashimoto and the Kinokawa valley is steep, twisting and well surfaced, but busy with tour buses at weekends. Even better is the Kōya-Ryūjin Skyline, which runs south along the mountain ridges toward the hot spring town of Ryūjin, with long, flowing corners, panoramic views and few cars on weekdays. Be careful in the rainy season, when the road is wet and leafy, and in winter, when snow and ice can make the high roads dangerous or close them.
Kōya town, with around five thousand inhabitants, has basic services, including fuel, but do not count on long opening hours. Hashimoto, twelve kilometres away, is a larger town in the valley with more choice. The mountain is cool in summer and cold in winter, so pack an extra layer, and bring cash, as some smaller places do not accept cards. A bowl of sesame tofu, a Kōyasan speciality, is a quiet pleasure after the climb.