Mount Kōya is one of Japan's great sacred places, a high basin in the mountains of northern Wakayama where the monk Kūkai founded a monastic centre for Shingon Buddhism in the early ninth century. Today it is a town of over a hundred temples, many of which take in overnight guests, set among towering cedars. South of the summit plateau, deep in the forested ridges, run the old pilgrim trails that link Kōya with the Kumano shrines, part of the network inscribed by UNESCO as the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range.
The Kohechi, the route that crosses from Kōya south to Kumano Hongū, is the toughest of the Kumano paths, going over several passes above a thousand metres. The trails themselves are for walking, of course, but the roads around them are some of the most rewarding motorcycle country in central Japan. The Kōya Ryūjin Skyline, a scenic mountain road running south from Kōya along the ridges toward the hot spring village of Ryūjin, is famous among Japanese riders for its views and endless curves. It closes or becomes hazardous in winter when snow and ice arrive, and fog can roll in fast.
Remember that Japan drives on the left and that speed limits are low and enforced. Roads are generally beautifully surfaced but narrow in the mountains, with blind corners, and you will meet tour buses on the main routes to Kōya, especially at weekends and in autumn when the maples turn. The forest is dense cedar and cypress, with mossy stone lanterns and statues along the old paths, and the air is cool and damp even in summer.
Kōya town, around fifteen kilometres away, has fuel stations, convenience stores and plenty of places to eat. Staying overnight in a temple lodging, a shukubō, is the classic experience, with vegetarian monastic cuisine called shōjin ryōri and the option of joining early morning prayers. Do not miss Okunoin, the vast cemetery where Kūkai is believed to remain in eternal meditation; walking it at dusk with lanterns lit is unforgettable. Hashimoto, further north, is the nearest larger town on the lowland side.