Tours to Kōya-San

Dozens of ancient Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples are scattered over the wooded top of Kōya-San, where for centuries the samurai used to come to learn esoteric secrets from the resident monks. These days, it’s still an important pilgrimage place, complete with guest houses, car parks and vending machines, but one whose wooded fringes remain charged with the spiritual ambience of old Japan, especially when the mist swirls through its dense forest.