Konpon Daito in Koya-san is a unique pagoda. From the exterior, it has a red and white lacquered, two-storied design. It stands 45 meters tall (just under 150 feet), and bells attached to the top spire ring pleasantly in breezy weather.
CIMG2333 – Koyasan (Photo credit: king nikochan)
Inside is a statue of the Dainichi Nyorai Buddha surrounded by other statues and paintings on the walls and pillars. Together they form a three-dimensional mandala, which is extremely unusual because most mandalas are created in two dimensions. Mandalas are sacred maps of the cosmos drawn as prayers in Shingon Buddhism. The one within Konpo Daito is considered not just the center of Koya-san, but also the heart of a mandala covering all of Japan, making it an important religious site and destination for pilgrims from around the world.
Koyasan (Photo credit: Akuppa)
The pagoda is a short walk along the main street from the Kongobu-ji-mae bus stop.
