World Cemeteries
Okunoin Cemetery, Japan
The sacred nirvana of Hindu and Buddhist culture. (first half of the IX century). The largest, incredible and mystical place in all of Japan is the Okuno-In cemetery, which is located on Mount Koya-san, 15 kelometers from the city of Hashimoto, formed around the Kukai mausoleum, the founder of the largest Buddhist school. According to some historical data, he did not die, but was waiting for the coming of the Buddha Maitreya, therefore he was buried near Kukai in a particularly honorable place. In 2020, the Okuno-In mausoleum cemetery has more than two hundred thousand graves. The graves in the vast cemetery with stone lanterns around Okuno-in are especially significant, because being buried close to the Kukai mausoleum means hope to accompany him during the coming of Maitreya. Amazing stones and small statues covered with moss, together with numerous pines, create an amazingly picturesque view, and about a hundred more monasteries and several pagodas make Mount Koya-san a must-see cultural program for every visitor.
