Danjo Garan Koyasan

Danjo Garan is another important place of worship in Koyasan and where Kobo Daishi is also worshipped. The legend has it that Kobo Daishi himself, when studying in China, threw his Sankosho (a pestle with three prongs at each end, usually made of gilt bronze) toward Japan and landed in a pine tree. It was only when back from China, and looking for a place to erect the headquarters of his new religion that he came across his Sankosho still stuck in the branches of a pine tree. So he decided to start construction of his headquarters around the tree.

According to the temple administrators, Kobo Daishi worked on the construction of both the main hall and the Konpon Daito Pagoda, a 45m tall red tahoto style pagoda where a statue of Dainichi Nyorai (Cosmic Buddha, also known as Variocana) rests.

After Kobo Daishi ‘s death, his followers continued his work and worked on erecting several other buildings including Toto and Saito, two other pagodas, as well as Miedo, the founder’s hall, and Koya Myojin Shrine, which enshrines Mount Koya’s local kami (God).