Okunoin, the mausoleum of Kukai, surrounded by an immense graveyard (the largest in Japan), Koyasan, Japan
First settled in 819 by the monk K?kai, Mt. K?ya is primarily known as the world headquarters of the K?yasan Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism. Located in an 800 m high valley amid the eight peaks of the mountain (which was the reason this location was selected, in that the terrain is supposed to resemble a lotus plant), the original monastery has grown into the town of K?ya, featuring a university dedicated to religious studies and 120 temples, many of which offer lodging to pilgrims.