The Four Devas at Chumon Gate of Koyasan, Wakayama
The Danjo Garan is the center of Koyasan, and is lined with various halls such as Kondo (Main Hall) and Konpon-daito Pagoda. The entrance to the temple is the Chumon Gate, which was reconstructed and inaugurated on April 2, 2015 as part of the project to commemorate the 1200th anniversary of the founding of Koyasan (the year 2015 is the 1200th anniversary of the founding of Koyasan).
The Four Devas, Jikokuten (Dhrtarastra, east), Zochoten (Virudhaka, south), Komokuten (Virupaksa, west), and Tamonten (Vaisravana, north) are enshrined at this gate.
Koyasan, World Heritage Site, in Wakayama
Koya, a sacred site of Shingon esoteric Buddhism, stretches over a mountainous upper basin surrounded by peaks about 1,000 meters above sea level, and was founded 1,200 years ago by Kobo Daishi, Kukai (774-835).
On July 7, 2004, the Koyasan pilgrimage routes, including the Choishimichi and Kongobuji Temple precincts (6 districts) and 12 structures, were registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with Kumano, Yoshino, and Omine as “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range”.
Furthermore, on October 24, 2016, Kurokawa-do, Nyonin-do, Kyodaisaka-do Fudosaka, and Mitasaka (including Niu Shuden Shrine) were additionally registered as World Heritage sites as Koya Pilgrimage Routes (including Choishimichi and renamed).
