Japan’s secluded world of temples www.bbc.com

Worshipping the natural worldToday, Koya-san is part of the sacred pilgrimage routes known as the Kumano Kodo, whose towering cedar and cypress forests, crashing waterfalls and temple-studded peaks appear to be suspended among the clouds in certain places.
This 307km network of moss-covered stones and earthen trails, which connect the three great Kumano shrines to Koya-san, attracts roughly 15 million visitors a year and reflects the ancient Japanese belief of worshipping nature.
In the Japanese religion of Shintoism, forests and rocks can be inhabited by the spirits of gods (kami) and every element of nature is considered divine.
Of the 117 temples scattered throughout Koya-san, some 50 of which serve as shukubo inns where guests can spend the night, meditate and commune with monks.
And more than 1,200 years after Kukai (posthumously known as Kobo Daishi) first ventured into Koya-san’s secluded slopes, his spirit is believed to reside here in eternal meditation.