Mount Koya is the center of Shingon Buddhism and a large temple settlement in Wakayama Prefecture with the largest cemetery in Japan, Okunoin. The cemetery surrounds the mausoleum of Kūkai, a Buddhist monk, calligrapher, and poet who founded the esoteric Shingon school of Buddhism. The presence of Koyasan is strong in a calming way, the towering cedar trees and the moss-covered graves ground you in an inexplicable way. The experience also makes me think about Akira Kurosawa´s movie Dreams which subtly explains the Japanese relation to the spiritual forces of the natural world.