Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage

Routes in the Kii Mountain

Range

KYASANS CHISHI STUPA ROUTE

In July, 2004, the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes

in the Kii Mountains Range were added to UNESCO
s
World Heritage List.

The Chishi Stupa Route begins at Jison-in Temple, located a short distance from Kudoyama station and Sanada-an
(the one-time residence of Sanada Yukimura, a samurai warrior). Stone signpost number 180 marks the start of the
pilgrimage route, and visitors can enjoy counting down each of these pillars as they proceed to the summit of Kyasan.
Standing over three meters in height, each of the stone signposts marking the route is a stupa shaped in the form of
a gorint comprising ve tiers, representing the ve principle elements of the esoteric Buddhist universe. The stupas
take Kompon Dait as their point of origin and are numbered accordingly, with 36 more stupas connecting this central
pagoda to the Mausoleum of Kb Daishi (or Kb Daishi Goby). Over eighty percent of the stupas that we see today
were constructed in the Kamakura period, and they continue evoke the atmosphere of their distant past.
Long ago, pilgrims would stop and oer prayers at each stupa as they made their way up to Kyasan. Nowadays this
well-maintained route oers a pleasant outdoor experience for pilgrims and hikers alike, as they count down the 180
stone signposts.

Access to the
Starting Point

Namba stn.

Nankai Kya Line Station Stops (Express/Rapid Express)

Rapid Express: Namba, Shin-Imamiya, Tengachaya, Sakai-higashi,
Kita-Noda, Kong, Kawachi-Nagano, Mikka-ichi-ch, Mikanodai, and all
stations between Rinkan-denen-toshi and Gokuraku-bashi.
Express: From Namba to Kawachi-Nagano, the Express makes the
same station stops as the Rapid Express and stops at all stations
between Kawachi-Nagano and Gokuraku-bashi.

Cable Car

Nankai Kya Line

(Limited Express)

about
11 min

about
5 min

about 1 hr
20 min

Travel time to Namba Station from Gokuraku-bashi is about

1 hr 35 min by Express/Rapid Express.

0.5km
10min

3.1km
60min

0.7km
10min

0m

E
N

TRAVELERS TIP

Kudoyama stn.

Staying at Kyasan

Sanada-an

ai K

Nank

Kya-shita stn.
r

ive
ani R

Fud

Danj Garan

Many visitors who complete the climb to Kyasan also choose to spend the night
and enjoy sightseeing the following day. Kyasan is home to 117 temples, 53 of
which provide lodging for pilgrims and other travelers (Shukub). Each of these
temples oers unique accommodations featuring splendid gardens and the colorful
tastes of vegetarian cooking, which includes wild edible plants from the region, as
well as Kyasan s renowned goma-tofu. Visitors are sure to take home memories of
an experience far beyond the ordinary.

e
a Lin

Kyasan stn.

1
2
3

Daimon

For Inquiries: Kyasan Shukub Temple Lodging Cooperative

Telephone: 0736-56-2616

7
13

6
8
12

Jison-in
179

177

Shimo-Kosawa stn.

173
180

24
25
166

167

168

170
28

26

13

Observatory

164
163

Kii-Hosokawa stn.

Kami-Kosawa stn.

162

Nankai Kya Line

32

Rt. 370 juncture

160
159
156

Amabikiyama crossroads

154

Yori-ishi

36
37

150

Scenic point
40

38
39

142

Kasagi Pass

144

86

90
137

Kesakake-ishi

80

Furu Pass

75

Ropponsugi Pass

72

54
58
57

109

59

70
95

109

Notes

Rest Area

Scenic Point
One of the Hundred Best
Sunrise / Sunset Vistas

Guidepost
(Kinki Nature Walkways)

Niutsuhime-jinja

64

96

Yadate Cyaya

Niri ishi
115

108

113

116

Bus Stop

Souvenir Shop

114

120

55

Futatsu-torii

124

Stone Signpost
Stupa (Chishi)
Public
Restroom
Public
Telephone
Vending
Machine

48
49

Yadate

91

136

180

4
5

go Pond

60

COURSE A

Distance: about 2.7 km.

Time Required: about 45 min.

Ropponsugi Pass

COURSE B

Distance: about 2.9 km.

Time Required: about 60 min.

Furu Pass

COURSE C

Distance: about 3.5 km.

Time Required: about 50 min.

Yadate

2.5km
50min
3.5km
50min

1.3km
20min

Niutsuhime-jinja

Rt. 370 juncture

Kii-Hosokawa stn.

0.4km
8min

1.4km
25min

Futatsu-torii

Kami-Kosawa stn.

Danj Garan

30min

Namba stn.

Nankai
Rinkan Bus

Daimon

1.6km

Gokuraku-bashi stn.
Kyasan stn.

Yori-ishi

0.6km
10min

Senju-in-bashi
or
Kond-mae

Roadway
crossing

2.7km
45min

Kesakake-ishi

10min

2.4km
40min

From the trail s end at Danj Garan, the Nankai

Rinkan Bus provides service to Kyasan Station.
Buses can be boarded at the nearby Kond-mae
stop, or visitors may choose to proceed another
ten minutes on foot toward Okuno-in and board
bus at Senju-in-bashi, located in front of the
Kyasan Tourist Association building. Service from
the Senju-in-bashi bus stop is more frequent. A
cable car links Kyasan Station to Gokuraku-bashi,
where passengers transfer to Nankai Kya Line rail
service.

Yadate

15min

0.5km

Kasagi Pass

25min

0.8km

Kudoyama stn.

Return Trip

about 1 hr 5 min

Niri-ishi

0.4km

8min

go Pond

1.4km

For Osaka from Kyasan

Nankai Kya Line (Express/Rapid Express)

Take JR s Wakayama Line and change at

Hashimoto for the Nankai Kya Line,
getting o at Kudoyama. From Kudoyama,
it's a 20-minute walk to Jison-in Temple.

Futatsu-torii

1.3km
25min

Furu Pass

1.3km
20min

Ropponsugi
Pass

1.8km
35min

Niutsuhime-jinja

1.3km
25min

Ropponsugi
Pass

1.6km
35min

Amabikiyama
crossroads

200m

1.0km
15min

Observatory

400m

0.5km
8min

Jison-in

600m

Sanada-an

Kudoyama stn.

800m

From Osaka

From Osaka:
Take Nankai s Kya Line from Namba
Station to Kudoyama, via either Express or
Rapid Express bound Kyasan Gokurakubashi.(Note : some trains terminate at
Kya-shita station.)

From Wakayama:

KYASAN S CHOISHI STUPA ROUTE(Distance: about 23.5 km. Time Required: about 7 hrs. 10 min.)
1000m

One of the three pilgrimage routes cited as important cultural properties is the Kyasan's Chishi Stupa Route. This 24-km footpath rising from
Kudoyama to Mt. Kya s Okuno-in serves as the front approach to the sacred mountain and dates back to the time when Kkai(Kb Daishi)founded
the Kyasan monastic complex. The name of the route derives from the many stone signposts(or chishi )set at 109-meter intervals.