Mount Bentendake

Bentendake is one of the eight peaks that ring the Koyasan basin, rising to 984 metres just south of the great Daimon gate at the western edge of the sacred plateau. Named for Benzaiten, the Buddhist goddess of water, music and good fortune whose small shrine sits near the summit, it offers a short but rewarding climb and some of the finest accessible views over Mount Koya's forested bowl and the temple town nestled within it.

The eight surrounding summits have deep symbolic meaning at Koyasan. The monk Kukai is said to have chosen this high, enclosed plateau precisely because the ring of peaks resembles the petals of a lotus flower, a sacred form in Buddhism, with the temple complex sitting at its protected heart. Climbing Bentendake gives you a physical sense of that geography: from its slopes you can look down into the 'lotus' and appreciate how the mountains cradle and shelter the holy ground, an insight the valley temples alone cannot provide.

The ascent from near the Daimon gate is moderate rather than gruelling, following a forest path through cedar and mixed woodland to the summit area, and can be done in well under an hour of climbing. Near the top stands the small Benten shrine, a quiet, atmospheric spot dedicated to the goddess, and openings in the trees afford views across the ridges and over the roofs and pagodas of the town below. It is a peaceful, lightly visited corner of the mountain, a world away from the busier temple precincts, and the effort is modest enough to suit most reasonably fit walkers.

The peak connects to Koyasan's wider network of ridge trails, including the Nyonin-michi women's pilgrimage route, so energetic visitors can fold the climb into a longer walk around the basin rim. Alternatively it stands alone as a satisfying couple-of-hours' excursion, easily paired with a visit to the towering Daimon gate at its foot — the traditional main entrance to Koyasan and a spectacular sight in its own right.

Autumn is the standout season, when the maples on the surrounding slopes turn brilliant shades of red and orange and the clear air stretches the views to distant ranges. Fresh early-summer green and the occasional dusting of winter snow each lend the peak a different beauty, though snow and ice make the path more demanding in the cold months. As with all hikes here, sensible footwear, water and attention to daylight hours are advised, since the summit has no facilities beyond the little shrine.

For visitors who want to balance Koyasan's temples and cemetery with a taste of its natural setting, Bentendake is an ideal choice. It is short, scenic and rich in meaning, rewarding a modest climb with a goddess's shrine, cool forest air, and a bird's-eye understanding of why this remote mountain basin became the spiritual home of Shingon Buddhism more than twelve centuries ago.