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Sunday, January 13, 2002

GETTING TO KOYA-SAN: From Nankai Station, Namba, Osaka: Take an express train on the Nankai Koya-san (line) to Gokurakubashi Station, the last station. (About 1 hour 45 minutes one way, 850 yen one way.) From Gokurakubashi Station, take the cable car up the hill. (Five minutes, 380 yen one way.) You can get a combined train/cable car ticket in Namba, total 1280 yen. From the cable car terminal, take a #2 bus to Senjuin-bashi-mae bus stop. (About 10 minutes, 280 yen one way.) The stop is in front of the Koya-san Tourist Office.

WHERE TO STAY: There are sixty historical temples, called Shukubo, that accommodate tourists. All of them include evening and morning meals in the price. Advanced bookings are recommended during festival and tourist times, the latter being primarily during the hot and muggy months of May to September. Recommended, Fumonin Temple, Koya-san, Ito-gun, Wakayama Prefecture, 648-0211. About 9,000 yen per person, including two meals. Little English is spoken, so non-Japanese speaking visitors may wish to book through the Koya-san Tourist Association.

TOURIST INFORMATION: Koya-san Tourist Association, 600 Kaya-san, Koya-cho, Ito-gun, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. www.koya.org.

MORE INFORMATION ON JAPAN: Japan National Tourist Organization, One Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 1250, New York, NY 10020. 212-757-5640.

-- Jono David