julies

I have one last night (a Sunday) in Japan before I fly out of Osaka at 14:00 on Monday to start the trip back to the US. I will already be in Osaka but don't want to spend any more time in Osaka. I have come up with 2 different possibilities as to how to spend the day (I will be free to leave as soon as I have breakfast). However, this will be a Sunday in peak leaf viewing season so I know there will be tons of people either place.

Koyasan--in many ways this is the most appealing destination to me, and I am primarily interested in visiting the cemetery (in both daylight and after dark); the morning Buddhist service also interests me. I have figured out the transportation logistics and timing and know it could work if I travel with only my backpack and just have my suitcase forwarded from Osaka to the airport. But, the town is jam-packed the night I have available, everything is already booked, and I have only come up with one temple stay possibility. I am doing a rural hiking trip and will have already spent 4 nights in ryokan or minshuku so I certainly don't need to do this just to have that experience. And, I will already have spent considerable time in the countryside. I've read that some people adore this spot while some feel it is overly touristy.

Nara--I have more mixed feelings about this destination. I have seen a gazillion deer in my life (they are considered a nuisance where I live). I will have already spent 4 nights in Kyoto and seen a lot of temples. If I do this option, I would just remain at my Osaka hotel and make this a day trip. Is this just another temple-visiting destination, or is it actually more interesting than that?

I don't like ultra touristy places with their gift shops etc. even if they are on the top ten list of every tourist. In Cambodia we much preferred the smaller temple complexes to Angkor Wat. We made two different visits to Carcassonne thinking we must have missed some special vibe the first visit; we weren't impressed either time. In Morocco in Chefchaouen I left the touristy center and walked the back streets of the neighborhoods. That is what I typically choose to do when visiting these highly popular places. I am much more interested in the general ambience of a place overall.

If you have visited Nara or Koyasan, what are your thoughts? Thanks.