Wakayama

Koyasan

(Can be done in a day trip from Osaka city.)
to stay:
You can spend a night in one of the temples, but make sure you make a reservation in advance. You can also eat the vegetarian cuisine prepared by monks and participate in the morning prayers. Look on http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4905.html
Eiko-in - in the Lonely Planet. Has western style toilets, a nice garden view and English speaking staff. 0736-56-2514.
Rengejo-in - at the second bus stop from the top of the cable car station, a little far from the town's main attraction (Okunoin Cemetery) but walkable. About ￥9,000 per person including dinner and breakfast. After the evening prayer ceremony, the monk gives an explanation in Japanese and English. During dinner, the keeper of the place gives a lengthy talk also in English. Bathrooms recently updated, complete with heated seats though small bath. You can pay extra to upgrade your room. 073-656-2233.
Henjoson-in - has a beautiful wooden ofuro and many of the rooms have garden views. The food is plentiful! It costs around ￥10,000 per person, so it's not one of the budget options. Many tour groups and pilgrim groups stay there, so it has a large, comfortable common room, which many of the temples don't. It also has a large cedar wood bath.
Mur-yo-ko-in - in Koya. Has some English speaking monks who can explain the 5 o'clock service quite well. Some of the monks can be extremely dodgy (stole my bike last year) so if you they try to charge you 3000 extra because your meal was prepared in an extra special way, do not accept it. The Temples now all charge the same (just under 10,000 yen). Unfortunately it and Shirahama cannot be combined if you're relying on JR.

to see:
It's the center of Shingon Buddhism so there are temples everywhere. The ride up to Koyasan is really scenic and in order to get to the top of this holy mountain you have to take a cable car.
Okunoin - there's a cemetary leading up to this temple where the founder of Shingon Buddhism rests in eternal meditation. This place is really cool to visit just as night is approaching.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4900.html
Koya-san is an absolutely incredible place, especially the walk/hike that leads through a beautiful forest of huge Japanese cedars among hundreds of thousands of graves from all the monks that have died on koya-san over the years. You can see graves that are literally thousands of years old, how the trees have grown up around them, what they look like next to the more recent burials, etc. The sense of wonderment, awe, history, reverence and spirituality are fabulous. Koya-san combines the elements of Japanese history, religion, aesthetics and sensibilities, food (the feast the monks provide is incredible), and natural beauty that are so distinct and wonderful in Japan.
Shirahama Onsen in Wakayama is genuine smelly sulphur and is right on the beach.

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