lundi 5 septembre 2011
Article du jour : Français au Mont Koya
D’après un article du asahi.com, le Mont Koya est particulièrement populaire auprès des Français: Outside looking in: Michelin's 3-star rating luring French tourists to sacred mountain.
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Outside looking in: Michelin's 3-star rating luring French tourists to sacred mountain
RépondreSupprimerBY HIROSHI MATSUBARA ASAHI WEEKLY STAFF WRITER
2011/09/04
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PhotoForeign tourists stroll through the inner sanctum of Koyasan. (Provided by the town of Koya, Wakayama Prefecture)
Koyasan, one of the nation's most secluded religious centers is rapidly gaining an international reputation. Tourists, and even aspiring monks, are flocking here like never before.
Part of the credit may be due to the three-star rating awarded to the area in 2009 by the first edition of Michelin Green Guide Japan.
Another reason may be the area's 2004 designation as a World Cultural Heritage Site.
Either way, Europeans, especially French tourists, are arriving in record numbers to experience the world of Shingon Buddhism.
A 32-year-old French trainee monk at Muryokoin temple in Koyasan explained the attraction of Koyasan for foreign visitors, saying there are relatively few places where people from overseas can immerse themselves in Japan's spiritual traditions.
"Everyday, we monks practice our faith for spiritual purposes. We put our hearts and souls into it. This is what makes Koyasan so magical," said the monk, who asked that his name be withheld.
The disciple came to Koyasan in 2009 to become a Shingon monk.
Up until about a decade ago, fewer than 100 foreign visitors stayed at temple lodgings in Koyasan in a given year, according to Wakayama prefectural officials.
But in the early 2000s, numbers started rising sharply with some 4,000 European visitors seeking at least one overnight there.
The number has risen tenfold in recent years. Last year, 41,946 foreign tourists -- the majority of them Europeans -- stayed in Koyasan.
French tourists comprised the largest group at 11,512, followed by Germans (6,044). The Michelin guidebook recommends Koyasan for its majestic atmosphere and isolation from the secular world.
"If you visit Kyoto or Nara, you will see great temples, gardens and so forth that are all historic," said the French monk. "But you cannot enter a truly spiritual part of that world or get really close to the practitioners."
The Koyasan area has 117 temples, nearly half of which have shukubo lodgings, which allow guests to participate in morning religious services.
"By going to Koyasan and staying at shukubo, you really get in touch with real monks worshipping for humanity," the French trainee said.
But he is also concerned about the impact of tourism and development in the area.
"This secluded atmosphere could be harmed if tourists keep on coming," he said. "I understand that we live in a world where tourism is important (for the economy), but it is in our interest to preserve the magical atmosphere of this place."
(Editor's note: This is the third in a series of stories which focus on tourist sites that are particularly popular among certain groups of foreign tourists. The original articles appeared in Asahi Weekly.)