A Buddhist university in the western Japan prefecture of Wakayama is opening its doors to students who do not wish to become monks, in an effort to reverse declining enrollment.

Koyasan University, a private university in the mountainous town of Koya, was established on the educational principles of Kobo Daishi Kukai, a monk who founded Shingon Buddhism in the early ninth century.

The university is attempting to shed its image as a "solemn" institution by developing a lighthearted online presence, with an eye to helping students become teachers or welfare workers.

"Everything is about supporting each other. Kukai's teaching that no one can exist alone is relevant to any job," said Ryunin Inui, the university's president.

Photos uploaded by the university on Instagram since last year include students reading in the university library, which holds precious documents, the "dojo" meditation hall powdered with snow and cable cars transporting students to the university, located at an elevation of 800 meters.

The university began its own official Instagram account, named Mandalagram, using hashtags that translate as "too mysterious university" and play on the word "hotoke" ("Buddha" in Japanese). The account has 1,600 followers.

Its "open campus" event last summer sparked interest with the university's website playing up a sense of mystery by saying "Seven secret programs will be offered (that day)." Those asking "whether students could find love while attending the university" were answered humorously with sutras.

Koyasan University traces its roots back to the training center founded by Kukai to teach Shingon, the "True Word" doctrine of Buddhism. The university itself, previously known as Kogidaigakurin, was founded in 1886 and became known as a monastic school. There is a dojo on the university grounds.

"In the 1980s more than 50 monks used to graduate each year, but now that number has dropped to around 10," lamented Inui.

Read also: Thai temple fights drug addiction with horses and boxing

In the fiscal year to March 1996, the university had 1,400 students studying its four subjects in the literature department, but the number of students and subjects has fallen sharply. By fiscal 2013, there were only 149 students in its sole department of esoteric Buddhism, according to the university.

The university believes that behind this trend lies Japan's declining birthrate and young people's lack of interest in becoming monks.

To attract more students, the university established a Department of Humanistic Anthropology in 2015 that includes classes in psychology and sociology. In 2017, the university started a satellite school for working adults offering the same courses in the city of Osaka. As a result of these efforts, the number of admitted students started to recover in fiscal 2017 and it had 163 students in fiscal 2018.

Koyasan University, in collaboration with other universities, is planning to set up a department of education in 2020 on the grounds of Osaka Chiyoda Junior College, which shares Kukai's educational philosophy. Koyasan University also has an agreement with local groups to teach students practical skills, such as through providing experience of agriculture.

"I would like to apply the principles of esoteric Buddhism and work in hospice care in the future," said Aki Kitagawa, a 21-year-old second-year student in the anthropology department. At present, students apply for a wide variety of jobs in the private and public sectors.

"My real thought is that I would like more students to be interested in becoming monks," said Inui. "But there must be many people who share and understand the importance of unity, which is a Buddhist value. I would like to keep our gates open."