Spending the night at a temple is something that many visitors want to do in Japan. Once a service offered to visiting pilgrims, today temple lodging is open to anyone interested in seeing this side of Japanese culture.
However, there are few temples which are prepared for visitors who don’t speak Japanese and so the ones that do speak English can be fully booked up well in advance. But there is a little getaway hidden in the mountains which recieves few visitors…
The monk in charge, who runs the temple and inn by himself, will show you how to do zen meditation (zazen) and you’ll have the opportunity to copy the heart sutra by hand. Those who finish early can enjoy the outdoor bath (rotenburo) at any time, or go for a walk around the surrounding forest.
Shojin ryori, the delicious Buddhist vegetarian food, will be served for both dinner and lunch and, if you stay more than one night, the monk will show you how to cook it yourself!
The stars can be seen on clear nights and the bedrooms are traditional rooms!
Want to know more hidden gems? Contact us and we can help you plan your trip!
There’s more to do in the area if you have a few more days! Traditional rafting, caves, flower fields and shrines are easy stopovers along the way to and from the temple.
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