Shukubo (temple stay)
Kotakuji Temple is said to have been founded in 1592. It is surrounded by rice fields and has a natural environment with mountains in the distance.
I stayed in a Western-style room with two beds and a desk. Towels, bath towels, room wear, and toothbrushes were provided.
There was a comfortable sofa in the common room.
There was a bath at the shukubo. There was shampoo, body soap and a hairdryer. There was also a hot spring about a 5-minute drive away.
Buddhist Experience
I attended the service held in the main hall. We all chanted sutras together with the head priest.
Afterwards, I did meditation. I closed my eyes and sat quietly. Breathing slowly and consciously made me feel calmer.
Next, I did some copying of a sutra. I copied out the sutra, tracing the example with my brush.
Italian Buddhist vegetarian cuisineThe Buddhist vegetarian cuisine at Kotakuji Temple was Italian style. The menu includes ginkgo and mushroom risotto, fried tofu and mizuna green pasta, hijiki seaweed and penne, daikon radish with whole grain mustard, sweet potato and orange, and soy milk and mushroom soup with olive oil.
First, I said words of thanks for the food before eating.
In addition to the vegetarian cuisine, we also had crab soup, a Tottori specialty.
Breakfast was porridge, as is typical of a temple. It came with miso soup, pickled plum, kelp, whitebait and grated daikon radish, egg roll, and fish cake. I also ate some persimmons picked at the temple.
Tottori has an abundance of ingredients, and everything was delicious.
