Japan? category ?

Myoshinji is the head temple of the Myoshinji school of the Rinzai sect of Buddhism, with over 3,000 branch temples. The grounds are simply spacious. There are many valuable buildings designated as Important Cultural Properties within the temple grounds. There was also a room for zen meditation and copying sutras.

Chishakuin was originally located in Wakayama, but was burned down by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and rebuilt in Kyoto in 1601. It is currently the head temple of the Shingon sect Chizan school of Buddhism, which brings together over 3,000 temples. You can see a beautiful Japanese garden and national treasure wall paintings.

Chionin Temple began in 1175 when the monk Honen built a hermitage there. It is now a huge temple and is the head temple of the Jodo sect. There are two Japanese national treasure buildings within the temple grounds. Services are held here every morning and you can attend.

Chionin Temple is the head temple of the Jodo sect. Morning services are held every morning from 6:30 am. No reservations are required and anyone can attend as long as they arrive at the start time. I was allowed to enter the inner sanctuary of the Mieido Hall, which is normally off-limits.

Okunoin cemetery is the most important place in Koyasan. There is a tour to visit Okunoin cemetery at night with an English guide. There were many graves along the approach to the mausoleum, and it was very quiet. The atmosphere was solemn, completely different from when I visited in the afternoon.

Koyasan is a sacred place of esoteric Buddhism founded by Kobo Daishi over 1,200 years ago. The most important sites on Koyasan are Danjo-Garan and Okunoin (Mausoleum). Kongobuji Temple also has many attractions. For other sites, we recommend that you decide your destination based on your interests and time.

We have compiled a list of shukubo (temple and shrine stay) that have accommodation information in English on their official websites and hotel reservation sites.

There are a variety of experiences you can have at a temple stay. Here we introduce some of the most common training experiences you can have at a temple stay, including Morning services, Zazen (Zen meditation), Ajikan, Copying sutras, Copying Buddha images, Waterfall training, and Buddhist vegetarian cuisine.

One of the joys of staying at a temple is the morning service. The services performed by a large number of monks are particularly impressive. Here we introduce temple stays where you can attend large-scale services with dozens to over a hundred monks.

There are many things to enjoy at temple and shrine stays, such as being able to see cultural assets, experience zen meditation and copying sutras, and enjoy vegetarian cuisine. However, what you can do varies depending on the temple stay. Here are some points to consider when choosing a temple and shrine stay.