Kansai– category –

Tahoto tower, a national treasure, is one of the three treasure towers in Japan. Much old, historical architecture, including Kyozo (an important cultural asset), Shisha-Myojin-sha and Kyaku-den can be found here. When it comes to architecture, it is the best among the many shukubo lodgings on Mount Koya.

They serve authentic shojin vegetarian foods consisting mainly of mountain foods, including sesame tofu, a specialty of Mount Koya. If you make a reservation, you can eat a special plate. Also, the beautiful vermilion-lacquered Fugenin Shikyakumon　in the Shikyaku-hirakaramon style is an important cultural asset.

This is a women-only shukubo. You may sometimes have to share a room with other people. The charm of this shukubo lies in its garden. The guests at the shukubo are allowed to see this beautiful garden for free. The room and the futon mattress and duvet were all clean and good.

This is a shukubo located inside the precinct of Sennyu-ji temple in southern Kyoto. From 7:00, they conduct morning service followed by a sermon. After chanting the Heart Sutra, the head priest gave a sermon. The head priest and his wife were nice and it was a comfortable place to stay.

This is a shukubo located near Nishijin and alongside the Horikawa River in Kyoto. You are free to participate in the morning service. They have no bath, so you have to use the public bath. The people at Myorenji temple were very frank and they told me a lot of things before I left.

This is a women-only shukubo. You are free to participate in the services and the sermon (about half an hour). If you are alone, you may have to share a room with someone else in the busy season.The room I stayed in faces the garden, which allows you to sit and appreciate the beautiful garden to your heart's content.

This shukubo is located in the precinct of Myoshin-ji temple, which is famous for the Japanese garden called Aun-tei. The building is made of timber and allows you to feel that you are really staying in a temple. The morning service was conducted in the main hall from six to seven.

In the long history of this shukubo. There are four gardens including a stone garden with a moss arrangement and a garden with a pond, etc. You can enjoy the beautiful scenery. People traveling alone or traveling with a pet can be accommodated. They have facilities for handling wheel chairs.

This shukubo is located inside the precinct of Ninna-ji temple, a World Heritage Site. The biggest charm here is the morning service. You are able to spend a solemn time in the morning in the main hall, a national treasure that is usually not open to sightseers.

There is a religious service in the morning in the main hall. You can experience shakyo (copying sutra by hand) and shabutsu (copying images of Buddha by hand). They serve shojin vegetarian cuisine using seasonal ingredients. the morning service was conducted from 6:30.