Chubu– Temple stay –

Hokkuji Temple was founded by Kitakata Shinsen, a monk and calligrapher. It is located very close to Kenrokuen Garden, one of Kanazawa's most famous tourist attractions. I participated in a calligraphy workshop. There were many different types of samples, so I was able to enjoy choosing my favorite characters.

Many of the shukubo of Zenko-ji temple guide you to the morning service. When I stayed at Gyokusyo-in, the head priest directly guided me there. The room where I stayed was a Japanese style room (eight tatami mats). They serve shojin vegetarian dishes.

Ise-Jingu Shrine is the most prestigious of the approximately 80,000 shrines in Japan. Jingu Kaikan is a lodging facility run by the Ise-Jingu Shrine Worship Association. I was guided by the staff of Jingu Kaikan to visit Ise-Jingu Shrine. It was a lot of fun because the staff explained things to me at each location.

This is a shukubo of Minobusan Kuon-ji temple. The shukubo people were very kind and they served good food. Also, the Japanese garden of Minobu Town, which is designated as a cultural asset, is very beautiful. It is a must see. I felt as if my mind had been purified while I was leisurely watching the scenery.

Konokon-bo is the oldest and highest among the many temple lodgings of Zenko-ji temple. Its special shojin vegetable dish, "Muryojyu" is very popular among guests. In the morning, you can observe the morning services held in Zenko-ji temple. The guest rooms are comfortable Japanese style room.

Hokoji Temple was founded in 1371 and is the head temple of the Hokoji school of the Rinzai sect of Buddhism. I checked in at the reception desk near the main hall and a monk showed me to my room. The grounds are a very vast facility and I was impressed.

This temple began as a small hermitage built in 1745. The main hall houses an incarnation of the principal image of Zenkoji Temple in Nagano Prefecture. There is a shukubo on the temple grounds that only accepts one group per day.The Shukubo has a cafe attached.

Zennoyu is located within the grounds of Jigen-in Temple, whose history began as a hermitage that was opened around 1299-1301. A weakly alkaline hot spring gushes forth within the temple grounds. I experienced zazen starting at 6am. I was able to sit peacefully in a quiet environment.

This shukubo is located at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the Hokosha of Togakushi shrine. It has a beautiful thatched roof matching the well maintained garden. There was a morning service in which I participated. Their specialty, which is of course “soba” (buckwheat noodles), is nothing but delicious.

This shukubo is located in front of Zenkoji Temple, one of the largest temples in Nagano Prefecture. Dinner is shojin vegetarian cuisine. The bath was covered with tatami mats, which made quite an impression on me. The next morning, we were guided to the morning service held at the main hall of Zenkoji Temple.