Temple stay? Japan ?

This is one of the seventeen monzeki temples in Japan. A monzeki temple means a high-class temple that has been succeeded by loyal family members for generations. The shukubo is used by various people, from people traveling alone to students on school trips or for training camps by sports clubs.

This is an old temple founded in 727. This temple is famous as a temple for luck in battle. This shukubo is utilized by many people as lodging where they can reflect upon themselves and purify the mind in quietness away from urban hustle and bustle.

Hakuunkaku is a shukubo located in Shipporyu-ji temple of Mount Inunaki, a sacred place of Shugendo. In the Shipporyu-ji temple, they hold various ascetic training events and general people can participate. The takigyo (Waterfall Training) is held on the second Sunday every month.

Located near Suita Station, this shukubo enjoys very good access to transportation. It is highly recommended for people who are making training camp or group trips to Osaka. Although the rooms are not equipped with TV sets, they are large and comfortable.

This is a shukubo in Yoshino where the history of Shugendo remains. Meetings of shakyo and shabutsu (copying of sutra and images of Buddha by hand) are held on the second Saturday of each month. They also schedule and conduct training at Okugake in Yoshino several times a year.

This shukubo is located in Yoshino, which has been registered as UNESCO World Heritage Site. Gunpoen garden is a kind of pond garden and is said to have been built by Sen-no-Rikyu. As for the meals, they serve kaiseki course meals including sweetfish, tofu and buckwheat noodles, etc. I was quite full after the dinner.

This is a shukubo located near Kinpusen-ji Zao-do temple. I walked the Yoshino/Omine route. I participated in a Rengenyubu event (to enter Mount Omine with a religious purpose) sponsored by Kinpusen-ji temple, therefore it was training and not sightseeing.

This temple is located in Yoshino which prospered as a sacred place of Shugendo. This is a youth hostel, but I was able to have the room all to myself because there were not so many guests when I stayed there in the beginning of June. I had meals upstairs with the other guests.

Shigisan Chogosonshi-ji temple is an old temple, which is said to have been founded by Prince Shotoku (574 to 622). Jyohuku-in is located in the precinct mountain. You are free to participate in the services. They serve quasi-shojin cuisine in a kaiseki course style.

I took a taxi cab from Oji Station. It took about 15 minutes to the parking place below Gyokuzo-in. It was a clean and modern facility and the shukubo staff welcomed me politely. The morning religious service starts from 3:00 in the Yokuyu-do followed by the Goma prayer from a little past five in the morning.