Temple stay– Japan –

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.

The statue of Namikiri Fudo Myoo (an important cultural asset), who is said to have calmed down the rough waves when Kukai was on his way home from To (present China) where he studied Buddhism. The building of this shukubo is pure Japanese style construction.

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.

The garden is said to be the work of Enshu Kobori. Although small, its scenery is said to be the best on Mount Koya due to its excellent picture painting method. The five rooms on the second floor facing this garden have twin beds.the rooms are blessed with powerful tools to produce relaxation.

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.

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 is a shrine registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as the center of Kumano worship lasting from the Heian period (794 to 1185). Zuihoden, the shukubo, is located beneath the stone stairs leading up to the main sanctuary of the Kumano-hongu Taisha.

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 is a grand ascetic training Mecca around the Nachi-no-Taki waterfall, with a drop of 133 meters. As a sacred place lasting more than 1,600 years, this temple is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The room I stayed in was a 6-tatami mat Japanese style room with a TV set, an electric fan and a yukata robe.