Shukubo (temple stay)
Zennoyu is located within the grounds of Jigen-in Temple, whose history began as a hermitage that was opened around 1299-1301.
There is a modern building next to the main hall that serves as the accommodation facility.
I stayed as part of a group, so we had a large 14 tatami mat room. There is a flat-screen TV, a refrigerator, and a Valuables box. Towels, bath towels, toothbrushes, and yukata robes were also provided.
There are also private rooms available for small groups.
Hot spring
There is a hot spring within the temple grounds. It was healthy for the body and drinkable. The open-air bath is made of cypress and was very pleasant to bathe in.
There is also a bedrock bath available. I lay down on a towel in a gravel-covered room that felt like a low-temperature sauna. After a while, sweat started coming out of my body and I felt refreshed.
Dinner
Dinner is a vegetable-based menu. The meal consisted of rice, soup, red bream, gratin pie, steamed dishes, fried pumpkin, terrine, and dessert. Each dish was carefully seasoned and the food was delicious.
Zen meditation
I experienced zazen starting at 6am. We gather in the lobby and follow the head priest down the corridor leading to the main temple hall.
Inside the main hall, round cushions for zazen are lined up in a row along the wall.
After receiving instructions on how to sit, we practiced zazen facing the wall for about 40 minutes. I was able to sit peacefully in a quiet environment.
After zazen comes breakfast. The meal consists of rice, miso soup, dried horse mackerel, natto, hijiki seaweed, soft-boiled egg, konjac, vinegared dish, and broccoli. The dried horse mackerel was grilled on the spot over a fire and was simply delicious.
