Temple Lodging (Shukubo)

Some temples in Japan, especially in popular pilgrimage destinations, offer temple lodgings (宿坊, shukubō) to visiting pilgrims and tourists. Temple lodgings offer an excellent chance to get a taste of the simple, traditional lifestyle of Buddhist monks.

Koyasan is one of the best places in Japan to experience a night at a temple, with more than 50 temples in town serving as shukubo. Unlike in other parts of Japan, the temples on Koyasan are accustomed to foreign guests and can be reserved relatively easily through Booking.com, Agoda or by e-mail or fax via the tourist association. The typical cost for a stay is between 9,000 and 15,000 yen per person and night, including dinner and breakfast. Most temples accept only cash.

Temple lodgings typically offer simple, private, traditional Japanese rooms with tatami floors, sliding doors (fusuma) and shared toilets and sinks. Bedding is provided in the form of futons that are spread on the tatami floor during the night. During winter gas heaters provide warmth.

Try to arrive at the temple no later than 17:00, as dinner is usually served around 17:30 or 18:00. Dinner and breakfast feature vegetarian monks' cuisine (shojin ryori) with specialties such as konnyaku (devils tongue jelly), yuba (tofu skin) and koyadofu (freeze dried tofu).

Guests are also invited to participate in morning prayers which typically start around 6am, last for about 30-45 minutes and are followed by breakfast around 7am. Some temples also hold a meditation session in the late afternoon. During your stay you may also view the temple's cultural treasures, halls and garden, as well as enjoy its communal, gender-separated baths.