Shukubo is an accommodation experience where travelers have a chance to do a temple stay and join in meditation and more of the daily routine.
With over 1,200 years of history, Wakayama’s Mount Koya overflows with a deeply spiritual aura propagated by the dozens of ancient temples spread throughout the mountain.
As it happens, 52 temples in the area allow visitors to stay the night, shukubo style, providing travelers with a tranquil place to rest and relax, completed by breakfast and dinner with their renowned vegetarian delicacies!
Here are LIVE JAPAN’s top five temple stays at Mount Koya! All of these facilities are thoroughly complying with COVID-19 protective measures, making them safe places to stay even during the pandemic.
1. Hongaku-in – A Stunning Garden and Elegant Fusuma
The fusuma are best viewed from the spacious reception hall!
Hongaku-in – a beautiful temple surrounded by lush, peaceful forest. With 5 Japanese gardens to explore along with dazzling fusuma painted sliding panels, you can forget the troubles of the world and truly let yourself go!
Despite being over 250 years old, the ceiling paintings in the main hall remain bright and vivid!
The fusuma in the main hall are said to have been painted during the Edo period by an artist lodging at the temple.
Visitors are free to take a look, and we recommend checking them out when they are illuminated by the vivid afternoon sun or framed by the long shadows cast at sunset.
The five Japanese gardens offer stunning scenery year-round and are perfect for your shukubo experience. Each room is furnished with a unique angle into the garden, allowing guests a silent stage to reflect and meditate.
Temple lodging rooms boast traditional Japanese tatami flooring. The newly renovated ones present a clean, refreshing mood with modern-day comforts like air-conditioning and television. There are also wheelchairs available along with an accessible toilet.
For food, you’ll be treated to an extravagant Buddhist feast free from animal products, as per Buddhist tradition. From tempura to nimono, a range of Japanese dishes using fresh seasonal ingredients are delicately prepared and packed with flavor!
・Access:
Take the Nankai train heading to Koyasan to the final stop of Gokurakubashi Station. Transfer to the cable car and disembark at Koyasan Station. Take the Nankai Rinkan Bus Line heading to Oku no In or Daimon and get off at Keisatsu-sho Mae. The temple is a 1-minute walk from there.
・Special Assistance for International Travelers:
None
・Anti-coronavirus measures:
Anti-coronavirus measures: Staff wear masks, wash hands, sanitize, gargle, and check temperatures. Facilities are thoroughly disi…
