Temple stays in Japan: what a shukubo is and how it differs from a ryokan, Koyasan and its temple lodgings, how to book and pay, a night at a shukubo step by step, six Koyasan temples compared, shojin ryori and special diets, meditation, sutra copying and other experiences, etiquette and what to bring, temple stays in Tokyo, Kyoto, Nagano and Yamagata, and when to go

What a shukubo is

Shukubo is the Japanese word for a lodging at a temple, and sometimes at a shrine. The Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau's site, GO TOKYO, puts it simply: "Shukubo are lodgings at temples and shrines that were originally used to accommodate pilgrims on their way to holy sites." Pilgrims still stay in them, but you do not have to be one to book a room. As the same page goes on, "These days, a number of them welcome ordinary visitors, allowing you to get an insight into life at these spiritual places."

A shukubo is not a hotel, and it is not quite a ryokan either. The temple is still a working temple: its monks keep their own timetable, and the lodging fits around it. That is why meal times are set, why there is a curfew at night, and why the day starts early. In return, you see a side of Japan that a hotel cannot show you.

Shukubo or ryokan?

From the outside, the two look alike: Japanese-style rooms, futons and two meals. The Kyoto City Tourism Association's guide to lodging in Kyoto describes the ryokan this way: "The Japanese-style rooms with futon mattresses and stays that include dinner and breakfast make ryokan perfect for a relaxing visit to Kyoto." Of the temple lodging, it says: "One way to have a very Kyoto-like experience is to try out shukubo lodging where you stay in a temple and experience performing chores in the morning and having shojin-ryori Buddhist meals." The difference is in what you do there, and in what you eat.

The ryokan guide explains how a night at a ryokan works. If this is your first temple stay, Koyasan has the widest choice, from simple rooms to suites, and some of its temples help guests in English.

What a temple stay costs

There is no single price, because each temple sets its own. The Koyasan pages used for this guide do not give a price for a night, so check it on the booking page of the temple you choose. The Kyoto City Tourism Association is encouraging about it: "The prices to stay at some shukubo are surprisingly reasonable."

Koyasan, the mountain of temple lodgings

Koyasan, also called Mount Koya, is the place most people mean when they talk about a temple stay in Japan. It is a whole town of temples on a mountain in Wakayama Prefecture, south of Osaka. The Koyasan Shukubo Association explains that "Koyasan is home to an active monastic center founded twelve centuries ago by the priest Kukai (posthumously known as Kobo Daishi) for the study and practice of Esoteric Buddhism." In 816, Emperor Saga gave Kukai permission to build a monastery here, and Koyasan has been the centre of Shingon Buddhism ever since.

Count the temples and you will find slightly different numbers. The association's Japanese pages say that 52 of the 117 temples take guests, and one JNTO page says 52 as well; Visit Wakayama, the prefecture's tourism site, and another JNTO page say 51. Either way, about 50 temples have rooms. Visit Wakayama also says the town once had more than 2,000 temples at the height of the Edo period, while the association quotes a survey from 1832 that counted 812. The loss of Koyasan's lands and forests to the state in the Meiji period, and fires, brought the number down.

The town sits in a high basin. Sekisho-in, one of the lodging temples, describes Koyasan as lying at "an altitude of about 800 m, and stretches about 6 km from east to west and about 3 km from south to north". You do not have to be a Buddhist to stay: Visit Wakayama writes that "All visitors are welcome, and can not only see the inner workings of Shingon monastic life, they can also take part."

Getting to Koyasan

You can visit Koyasan in a day from Osaka, but a night there lets you see the town in the evening and early in the morning. JNTO gives the simplest route: "Koyasan is most easily accessed from Osaka's Namba Station. Take the Nankai Koya Line and transfer to the cable car at Gokurakubashi Station." According to the association, the Limited Express takes 1 hour 40 minutes from Namba, and the Express about 2 hours.

If you are travelling on from Osaka, the Osaka guide covers the city itself.

Booking a shukubo at Koyasan

You can book in two ways: through the Koyasan Shukubo Association, which lists the lodging temples and takes bookings for them, or on a temple's own website. JNTO says that "Reservations can be made through the official website of the Koyasan Tourist Association and Koyasan Shukubo Association." It adds a warning that is worth taking seriously: "Make sure to book well in advance."

Eko-in shows how far ahead the dates go. Its English site says: "Reservations for the accommodation can be made up to 11 months in advance from our official website." On 1 October 2026 it opened bookings for September 2027, and bookings for October 2027 open on 1 November 2026.

Cash, ATMs and Mondays

Koyasan is not a place for cards. The association's home page warns: "Many of the shops are closed on Monday. Credit cards are not accepted at most of the shops and lodgings." Visit Wakayama says the same of the temples: "Shukubo temple retreats normally do not accept credit cards, only cash." Bring enough cash for the night, the experiences and lunch the next day.

The guide to cash and cards in Japan explains when you need cash, and the ATM guide explains how to take money out in Japan.

A night at a shukubo, step by step

A night at a temple runs on the temple's clock. JNTO describes it this way: "Spending a night in Koyasan's traditional shukubo offers an experience of Shingon Buddhist monastic life." The times below come from the association's pages for six lodging temples and from Eko-in's own site. Each temple keeps its own hours, so check yours when you book.

Arrive in good time: at all six temples in this guide, check-in ends at 17:00. If your train is late, call the temple.

The morning service

The morning service is the heart of a temple stay. The association explains: "A Buddhist service is held early every morning at shukubo temples. During the ceremony, the chief priest and monks of the temple chant Buddhist sutras in the main temple hall." It also says how early: "Depending on the temple, the ceremony may start at around 6:00 AM."

Eko-in's site gives its own times: "Every day at 7 am, the Religious Service is held in the main hall." Then "Following the morning service, a Goma (Homa) Fire Ritual is performed every day at 7:30 am at the Bishamondo." For guests, both are free: "Overnight guests are welcome to participate without reservations and fees."

Do you have to take part?

No. JNTO is clear on this: "It is recommended, though not mandatory, to take part in some of the monks' spiritual practices such as meditation and copying sutras." Still, the morning service is the one part of the stay that only a temple can offer, so it is worth getting up for once.

The Okunoin night tour

The other highlight of a night at Koyasan is a walk through Okunoin, the great cemetery around the mausoleum of Kukai. JNTO describes the path: "The cobbled pathway leading to Okunoin passes by over 200,000 mossy gravestones and memorials under a thick green canopy of ancient cedar trees." After dark, you can walk it with a guide. JNTO's advice is: "If you only have time for a single tour, reserve a spot on the Okunoin Night Tour, which departs every evening (except on the 20th of the month) from Ekoin Temple."

JNTO adds that "An English-speaking monk will lead you through the cemetery by torchlight recounting anecdotes and letting you in on little-known secrets." Eko-in's own page says you will be guided by "a monk or a guide who lives in Mt. Koya", and it is run by a separate company, so even Eko-in's guests have to book it. In Eko-in's words: "This tour is NOT INCLUDED in Ekoin’s accommodation plan, so if you wish, you will need to make a separate reservation." It also warns: "Especially from March to November, this tour often gets fully booked, so it’s recommended to make reservations early."

Six Koyasan temples compared

With about 50 temples to choose from, the hardest part of a Koyasan stay is picking one. The association's English site gives 31 of them a page of their own, with the times, the experiences and the nearest bus stop. Six of them are compared below, and between them they show the range: old temples tied to samurai families, a pagoda that is a National Treasure, a garden from the Showa period, and rooms from a single tatami room to a suite. The times are as the association listed them on 19 October 2026.

For winter, the association's page for Sekisho-in gives a curfew of 17:00, the same time as the end of check-in, so ask the temple when you book. The second table gives the number of private rooms, from the association's Japanese list of lodging temples, with the bus stop and the phone number. All six buses leave from stop No. 2 at Koyasan Station, bound for Okunoin-mae.

What makes each temple different

Each temple has its own history, and most of them make something of it. Of Eko-in, the association writes: "The accommodation has a beautiful view of the garden from its purely Japanese architecture." The others are older than they look, and several have been linked with the same noble or samurai families for centuries.

Rengejo-in has the most famous story. After the Battle of Sekigahara, the warlord Sanada Masayuki and his son Yukimura were ordered to live in exile on Koyasan. They lodged for a time at Rengejo-in, and Masayuki's wife and children were settled at Kudoyama. Its Japanese page adds that the temple escaped the two great fires of the Meiji period. Kongosanmai-in was founded to mourn Yoritomo and the third shogun, with Eisai, the founder of the Rinzai school of Zen, as its founding priest, and it is part of the World Heritage site.

Choosing a room

Most shukubo rooms are Japanese-style: tatami floors, sliding doors and a futon laid out at night. They are measured in jo, the size of one tatami mat; Eko-in gives its 10-jo rooms as 16.53 square metres. At Rengejo-in, 7 of the private rooms are divided by walls and 41 by fusuma, sliding paper doors, so if you are a light sleeper, ask for a room with walls.

Eko-in shows how wide the choice can be. At one end are its compact rooms of 6 jo for one or two people: "They are also ideal for a single person to stay." At the other is Gachirin, which opened in March 2022 as "the largest suite of temple lodgings in Koyasan", with 100 square metres and its own garden.

Shojin ryori and special diets

The food is one of the main reasons people stay. Visit Wakayama describes it well: "A vegetarian Buddhist cuisine made entirely of vegetables and edible wild plants, shojin-ryori may sound simple yet that could not be farther from the truth." JNTO sets out what it leaves out: "Each meal is free of meat, fish, green onion, garlic, and other stimulants." At Eko-in, the dishes change with the season.

Two dishes belong to the mountain itself. Visit Wakayama writes: "Specialties include koya dofu and its sesame-flavored relative, goma dofu." At Eko-in, dinner is furimai ryori, a banquet of the kind served once the monks' ceremonies are over. At Fukuchi-in, the association says, "all vegetarian dishes are handmade by the chef and are changed monthly".

Vegan, gluten-free and allergies

Shojin ryori suits vegetarians, and usually vegans too. JNTO says: "Vegan-friendly shojin ryori is also available." Eko-in's policy is more exact: its dinner and breakfast are cooked "excluding any meat, fish, eggs, dairy, onion and garlic for dinner and breakfast". Allergies are harder. Soy sauce and miso go into most dishes, so if you cannot eat soy, Eko-in warns that your meals will be quite simple. It also points out that "our facility only has one kitchen", so it cannot cook allergy meals apart from the rest, and it suggests that guests with severe allergies bring their own food.

Eko-in's own words on timing are: "please contact us at least one week in advance, as we may need to purchase and prepare ingredients." Other temples set their own rules, so ask yours.

Lunch without staying the night

You do not have to stay the night to try the food. JNTO says that "Shukubo serve shojin ryori meals to overnight guests, but it is also possible to get Buddhist lunches at some of the eateries in the temple town." Some temples serve lunch too. Eko-in serves it from 11:00 to 13:00, and its cuisine page is clear: "Lunch is only available by reservation." The association has stopped taking lunch bookings for now, its Japanese page says, so book with the temple itself.

Meditation, sutra copying and other experiences

Most temples offer more than a bed and two meals. JNTO puts it this way: "One of the big draws of a visit to Koyasan is the range of experiences and activities on offer from meditation, sutra-copying and matcha tea experiences to private tours with a monk as your tour guide." Not every temple offers every experience, and some need booking, so ask when you reserve your room. The table shows the fees as the temples and the association listed them.

Ajikan meditation

Ajikan is the meditation of Shingon Buddhism. The association describes it as "a form of Shingon meditation for integrating the practitioner with the Buddha", and its Japanese page explains how: you meditate on the Sanskrit letter A, drawn inside a moon disc, which stands for Dainichi Nyorai, the cosmic Buddha. JNTO says that "Many temples offer ajikan experiences led by monks." The association is more careful: "Only a few shukubo temples are able to provide an Ajikan experience to private visitors, so be sure to check first."

At Eko-in, the monks "will give you detailed instructions at the Ajikan Dojo", so you do not need any experience. Groups of more than five should get in touch first, and preschool children cannot take part. If your temple does not offer ajikan, Kongobu-ji's teaching office runs sessions for the public by booking, on 0736-56-2014.

Sutra copying

Shakyo, sutra copying, is the easiest experience to fit in, because you can do it in your room. JNTO describes it as a practice "where you write over faintly printed Chinese characters". The text is usually the Heart Sutra, the Hannya Shingyo, which the association calls "the essence of the Buddhist scriptures". At Eko-in, "You can practice sutra copying in your room at any time."

Eko-in asks: "If you would like to participate, please let us know when you check in." Visitors who are not staying can also take part for ¥2,000. If you are not staying at a temple that offers it, the association's Japanese page points you to the head office of the Daishi Kyokai, on 0736-56-2015.

Jukai, the audio guide and private experiences

Two more experiences are not tied to your temple. The first is jukai, a short ceremony in which you receive the Buddhist precepts. In the association's words: "At the Jukai-do (precept hall), visitors can receive ten Buddhist precepts for living a responsible life in a moving ceremony." The second is an audio guide to the sights, which you can rent from the association's offices.

For a guide in person, the association points to the Koyasan Interpreter Guide Club, which leads tours of Koyasan in English. Eko-in also offers private experiences led by a monk, booked for your group alone: a private ajikan session, a special fire ritual, a private tour with a monk, and a Buddhist wedding.

Etiquette and what to bring

A temple stay asks little of you, but a temple is a place of worship first and a lodging second. GO TOKYO's guide to temple lodgings in Tokyo, a page last updated in 2021, has advice that holds anywhere in Japan. On clothes, it says: "Wear comfortable clothes for sitting cross-legged on the floor." On the room: "Amenities are usually more basic than those provided by hotels, so bring comfort items with you, as well as an extra layer of clothing if staying in the colder months."

The towel is the thing people forget. Dewasanzan.com, writing about the lodges at Dewa Sanzan, says: "Bear in mind that some Shukubo may not have towels on hand." Ask when you book, or bring a small one. Getting to Koyasan also means a train, a cable car and a bus, so travel light if you can; the luggage guide explains how to send a suitcase ahead to your next hotel.

In the halls and the rooms

Shoes come off indoors. JNTO's description of Kongobu-ji, the head temple at Koyasan, starts with exactly that: "Take off your shoes and wander through the temple halls, adorned with graceful carved wooden cranes, elaborate flowers, and gilded sliding doors." Shunkoin in Kyoto puts its rule for retreat guests in three words: "Socks are required." Visit Wakayama links to a guide to worship etiquette for Koyasan, which covers what to wear, the places where photographs are not allowed, and how to behave when you worship, and asks visitors to read it before they come.

Expect to sleep the traditional way. Of the lodges at Dewa Sanzan, Dewasanzan.com says that "sleeping on a futon on the floor is the norm", although some will arrange a bed if you ask, and rooms often have a yukata, a cotton robe, Wi-Fi or a TV. Meals keep to the temple's day, and GO TOKYO has two tips about the timetable. The first: "Dinner and breakfast at temple stays are often served at fixed times, so plan your trip accordingly, and bring snacks if you think you might get hungry." The second: "Ask what experiences are available at the shukubo ahead of time—some offer meditation and other activities in the middle of the afternoon, which you can join if you arrive early enough." Remember the curfew, too: at most of the Koyasan temples in this guide it is 21:00 or 22:00.

Temple stays beyond Koyasan

Koyasan has the most temple lodgings, but it is far from the only place. GO TOKYO starts its guide with that point: "When people think of temple stays, Koyasan in the mountains of Wakayama Prefecture may come to mind, but you can even experience shukubo in Tokyo!" The temples below are described in English by JNTO, GO TOKYO, the temples themselves or, for Dewa Sanzan, Dewasanzan.com. Each takes bookings in its own way, so check its own page.

Tokyo: Shoden-ji and Mount Mitake

GO TOKYO describes three lodgings in Tokyo, one in the city and two in the mountains to the west. Its page dates from 2021, so check each lodging's own site for what it offers now.

Shoden-ji is new as lodgings go: "The shukubo opened in 2019 in a two-story building constructed in recent years next to the main hall of Shoden-ji Temple." It stands between Hamamatsucho and Tamachi stations on the Yamanote Line, with easy access to Haneda Airport, and its rooms combine a modern design with tatami and zabuton, flat floor cushions. The temple is much older: "The temple has around 400 years of history and is believed to be guarded by Bishamonten, one of the Seven Gods of Fortune."

Mount Mitake feels far from the city. "Seizan-so is tucked away in the mountains of the Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park in western Tokyo." As GO TOKYO puts it, "It's one of the shukubo along the approach to Musashi Mitake Shrine", in a thatched building with plenty of hiking trails nearby, and "The final ascent is made by cable car." For its waterfall meditation, the advice is: "Remember to bring comfortable shoes and a towel." Nearby, "Kaminoya Sanraku-so is a shukubo run by the kannushi—the head priest—of Musashi Mitake Shrine." It also works as a ryokan, so you can simply stay, or join the early morning worship and a waterfall trip that leaves at around 5 am.

Kyoto: a Zen retreat at Shunkoin

Shunkoin is a temple of the Rinzai school of Zen, founded in 1590 by Horio Yoshiharu. In the temple's own words, "Shunkoin Temple is located within the Myoshinji temple complex in Kyoto." The nearest stations are Hanazono on the JR Sagano Line and Myoshinji on the Keifuku line. Its guesthouse has eight private rooms for one to three people, each with its own shower and toilet. The Japanese version of its home page notes that, for now, only some of its experiences are running.

The overnight Zen retreat is the easiest way in for a first-timer. The temple is clear on the language: "This retreat is conducted in English." Its leader is the temple's 24th head priest, Rev. Takafumi Zenryu Kawakami, and "The sessions are suitable for those who are new to meditation as well as those with an established contemplative practice." The stay includes two shojin ryori meals and a private room in the guesthouse, with a toilet and shower room of its own.

The two arts depend on who is free: "The schedule for the calligraphy session and tea ceremony may change depending on the availability of the calligraphy and tea masters." Retreats are held on set dates, in October and November for autumn 2026, so check the temple's website for the next ones. If you cancel less than 10 days before, you pay 50% of the fee; inside the last week, you pay all of it. For the tea ceremony itself, see the tea ceremony guide; for the city, see the Kyoto guide.

Near Kyoto: Miidera and Shoureki-ji

Two temples within reach of Kyoto take a single booking at a time, so the lodging is yours alone.

Miidera, also called Onjo-ji, stands below Mt. Hiei, close to Lake Biwa, in Shiga Prefecture. It is the head temple of the Tendaijimon sect, and JNTO notes that "Miidera has a history of over 1,000 years." Its lodging is old too: "Myogonin Temple is a 400-year-old monks’ quarters surrounded by private gardens on Miidera’s grounds, which is available for exclusive stays." It offers three plans, and the fullest includes zazen in the Kangaku-in Kyakuden or the reception hall of Kojo-in, both National Treasures. The staff confirm your food preferences before you arrive, and "Vegetarian, vegan, and halal dishes can all be provided."

Shoureki-ji, near Ayabe, is a quieter kind of stay. "The temple accommodates just one group at a time", and the chief priest and his wife cook the meals and lead guests through morning prayers and sutra copying. The guest quarters are in a residence built around 100 years ago, with Wi-Fi and views of the Yura River. Not every temple stay is vegetarian: dinner here centres on a whole Shamo chicken, although "Guests can arrange alternatives to chicken with prior notice." You can also try chikurin zazen, meditation in a bamboo forest, and a goma fire ceremony, in which your wishes are written on wooden tablets and burned.

Nara: Gyokuzoin

Among the hills of Nara Prefecture, in the Kongo-Ikoma-Kisen Quasi-National Park, JNTO describes a temple with views of Mt. Shigi. "Gyokuzoin was founded over 1,000 years ago", and it offers several Buddhist practices to visitors. As JNTO adds, "Shukubo overnight stays are also available."

Nagano: the lodgings of Zenko-ji

Zenko-ji in Nagano is a large temple that JNTO calls "Home to the oldest hidden Buddhist statue in Japan". It offers zazen and sutra copying, and it has a whole quarter of lodgings: "There are 39 shukubo (temple lodgings) in Zenkoji, where you can stay the night and learn about the monastic lifestyle and taste the shojin Buddhist vegetarian cuisine."

Yamagata: the pilgrim lodges of Mount Haguro

The lodges at Dewa Sanzan, the three sacred mountains of Yamagata, are a different world from Koyasan. Dewasanzan.com explains: "Staying in a Shukubo is more like staying in both a temple and a Ryokan at the same time." Each one has to have an altar, and "All Shukubo are run by Yamabushi". They stand in Toge, a small town on Mount Haguro, and they once made up most of it: "At their peak, of the 400 households in Toge, 300 were Shukubo". Today there are fewer than 30.

Religion here is a mix. The same site says that "for the most part the Shukubo are not Buddhist", and the morning prayers can combine Buddhist, Shinto and Haguro Shugendo practice. Guests do not have to belong to any of them: "Each Shukubo invites everyone staying to take part regardless of religion." The meals are mainly vegan, but some lodges make their soup with fish stock, so mention any diet when you book. Some lodges open only at certain times of year, and some take only large groups or kochu, pilgrim groups from around Japan.

Saikan began as Kezoin, a temple from 1697, and a long hallway links it to Dewa Sanzan Shrine. Dewasanzan.com writes that "Those who want a particularly spiritual experience are invited to join the daily prayers at the shrine, such as the morning service at 7am." Its dashi, soup stock, sometimes contains bonito, but "if asked, Saikan can create vegan dishes using kelp Dashi stock, you just need to ask." Dewasanzan.com itself no longer arranges rooms or meals, so book with the lodge directly. To get there, take the bus from Tsuruoka Station to Mount Haguro; for the lodges, the best stops are Sakura Koji or Zuishinmon.

When to go

Koyasan takes guests all year, but it is a mountain town. Visit Wakayama's advice is short: "With an average temperature between 10°C - 11°C, warm dress for the mountain climate is recommended." GO TOKYO's tip to pack an extra layer for the colder months matters most here.

Festivals at Koyasan

The association's English site has an event calendar of the main Buddhist services and festivals of the year. The page carries a copyright line ending in 2019, so treat the dates below as a guide and check them with the temple or the association before you plan around one.

The Candle Festival is the one to plan a night around. On the evening of 13 August, people walk up to the Torodo hall at Okuno-in to remember their ancestors. The calendar describes the scene: "They place candles to illuminate both sides of the two kilometer approach, beginning at a place in front of the Ichino-hashi bridge, the entrance to the front approach of Okuno-in." The memorial service begins at the Torodo at 20:00. For festivals elsewhere in Japan, see the guide to Japanese festivals.

Seasons at the other temple stays

The temples outside Koyasan have their own rhythms. JNTO's page on meditation at Zenko-ji puts it simply: "When to go: All year". At Dewa Sanzan, the season decides which mountains you can climb from your lodge, while Saikan stays open through the winter.

Dewasanzan.com is frank about the winter at Saikan. On one hand, "Saikan provides accommodation year-round, even during the deep snow and cold of winter." On the other: "Be warned that the building is more than 300 years old, so there is a complete lack of insulation." There is heating and air-conditioning, but the corridors get very cold in winter and very hot in summer. Its suggestion: "Probably the best season to visit Saikan would be late spring or autumn."

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To cite or link to this page: Temple stays in Japan: what a shukubo is and how it differs from a ryokan, Koyasan and its temple lodgings, how to book and pay, a night at a shukubo step by step, six Koyasan temples compared, shojin ryori and special diets, meditation, sutra copying and other experiences, etiquette and what to bring, temple stays in Tokyo, Kyoto, Nagano and Yamagata, and when to go — Japan Pocket Guide, https://japanpocketguide.com/culture/temple-stay/ Copy