6 Best Temple Stays in Japan: Mindful Memories

When you first get to Japan, you may be all about the noise and neons of Akihabara, the luxury and lavish brands of Ginza or the striking skylines and skyscrapers of Tokyo, blessed as it is with famous landmarks like Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Skytree.

However, when you start yearning for more serene surroundings where you can soak up Japan’s more spiritual side, there’s nothing quite like a temple stay. So, leave the modern world behind for the best temple stays in Japan.

A Japanese temple stay is referred to as shukubo (宿坊) in Japanese, combining “lodging” and “monk” to create “a place where monks stay.” At least, that’s how it used to be when monks traveled long distances on spiritual pilgrimages and needed a place to rest before continuing on with their arduous journey. 

In the modern day, many of these temples have been opened up to travelers. Some continue as places of Buddhist worship while allowing tourists to stay and take part in temple rituals, whereas other have renovated into stylish ryokan inn-style accommodations.

Either way, a Japanese temple stay is an experience you’re not likely to forget any time soon — here are just a few of our favourites.

Find out more: What is Shukubo? Japanese Buddhist Temple Stays

Based in the picturesque landscapes of Mt. Oyama in Isehara, Kanagawa Prefecture, is the 300-year-old Meguro Ryokan, a traditional Japanese ryokan inn that will give you a space for relaxation, culture and spirituality in the facility of a Buddhist temple. 

As one of the more eclectic, activity-packed temple stays, you’ll first get to experience the performance art of Noh; this unique — and somewhat eerie — method of Japanese storytelling is over 700 years old. With VIP access to their Noh theater, your translator will explain the history and culture of the art form, and you can even try Noh masks and clothes. 

Afterwards, taste local ingredients at their finest, enjoying the regional tofu dishes alongside hearty sukiyaki (simmered beef and vegetables). The evening is yours, so retire to your room for undisturbed rest or enjoy the mountain views from your window with a drink.

Start your day feeling especially mindful with a healthy breakfast, a purification ritual and a pilgrimage up the mountain to Afuri Shrine. You’ll start on foot, but soon you’ll be hopping onto the mountain’s cable car, so sit back and soak up the views. 

Once the pilgrimage is complete, relax at the cafe next to the shrine and chat over a “meal shared with the gods.”

Only three hours from the metropolis of Tokyo by bus is Kakurinbo, a temple stay based on Mt. Minobu with 800 years of history as a Buddhist temple. Renovated to provide a sleek temple stay experience, take in its chic, traditional Japanese-style room before sitting down to the classic Buddhist vegetarian cuisine: shojin ryori. 

In the evening, swap the spiritual and serene for a lively temple festival of beating drums and chanting monks. It’ll leave you feeling like you made plenty of new memories before you retire to your soft futon bedding, lay out on the tatami mat of your temple room.

The next morning, practice the art of shakyo, copying out Buddhist sutras at Kunonju Temple before a gentle yoga class. After all that mindfulness, you’re sure to be hungry, so get ready for another shojin ryori breakfast.

For one last glimpse into Wakayama’s cultural practices, you can also add a washi paper-making class to your experience. This includes transport to and from Yamaju Washi Paper Shop, allowing you to sit back and enjoy the meandering roads of Japan’s mountain towns.

When you first start looking up temple stays in Japan, you’re sure to discover Koyasan (Mt. Koya), a registered UNESCO World Heritage Site with over 50 different temples offering temple stay experiences in the southern prefecture of Wakayama.

With so many temple stays on Mt. Kota, where should you start? Here are three temple stays worth looking into, catering to all budgets.

Eko-in Temple walks the line between a Buddhist temple filled with centuries of history and a fancy ryokan inn, featuring large, luxurious rooms for relaxing in between morning prayers, ceremonial fire rituals and unforgettable night tours of the temple.

As one of the fancier temple stays in Koyasan, it’s incredibly popular and many of the younger monks speak English fluently. 

Saizen-in Temple offers a temple stay that’s somewhere between fancy hotel and bare-bones traditional, giving you more elements of privacy in your stay. For example, you’ll have your own private toilet and some rooms also have a private shower — when it comes to more rustic temple stays, both of these experiences happen in shared spaces.

Dinner is also brought to your room, allowing you to dine in style while you reminisce on the events of the day. 

Yochi-in Temple is great for those who want to experience a Japanese temple stay on a budget. You’ll still get to take part in morning prayers, Buddhist meditation and, for an additional cost, the art of shakyo (sutra copying).

Even though this temple stay leans more towards the traditional side of the spectrum, it’s still the 21st century, so your tatami-floored room and futon bedding is also complete with a TV, heater and fan. 

Bathrooms are shared and bathing takes place in public baths, but you’ll soon get used to this and feel at one with the mindful monk life.

Seikokuji Temple is located in the Yoshino district of Nara Prefecture — which you may already known for its abundance of cracker-hungry deer. This exclusive temple stay only allows one reservation per day, meaning you’ll get the VIP treatment at this historic site.

Surrounded by nature, you’ll get to enjoy cherry blossoms in the spring, swimming in the river during the summer and vibrant fall foliage in the autumn. Of course, if you’re here to experience the practices of Buddhist monks, you won’t be disappointed; you can partake in gongyo (religious service), shakyo (hand-copying sutras), shafutsu (tracing an image of Buddha) and meditation.

Between nature and spirituality, you’re sure to find yourself feeling recentred for the rest of your Japan trip.

Chishaku-in Temple is the head temple of the Chizan School of Shingon Buddhism, located in Higashiyama, Kyoto. Renovated with stylish Western and Japanese-style rooms, you’re sure to find the perfect space for you away from the hustle and bustle of the modern world.

Like most temple stays, you’re also welcome to join the Buddhist monks for morning worship, wander the beautiful Japanese gardens and reconnect with the natural world around you.

Enmeiin-SUWA is the guesthouse for the Togakure Shrine, giving pilgrims a place to relax and dine on local specialties like Togakure soba noodles. These days, it’s still just as welcoming to travelers with its mix of Western and Japanese-style rooms, seasonal dishes and the ability to freely explore the area or participate in Buddhist rituals.

Get a taste for shojin ryori, the typical Buddhist cuisine, putting tofu and fresh vegetables in the spotlight. Explore the best places to get shojin ryori in Tokyo or Kyoto, then impress the monks with your knowledge on your next temple stay.

Think conservative! While popular tourist spots may be used to travelers in all kinds of fashion, more traditional temples will appreciate if you respect the setting with more conservative clothes. Think knee-length shorts, skirts or dresses, covered shoulders and closed shoes.

You can expect an early start with Buddhist morning prayers and meditations, shojin ryori vegetarian meals, Japanese or Western-style rooms and sometimes shared toilets and bathing spaces.

Sometimes, no! It's always a good idea to bring cash, because most temples are keeping things traditional with notes and coins, not contactless and Apple Pay.