Hotel Kolam air panas di Kōya

As part of our tour of Japan, my family (myself, husband and two grown up children) decided to include a stay at the top of Mount Koya in a Buddhist Temple as one of our many experiences. The trip up to Mount Koya was time consuming (we came from Osaka) but when we reached Koya we were so pleased we had made the effort. It really is 'different' up there and we spent a long time in the huge cemetery before getting refreshments at a little cafe in the centre. We then walked around the many temples which again, were breathtaking and not too busy, before checking into Jimyo-in. The monks that checked us in was welcoming and showed us around, making it clear everything would close down at 9.00 pm (including the showers!). There were no showers allowed in the mornings. We were told our evening meal would be served downstairs at 6.00 pm and breakfast would be after morning prayers which start at 6.30 am. The rooms were very clean and as expected. The monk brought us up a tray of Japanese tea and a small cake. The rooms had effective air conditioning. We went for a little wander in the gardens although these were very small! There was one toilet and washbasin for our 'landing' which included the four of us and one other room. The evening meal was served in a dining room downstairs where we sat on cushions on the floor and were served several small Japanese dishes. We knew in advance the food would be vegetarian but it was good and we did not go hungry. We also had beer as an optional extra with our meal. When we went back upstairs our 'futon' style matresses had been laid out for us. The next morning we rose early to make the 6.30 prayers which I found quite restful and lasted half an hour. We then had breakfast in the same dining room. I had struggled with the Japanese concept of breakfast for the whole trip (lots of vegetables etc) and being veggie there was a lot of tofu, so not the best for us, but authentically Japanese. We then checked out quite early to make our way back to Osaka although last check out wasn't until 11.00 am. I would say that Jimyo-in offered what I expected from staying in a Budhhist monastery. In fact, I would say the offer was better than some of the 'homestay' style Inns we had stayed in. Clean and basic but comfortable with shared facilities and adequate food. The inclusion in prayers was a positive for us. If you are looking for luxury accommodation then do not choose to stay at a Buddhist monastery, but if you want to enjoy an authentic experience then this is a good choice.

Nous sommes un couple et c’était la 3 eme fois que nous venions à koyasan. Nous connaissons bien cette expérience immersive chez les moines . Nous avons été super bien accueilli déjà avant l’heure du Check in. Ils ont mis nos bagages de côté et sommes parti visiter le cimetière. En revenant en fin de journée, des apprentis moines nous ont accueilli avec un immense sourire et avec humour presque. Ils nous ont servi du thé et des okakis (crackers) le temps de faire le Check in. La chambre était traditionnelle, tatamis et futon avec toilette privative toto et lavabo. (Ce n’est pas toujours privatif dans d’autre ou les toilettes sont communes). C’était beau et propre. Un mini frigo. Des bouteilles d’eau et du thé à disposition avec bouilloire. La douche et le bain (sento), super propre et chaud, c’était super agréable de pouvoir se baigner au calme après une grosse journée. Nous sommes tatoués et n’avons pas vu de restrictions à ce sujet. D’ailleurs il n’y avait personne en même temps que moi ou mon fiancé donc c’est comme si c’était privé ! Repas à 5:30 pm, végétarien et délicieux alors que nous adorons la viande, là on s’en passe. Service impeccable. Cérémonie du matin où mon fiancé est allé, superbe expérience comme d’habitude et les moines étaient à disposition pour les questions. Petit déjeuner à 7:30 am. Aussi bon que la veille ! Départ agréable rien à dire, nous repartons avec un super souvenir de cet endroit. Nous recommandons Soji-inn.

鎌倉時代の雰囲気を残す境内！　宿坊寺院！　精進料理も美味しく朝の勤行！　アジカン体験など特別な時間を過ごさせていただきました♪ 定期的に伺いたくなる。場所の一つ！次回は紅葉の金剛三昧院を見たいし！　雪の金剛三昧院！　石楠花の金剛三昧院！　桜の金剛三昧院魅力いっぱいです。

Pengalaman penginapan yang berbeza terutamanya. Dikelilingi oleh biara dan berada di resort Buddha, ia sangat mengagumkan. Beberapa siri aktiviti seperti meditasi dan nyanyian diatur di kuil. Ikut sami-sami di biara untuk melakukan amalan Buddha pada masa yang ditetapkan. Makanannya vegetarian, sangat ringan dan penuh. Pintu bilik tidak berkunci, tetapi terdapat peti besi di dalam bilik. Tandas awam dan tempat mandi awam agak mudah.

We stayed at this temple for one night and it was worth it. You have a vegan breakfast and dinner cooked for you whilst you stay in a traditional Japanese style room. Location wise, it was perfect for us. The cemetery is about a 20-25 minute walk which isn’t too bad as you explore the area anyway. The monks were very welcoming and I had a fun conversation with one about football (they love Tomiyasu and Mitoma). They spoke English very well and I could communicate easily, even one monk who couldn’t speak much English just pulled out his phone and used translator to speak. In the morning, you’re invited to join their morning prayers which is a unique experience. It’s about 30 minutes long and certainly something you don’t want to miss. Some things to be aware of is, for us, we had the option of having dinner served at either 5 or 5:30pm. Dinner for the most part was tasty and delicious. I’m open minded and willing to try things I wouldn’t normally have - but I can imagine picky eaters not enjoying some of the dishes. Also, curfew is around 9pm. They literally shut the temple doors. So be careful about doing night tours of the cemetery that start at 7. (We went on our own accord as it was dark by 5pm anyway)

It’s hard to rate this location as it’s not like anything I’ve experienced before. So a good thing to keep in mind before you go is to set your expectations. This is not a hotel so you won’t get hotel amenities. We didn’t have a private bathroom, there are limited plugs in the room, you have to wear slippers inside, limited communal shower times, and you sleep on futons on the floor. What you do get is a wonderful experience: the optional morning prayer (the whole experience was 1 h 20 min), vegetarian dinner and breakfast (some kids might not like but adventurous souls will enjoy), peaceful surroundings, old architecture, easy walk to all major sites. I would totally recommend this place for a night in koyosan. I think one night is perfect to get the full magic of the place.

A tranquil lodge nestled in a long history. A great location for pilgrimage and sightseeing.

As an overall experience this was 5/5. The room was spacious with both AC and a kerosene heater (which we needed) as it was freezing. Safe in the room as they are not able to be locked. The staff are very attentive and the facilities are very clean. Dinner was vegetarian and buffet style which was served in your room. It was great to experience all of the Japanese foods. Futon mattresses were made on the floor by the staff and had warm doonas and blankets. Shared bathroom was a bit of an issue if you had to get up at night and walk to the bathroom in the cold. The monk who did the morning prayers was such a warm person making us feel very welcomed. Loved the chanting, ritual and symbols used the prayer ceremony. This was followed by a buffet breakfast served in the community dining room. They accommodated for the older ones of us with chairs if you could not sit on the floor to eat breakfast. Again, vegetarian traditional Japanese food. The Zen garden was peaceful but not attended to like some of the other gardens we had seen. A definite bucket list experience.