Hotel 3 Bintang 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.

It wasn't the most pleasant experience considering that the males n females had to share toilets and that some other rooms had private toilets n bath instead. And also the fact that the walls are super thin hence whomever is connected to your room if their loud or they don't like your voice volume than you might get kicked to the curb. It's a very frustrating experience for sure since it tests one's patience n ability to let go. It's training for the customers n monks alike. I met a Japanese friend here whom shared with me how rude the monks and the staff were to one another n I think that shows the quality of this place however we were pretty lucky as there was a male who spoke mandarin n a male who spoke English both quite well in this place n though the mandarin speaker was quite condescending towards the other monks, the English speaker was really nice n patient overall. He helped me out a lot since we couldn't communicate with the others n seemed to be the only customers that spoke English whom booked this place by ourselves, the others around seemed to have a guide n were usually in groups. It's a unique experience n I recommend just staying for one night or going to the other temples. I went for the ajikan meditation at eko in temple n the service n cleanliness was on another level for sure. The food here was also really simple. Also a must see are the tomb area n the walk to kobold daishi temple. As a sensitive person, I felt the overwhelming love n presence and the cleanse of my heart of this amazing soul over there. To me, that was worth it. Remember to clean yourself with the water out front before going in.... and of course to the amazing fateful friendship that occurred for us with the jap-********* couple we met. It was the next fav of mine after the time spent in nara visitor center. That was truly magickal n how I wished we stayed longer there. But all was good cause the way I planned this trip made it so that we would have this fateful encounter to the end of our trip.

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)

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.

The Rengein is an ideal spot for travelers wanting to discover the city. Visitors to Koya will find that the Rengein is a fantastic accommodation choice.With Kōyasan Station just 4km away and Kansai International Airport only 71km away, transportation is very convenient. With Hoon-in, Ren'gejo-in Temple (Pilgrim's Lodging) and Joki-in Temple (Pilgrim's Lodging) all within a short distance, there is no shortage of things to do in the area.In their spare time, guests can explore the hotel's surroundings.

Room - we opted for the Junior suite which came with attached bathroom and a huge tub. We were pleasantly surprised by the size of the room and had a wonderful view of the garden. Location - easy 2 min walk from the bus stop Food - we were served dinner in a beautiful private room. We are not vegetarians but we really love the food. We had breakfast in a dining hall - wonderfully decorated. Again, breakfast was simple but delicious. They speak simple English and if needed, there is always Google Translate. Glad to have had our first temple stay experience in Fudoin. Would gladly stay here again.

二家族の高野山へのお参り旅行でした。一家族は当日東京からの参加で、なおかつその中の一人は電車の事故で午後まで動けない状態。到着が夜の9時過ぎになってしまいました。食事は無理でしたが、お風呂は時間外になってしまったにもかかわらず使わせていただけました。ほんとにありがたかったです、翌朝のおつとめは、座禅を経験させてもらえると思っていましたが、残念ながらお参りと本堂の案内でした。 夜の廊下があまりにも暗いので、通り道だけは明るくしてほしかったです。扇風機も各部屋にお願いしたいです。

Apabila anda menginap di Koyasan Shukubo Fugenin in Koyasan, anda akan berada di kawasan bersejarah, dalam lingkungan 5 minit berjalan kaki dari Tokong Muryokoin dan Tokong Anyoin. Ryokan ini berada 0.3 km dari Kuil Kongobuji dan 0.4 km dari Universiti Koyasan.Nikmati pemandangan dari taman dan gunakan kemudahan seperti akses Internet wayarles percuma dan pendiangan di lobi.Meja hadapan disediakan dengan kakitangan semasa waktu terhad. Tempat letak kenderaan sendiri percuma terdapat di tapak hartanah.Selesakan diri anda di salah satu daripada 20 bilik tamu. Akses Internet wayarles percuma disediakan untuk membolehkan anda sentiasa berhubung. Bilik mandi dilengkapkan dengan tab mandi dan pancuran berasingan dan berus gigi dan ubat gigi.

The temple is beautiful, and the room is super nice and spacious. There is also a beautiful garden. I was expecting some additional amenities and/or interactions with the monks to have a better experience, but there is nothing related to this. I have the impression there are temples around the area that are much better on this regards and this could contribute a lot to the overall experience. If you want to have dinner and/or breakfast please make reservation at least one day before check-in and make sure this is accepted by the property, otherwise you won’t be able to have dinner/breakfast if you request this during check-in. The morning ceremony was ok, but there is no minimum explanation at the beginning or end (at least in English) which could have been nice. Also, the room is extremely cold, so make sure you bring enough clothes to it. The onsen is a nice addition but nothing spectacular. Overall, it is ok but it could be improved a lot. There are some lessons you can take part of, but I joined the cemetery tour organized by another temple, so I don’t know if they were good. I have the impression that in Eko-in temple they were giving the guests more services as meditation sessions and this tour and additional explanations in English. Curfew is at 9 pm.