We were able to participate in the morning prayer ceremony and afterwards visit the temple’s inner sanctuary. This was a unique and memorable experience. We were also pleasantly surprised by the monastery's cuisine. Both dinner and breakfast were exceptional compared to the Japanese food we experienced elsewhere during our trip. The rooms are simple and minimalist, as expected, and create an authentic temple atmosphere that makes it easy to imagine daily life in the monastery. Unfortunately, these positive impressions were significantly overshadowed by several aspects of our stay. Upon arrival, the rules of conduct for visitors were not clearly communicated. Due to this lack of guidance, we unintentionally made a mistake, which was met with a loud and visibly angry reaction from one of the monks. Our subsequent apologies were not accepted. Beyond that, the monks we interacted with came across as very distant and unapproachable. We had the impression that the presence of overnight gue

Absolutely perfect in every aspect. Authentic, beautifully kept and presented, very comfortable. It was a privilege to stay there

Kumagai-ji was an incredible and enriching stay. I was able to learn so much about Shingon Buddhism and its history and role in Japan through my stay. I would highly recommend staying here to others. It was an amazing experience. In addition, the food was some of the best I have had in Japan!

Really beautiful and quiet Shukubo in a very good position.

This ryokan/Buddhist temple offers a very authentic and unique cultural experience. Taking part in temple life and learning more about Buddhist traditions was memorable and something we will always appreciate. However, there were also several challenges. The traditional food was extremely difficult for us, and we were unable to adapt to it during our stay. Communication was also complicated, as the manager spoke very limited English, making it difficult to ask questions or receive information. We had booked two nights, but after the first night we felt the experience was not the right fit for us. The next morning, before the 10:00 check-out time, we asked whether it would be possible to receive a refund for the unused second night. Our request was declined, which was disappointing.

Beautiful temple, very clean and cozy rooms, excellent meals. Overall it is a memorable experience thanks to the very kind monks.

We very much enjoyed our stay at Hozen-In temple. It was a beautiful setting and so close to the amazing cemetery. The young monk who greeted us and looked after us, Dan-san was charming and attentive to our needs. A true delight he was and he enhanced our experience immensely. The food was attractive and tasty - it seemed a lot of effort and attention to detail was made. The morning chanting ceremony was interesting, but quite long - I would have preferred a short period of meditation and contemplation, but none was given. The biggest problem for us was the men’s bathroom - it smelled bad, and the urinals didn’t flush. It seemed it had not been attended to for days. So cleanliness needs to be improved. Overall it was great, and could be better still…