I stayed at Hozen-in. The monks and staff were very helpful, whenever I asked for help they did their best to provide for me. The room was comfy too, even though it was a cold season the heater function worked well to keep me warm at night. The dinner was exquisite. The location was very close to Okunoin, which allowed me to participate in the free night walk at 7pm easily. I also had time to visit Okunoin again in the morning. Besides Hozen-In, I want to sincerely thank Sainan-In. At first I asked for Sainan-In, and even though their rooms were full, they welcomed me so warmly in the daytime when I visited, and I even got to request for their prayer service too. Thank you very much. I will always remember both temples’ hospitality.

We enjoyed our temple stay very much! It is VERY expensive though. And we requested extra matresses (tatamis) as we are not used to sleeping so close to the floor and we were told this was not possible. We were suprised as we had asked in other places and these had always been given to make our stay more comfortable. We felt very welcome in the morning prayers! However, we do not speak Japanese so we could not understand anything that was said at the end by the principal monk. I am aware that it is not possible to please all the guests, but not understanding a single word is not great either. Maybe you could print a document for foreigners, because that would make people feel welcome and also most importantly included! Caligraphy, we understood was an activity to attend during our stay and when we asked in reception we were were sold a piece of paper and told to practice on our own. That is fine, but it needs to be made more explicit in the descriptions.

My stay at Rengejo-in was tranquil and comfortable, room was luxurious and warm during cold days of early March. Monks were very helpful and Ajikan meditation sessions brought a lot of insight. Bath was good but felt as if there was too much chlorine in the water.

What an amazing location and experience! From the room, with the tea set and yukata, the morning prayer service, the fire ritual, the incredible meals, and the great bath - everything was awesome. My only issue throughout my stay was that I could not find information about when check-in registration closed, so when I arrived at 7:15pm I needed to find a very helpful kitchen staff to get to my room.

Breakfast has neutral rating, not because it was worse than dinner, but the tastes were too strong for me in the morning and I had a hard time eating it except for the rice and delicious tea. Nevertheless I had an amazing stay thank you for having me.

This was an extaordinary and uplifting experience. The reception was warm and welcoming, as was the free tour of the monastery later. The room was traditional, with tatami matting, futons and a heater. I find it difficult as a westerner to get used to sitting on the floor, with no other furniture, but it would spoil the authenticity and ambiance it there were! The food was outstanding: beautifully presented and delicious. There is no western alternative, which is fine by me but the teenage boys at the next table spent a long time discussing how they were going to Family Mart or the service station for snacks. It's worth considering beforehand whether this is going to be problem for your family. I didn't use the bath, so I can't comment. All in all, this was probably the best experience of our trip to Japan.