My best accommodation in Japan so far has been staying in a temple in Mt Koya.
Spacious rooms, beautiful view, meeting monks, scenic walks, private hinoki bath time, and tasty vegetarian dinner… it just did it all without breaking the bank.
Temple lodging
At check in, we were met with monks and one of them walked us to our room we’d be staying in.
The rooms were very spacious, spanning across two rooms and a bathroom with separate vanity across a private corridor. Both sides of all fusuma sliding doors were painted.
The view from the window was picturesque… especially if you looked outside while seated and didn’t see the parked cars 😀
I have to mention the dining room. It was stunning. Guests staying in different rooms seemed to have been led to different dining rooms, so it felt like a private stay like royalty.
I love my meats, but the vegetarian meal was so tasty; I thought i could easily become a vegetarian while in Japan. (Thinking about teppanyaki and unajyu cooked on coal though, maybe just part time.)
The hinoki bath was able to be booked for one hour. And by the time we returned to our room, the bed was made (with super soft and warm Nishikawa blanky).
If you wake up early morning then you could join in on the temple ritual with the monks. (Which we did but I refrained from taking photos :D)
Walking Mt Koya
Mt Koya is amazingly pretty. Tourist information advises catching the bus or taxi from spot to spot, but walking is best; attractive places aren’t that far apart, and the pretty scenery along the way are worth it.
The Okunoin Cemetary is definitely a must-walk as well. Crossing the Ichinohashi Bridge takes you to the other world; a forest with lantern lined paths spotted with famous samurai lords’ graves. There’s something about this forest with its towering cedar trees that makes you feel something higher is watching over, in a eerily good way.
On the brighter side of the cemetery, there are more modern company graves that feature coffee cups, rockets, and the people who founded the companies.
Getting there
If you’re catching trains from Osaka, then Namba station would be where to start. Catch the Nankai-Limited-Express to Gokurakubashi Station, hop on the cable car up to Koyasan Station, then walk or catch a bus around Koyasan.
The cable car is pretty distinct looking with its super diagonal lean. You can use the normal train IC card to get on the cable car; no special ticket required. The return cable car from Koyasan runs until 9.40pm, so you could have a day trip to Koyasan.
I need to go back to Mt Koya in Wakayama, Japan. I will plan a trip to include coming back here, so it’s a 🥇 (=plan a trip around it) on #myrevisitlist.
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