Ryutakuzenji

Wonderful lodging on the grounds of a Buddhist temple. The room was huge and very lovely. My back is still not used to sleeping in Japanese-style futons so my sleep was disrupted a bit. I ended up waking early enough to do the 7am zazen meditation at the temple next door and felt great to disconnect from everything for a while. The breakfast prepared was delicious (well, except for the natto) and even our 3 year old enjoyed it. My husband was amazed with the place as well and talked about wanting to come back again for a couple of days the next time he’s able to take time off. Two thumbs way up for this place!

お部屋やお風呂等、とてもキレイでした。 テレビが置いてないのでテレビのない生活がとても新鮮で良かったです。 朝の座禅もとても良かったです。

If you are ever disappointed when you travel to a new place only to stay in a generic hotel room, then this is the place for you. You will be staying in a guest quarters connected to the house of the family that have been the caretakers of this temple for generations. Your main room is a tatami room with futon beds that you can put away or leave out during the day. You have your own bathroom and your guest quarters are down a hall from the family quarters so it feels very private and quiet. Our hosts were very nice and let us do our own thing if we wanted, but were generally available to answer questions or direct us to the nearest grocery store (you might want to bring snacks or stock up since the nearest grocery is a bit of a walk). One morning we joined our host for morning meditation and a tour of the temple and we enjoyed chatting with our hosts during our stay. You really feel like you are guests of the family (which in a way you are). The most memorable stay of our whole trip to Japan.