Kongo Sanmaiin

Dinner was great, and the morning ceremony was interesting, though we had no chance to join meditation or another activity the evening before. Maybe we misunderstood what a temple stay would involve. The gardens and temple are beautiful, and our basic room was fine. The beds were comfortable enough for me, though my partner disagreed. Having a TV felt odd in this setting, and light from the corridor came through the glass doors all night, so the room never got fully dark. After check-in, we barely interacted with staff and they were hard to find, although the person who showed us to the room was wonderful. It felt more like a separate hotel than a temple stay. The visit was fine, but extremely expensive for what seemed like half-price value.

The place is beautiful, and our room looked onto a nice garden, but I didn’t feel the stay was worth the money. The whole experience was uncomfortable: the bed and pillows, the cold throughout the property, and broken toilets in both the room and corridor. The building is old and needs maintenance. I didn’t enjoy the food’s taste, even though it was a good traditional meal, and there was no interaction with staff. The morning ritual was interesting, but the monks spoke only Japanese. They sang in a beautiful, cold, spacious room. We came to this town specifically to stay here. It was interesting, but not worth it for me. If you’re into Buddhism, it might be worth it to you.

The welcome was kind, though a bit cool. The room was a standard Japanese room looking onto the inner garden, and breakfast was better than I expected. I didn’t like the morning prayer. When I visit a Buddhist place, I don’t want to hear a talk about local places, UNESCO heritages, or the weather. I do speak Japanese. You can pay for the room by card, even though they keep writing that it’s cash only.

The traditional breakfast was delicious, and the morning ceremony felt spiritual. The rooms were nice, with a view of the garden. An authentic Japanese stay, and I’d definitely recommend it if you want a temple accommodation experience.