Koyasan Saizenin

The temple is in a convenient spot, with a bus stop five minutes away. We walked to the cemetery and back, then toured the other temples on foot. They also kept our luggage after checkout. Our room was spacious, warm, bright, and cozy, with a magnificent view. Dinner was vegetarian, extremely tasty, and beautifully plated. There’s an evening hot oncen for men and women, and toiletries are provided. Taking part in the morning meditation was an amazing experience. We were able to check in an hour early and got a warm, heartfelt welcome. We'd definitely like to return.

After a week in Tokyo and Kyoto, this felt like a peaceful refuge from the busy city. The people were kind, and we enjoyed the delicious dinner and breakfast there. A wonderful experience.

Saizen is a lovely temple, with nice suite accommodations and a truly beautiful morning prayer. The location is very convenient, too. I'd highly recommend Koyasan for a night or two away from the city.

The garden view from our simple, elegant room was beautiful, and everything was super clean, including the room sinks, shared toilet, and onsen bathroom. It was sad to notice some tourists weren't careful about cleanliness. My wife, our 10 year old son, and I stayed one night. The traditional, local breakfast was great if you're not picky, and the dining area had a lovely garden view. We got up early to join the morning ceremony, which was a great experience for us. A few restaurants are about a five-minute walk away. Saizen is near a big temple and a little farther from the cemetery, but walking there through the quiet, traditional neighborhood was lovely. The journey from Osaka takes around 2 ~ 2.5 hours by train, cable car, and bus, but the ride, the area, Saizen temple, and its people all felt peaceful, and it was worth it. On the train we realized we'd arrive at 7 pm, then saw the booking said check-in was from 3pm to 5pm, so we worried they might not accept us. We reached the temple at 7:30pm. An old monk came out and apologized, but it was because we'd missed dinner. I felt relieved. He apologized and bowed so many times about there being no dinner, and was also sorry our son couldn't eat. He later brought cakes for him, still apologizing. We kept bowing and apologizing for being late, and each time he bowed back. I admired him and fell in love with these wonderful people and their culture. I recommend Saizen to anyone looking for a genuine, unique experience with humility. Thank you for letting us and others experience your temple.