Chion-in Wajun-Kaikan

The hotel is beautiful and the service was great. Its location works perfectly for visiting temples and walking the philosophers path. Each morning there’s a Buddhist ceremony you can attend, and I recommend going at least once. I only booked breakfast, but after a week in hotels around Japan, this was the best breakfast I’d had so far. I loved staying here. Just be aware that tattoos aren’t allowed in the hotel bath house.

We spent one night here in February, and it was a phenomenal stay. The room was just right, with a beautiful view of Chion-in, and the food and service were among the highlights of our trip. I hope we get the chance to come back someday. I can’t recommend the hotel enough.

The morning temple visit was the highlight for us. At 5:50, an announcement invites guests to meet in the lobby at 6:10, where a monk takes you across the street and up to the temple for the Buddhist ceremony. We thought it would take just under an hour, but the whole outing was an amazing two hours with the monks. You can switch off the speaker in your room if you prefer. It made a very special start to my wife’s birthday. We stayed five nights, and this was the best part of our four-week trip to Japan. Staff were polite, warm, and helpful every time we spoke with them. Our Japanese and Western style room was a good choice, and the hotel felt peaceful throughout. Parking across the street is gated overnight. We also visited the ground floor café several times, and the woman running it was charming.

The Japanese breakfast was spot on, and the view was lovely. We also got to observe the morning Buddhist ceremony, which was a great experience. In the room there was a Japanese-style tub, while downstairs there was a public bath, so choosing between them was hard. I stayed with my four-year-old, and the kindness and care impressed both of us from check-in through checkout. They let us check in early and gave my son a kids’ amenity kit he loved. Our Japanese-style deluxe room was clean and welcoming, with water bottles, hojicha, green tea, plenty of amenities, and more pillows, blankets, and futons than we needed, maybe enough for six or eight people. I hope we can return for a longer stay. I absolutely recommend Chion-in Wajun Kaikan。