Welcome to Rengejo-in. This traditional Buddhist Temple, or Shukubo in Japanese, is located near the Mount Koya cable car station. Rengejo-in has interesting temple architecture, a traditional Japanese garden. Rengejo-in provides shared baths for both women and men, and “shojin ryori” or Buddhist Monk vegetarian meals are served to the guests. Check-in time is after 3:00pm and check-out time is before 9:00am. Parking is available and some English is spoken.

Facilities

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Ryokan Reviews:

• Serene retreat

  Jasmin

  Date of Review: April, 2020

  Month of Visit: March

  Country Of Reviewer: Australia

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Our stay was wonderful. All of the staff and monks were so friendly and welcoming. When we asked for help or recommendations they were quick to offer advice. They were appreciative of our questions about the temple and history of the area and took great care to help us understand more about Mt Koya. My friend and I stayed two nights and three days which was enough time for us to view the sites in town, participate in the morning/evening Buddhist meditations and go hiking for a day. We chose to do the 1/2 day women’s pilgrimage route. I hope to stay here again when I hike the Kumano Kodo trail (or one of the many other trails in this region). The room was gorgeous. Shared bathing facilities and toilets were always clean tidy. The food was incredible - if you like traditional Japanese flavors, tofu and vegetables !! I was never left hungry! Mt Koya is a special place and staying here was certainly a highlight.

• peak experience

  Marsh

  Date of Review: November, 2019

  Month of Visit: November

  Country Of Reviewer: Canada

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  We spent only one night at the Rengejo-in, I wish we had been there longer. It was beautiful. The temple itself is an exquisite setting, with beautiful decor. The Buddhist vegetarian cuisine was fantastic for supper and breakfast. The room had a private toilet and wash basin that was completely contemporary and spotlessly clean. Cool November night so we had the heater on, which kept us warm. Bus from the cable car station was quick and there was a guide at the station to ensure we got on the correct bus. I hope we can visit again and next time for longer.

• A beautiful place

  Margaret

  Date of Review: November, 2019

  Month of Visit: November

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  We stayed 2 nights and it was a unique experience. Getting to the temple involved 4 trains, a cable car and a short bus ride, but it was all surprisingly easy. The temple is beautiful and has several small, but lovely, gardens. Our room was in a new extension to the temple which was designed and furnished in a traditional style with sliding screens, tatami mats, futons etc. We attended evening meditation and morning service in the exquisite prayer hall and had our meals in the dining hall with the other guests. The vegetarian food is varied and interesting. The shared bath after dinner was very relaxing.

• Highlight of our trip!

  Maxine

  Month of Visit: November

  Country Of Reviewer: The Netherlands

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Our stay at Rengejo-in was a highlight of our three week trip around Japan. We were welcomed in English and everything was quite clear: there are information booklets in your room explaining everything, from the ceremony to food to how to use the baths. We loved our beautiful room and the delicious food and it was really interesting to take part in the ceremony and experience life in the temple for one night.

• One night stay

  Kobi

  Date of Review: October, 2019

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer: Israel

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 3

  Room Rating - 2

  didn't enjoy. Breakfast had no edible food, a lot of rooms for a temple - 30 rooms. most occupied by big french group that didn't attend the services.

• Two nights on a weekend

  Simone

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 2

  Room Rating - 4

  Nice, well-kept place, good food, spacious rooms, even some kind of monastic atmosphere. Only: stay away from the rooms in front: Buses and, on weekends, motorbikes seem to pass through your room. And: don’t expect supplements – even a second pillow will be charged.

• One night at Rengenjo-in

  Bhavana

  Month of Visit: June

  Country Of Reviewer: India

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Our stay at the Rengejo-in temple was great. We got a very warm welcome and then were taken on a small tour across the temple to show us all the facilities. The garden view room was beautiful. The meal we received for dinner was amazing, the meal was fresh, tasted great, and was beautiful looking. Koyasan itself is a beautiful place, a must visit for anyone who is traveling to Japan. It was just a whole other experience, a very tranquil place. We wish we had spent more time there.

• Amazing experience

  Sif

  Date of Review: April, 2019

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer: Denmark

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 5

  We stayed one night in Rengejo-in in one of the rooms with garden view. The room was perfect and the food was delicious. It was really interesting to attend evening and morning meditation and the japanese bath was nice. Overall a great experience.

• Fabulous

  Jos

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer: Netherlands

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  It was a great experience to stay at this temple and to take part in some ceremonies. Not to mention the great food we were presented and the beautiful surrounding of Mt. Koya. Our only advice is to travel light but to bring some extra clothes in april.

• Super

  Renato

  Month of Visit: September

  Country Of Reviewer: Brasil

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  What a great moments... Strongly recommend...

• Great experience

  Meunier

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer: France

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  I spent two nights at Rengejo-in, and wished I could have stayed more. The atmosphere is great, the place is great, the staff is great and the overall effects of staying in such a calm place are awesome. One special note of appreciation for the vegetarian food which was excellent. I would have liked to know more about the ingredients, how they are prepared, ... because it is a source of inspiration I would have liked to bring back home!

• One night in Koyasan

  Silvia

  Month of Visit: August

  Country Of Reviewer: Italia

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 5

  Very nice stay. The temple is beautiful, the staff very friendly and english-speaking and food super. I was not expecting the real Buddhist atmosphere, being Koyasan in general very touristic and being so difficult (and expensive) finding available places to spend the night alla around.. Thus, I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed being there

• Special stay

  Claude

  Month of Visit: August

  Country Of Reviewer: France

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 4

  The environment at Mount Koya is just great. Place is very well kept and absolutely quiet. Very nice garden around the temple. Hosts are very courteous. Good diner as well. One hick-up: I had asked for two rooms but ended up sleeping in the same room as my daughter's. No big deal but this is not what I had asked and did not get a clear answer on this. One regret: not asked for a softer pillow which tend to be a bit hard in many places in Japan.

• Highly Recommended

  Ayse

  Date of Review: August, 2018

  Month of Visit: August

  Country Of Reviewer: Australia

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  This was my second visit to Koyasan, and my husbands first. We decided to go to Japan for our honeymoon and due to my experience four years ago I was adamant that stay in Koyasan for a night. I’m thankful I decided to choose another temple as Iprefer Ryokan Temple!! The monks were heartwarmingly friendly and went out of their way to make us feel welcome and comfortable. The temple itself wasn’t in the main area of Koya-San, which I was initially disappointed with, however thinking back, I preferred not being in the middle of the town. It added to the air of tranquillity and peace, as it was so much more quiet, and it also allowed us to walk around and see things!! The gardens were also beautiful!!

• Wonderful Stay

  Julia

  Date of Review: June, 2018

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer: Austria

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 5

  We had a really nice night in the most perfect garden room. Meditating with the monks was an interesting experience. Food was great.

• Nice

  David

  Month of Visit: May

  Country Of Reviewer: United Kingdom

  Atmosphere Rating - 3

  Food Rating - 3

  Staff Rating - 3

  Location Rating - 3

  Room Rating - 4

  Nice stay, considering was the first time staying in a temple. Unfortunately I would not recommend it. Really nice place and nice food but the experience is not any different from staying in another ryokan somewhere else. Very touristy. Baths are indoor, small, sort of modern and open only 2 hours a day. Monks have little or no interaction with guests apart from the 2 ceremonies in which guests are allowed; I might be wrong but actually my feeling is that those are specifically set up for guests. Koyasan is a nice place to visit but not a must in my opinion. We (a couple) spent 3 days and night in Koyasan and apart from temples and the cemetery the area has not really much to offer. If you're really keen to visit I would suggest staying in a different accommodation (b&b or wherever is cheaper) and visit the temples during the day. Everything is walking distance. If you're looking to meditate I suggest other options (diy or with a 'local guide') as well as the temple is quite noisy and busy with tourists. Not a great experience after all but not a bad one either.

• Doubt about the true purpose of these open door temples.

  Quentin

  Month of Visit: May

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 2

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 2

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 5

  Disclosure: as I only stayed in this temple, unsure if my comment is applicable to all Ryokans or only this one. Facilities are great, location is also very convenient as all temples are actually close to the main sights (mostly because this is a tiny town). Everything is hence accessible walking, you don't need the bus pass if you are fine walking 10-15KM during the day. Nonetheless, after my night there, I cannot relate the excitement mentioned in other comments. From what is being communicated, the main purpose for the monks to open their doors to foreigners is to educate and raise awareness about their religion, practices and believes. In order to do this, I'd have expect to receive more background about all the points mentioned before. Instead, we've attended 3 ceremonies amongst which 2 of them were without explanations and one in a barely understandable English. This is the only contact and exchange of information with the hosts we've had throughout our stay. I am leaving that place, knowing what a ceremony look like, what their meals taste like (pretty good tbh) but without any type of clue on the purpose of their religion, explanation about their isolation, the importance of Koya-San for them, their rituals, the ideas they are trying to bring forward, ... Left as ignorant as I was, Internet being the only source of information being able to decrypt what I had witness. Although their goal is to share and explain their belief, I really felt like they were happy to receive our money (quite expensive night) and manage to avoid contact as much as possible. Don't get me wrong, Koya-San is an incredible place and I'd recommend anyone to visit and admire the incredible atmosphere of the cemetery. Now I believe that is completely possible in a one-day trip as the night over didn't bring any value to my journey. Overall, amazed by Koya-San but very disappointed over the hospitality, lack of communication and almost ignorance about the people coming to learn more about these people's life purpose.

• Wonderful Stay

  Mary

  Month of Visit: May

  Country Of Reviewer: USA

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  We loved our stay at the Rengejo-in! The grounds and garden were beautiful, our Tatami mat room was quite comfy and the experience of meditating AND praying with the monks is unforgettable. Also, the meals were incredible. I would give this experience a 10.

• Beautiful Garden

  Lee tiang

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer: Singapore

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 2

  Staff Rating - 1

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 4

  Beautiful garden for viewing only. We are not allowed to walk in the garden. I am not able to make comparison as it is my first stay at Ryokan. Japanese politeness is not found at Rengejo-in Ryokan. Cold dinner served on 2nd night.

• Excellent experience!

  Elena

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer: Greece

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  It was worth the trip up to Koyasan! The premises were excellent! Highly recommended experience, that adds up to a trip in Japan! Arrive early to follow the full program of the monastery!

• Great experience

  Asha

  Date of Review: April, 2018

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer: The Netherlands

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 4

  A beautiful place that is worth visiting while you're in Japan. The meditation session in the evening and chanting prayer early in the morning are memorable experiences. The (vegetarian) breakfast and dinner was very good. Staff is very friendly and helpful and speak English. The room was lovely, with a heater for the cold nights and airconditioning for the warm days. Bring earplugs if you are a light sleeper. Because of the woorden floor you can hear people walking in the hallways very well. My room was probably part of a bigger room which was divided by room screens, so I could hear my neighbours very well. The temple and Koyasan itself have beautiful nature and are very quiet. This temple is at the beginning of a lovely street with more temples/places to stay. The cemetery is a 30 minute walk away through the quiet and lovely streets of Koyasan.

• Excelent!!

  Nicolas

  Date of Review: April, 2018

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer: Argentina

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Great experience!! It´s something different.. the place is beatiful, very quiet and with great places to visits arround

• Best experience of our trip

  Darran

  Date of Review: April, 2018

  Month of Visit: March

  Country Of Reviewer: Sweden

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 5

  Our initial preferred guest house was booked out and the staff at Japanese Guest Houses were great support in suggesting a similar option and helping with the booking. The location wasn't the easiest to get to. There was some damage to the rail line and a bus service was put in place instead of half the train and cable car. We were warned before our trip and were prepared for the change in transport. It isn't on a JR rail line either (JR Pass won't work). But I think they reopened the line a week after our visit. The welcome and staff were very nice (as experienced throughout Japan) and room was very traditional. There was a heater in the room as it was a little chilly at night. We also plugged out a noisy air purifier at night when going to sleep. The meditation session before dinner was an experience, but was very full. There was a school group also staying at the same time. Dinner followed directly after and was very tasty. As my wife was a Vegetarian, this was a highlight of the trip as she didn't have to worry about the food at all! After dinner there was a fire ceremony (we were lucky as this doesn't happen every day) which was very interesting to attend. We didn't hear the group staying at all after dinner as they were staying in a different section. So it was very peaceful at night. In the morning the prayer ceremony wasn't as full as the previous night and we enjoyed it even more. Breakfast followed be a check out meant we had the rest of the day to explore the area and different temples and sights before getting the bus and train back to Osaka. Overall, it was a lovely experience, calm, peaceful and very much enjoyable as a change from the hustle of the other touristy spots in Japan.

• Very nice experience half ruined by rude tourists

  Alexandra

  Date of Review: April, 2018

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer: France

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  We stayed one night at the temple with our two teenagers and loved it. The room was beautifully prepared, and heated when we arrived, the traditional outfit we were offered for the stay was a plus. We enjoyed the meditation session before dinner, the fire ceremony after dinner and the chanting prayer, very moving, at 6 am. The head monk took the time to explain in English the meaning of their traditions. The snow in the morning was a great surprise, making everything even more magic! Our only regret is to have stayed in a temple with so many rooms. A group of loud and badly behaved tourists almost ruined our stay. We were staying in Kyoto and rented a car to reach Koyasan, the driving in the countryside and mountains around was just amazing, one of our favorite moment. A stroll in the cemetery is a must, we did it early in the morning, and it was a unique experience, really. Very inspiring.

• Paceful experience

  Jose

  Date of Review: April, 2018

  Month of Visit: May

  Country Of Reviewer: Switzerland

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  We wanted so much to stay at a buddhist temple in Koyasan and we fulfill our desire and every of our expectations at Rengejo-in. The monks were very open and amiable. Being part of their ceremonies and meditation time was a great experience. To watch the dry garden and the falling of the leafs on it was pure tranquility. Thank you very much for everything!

• Wonderful temple stay

  Thekla

  Month of Visit: March

  Country Of Reviewer: Germany

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  The temple stay was one of the highlights of my trip. The traditional Japanese style rooms are very comfortable and snug with a gas heater and air conditioning. But since the weather on mount Kōya was still really cold in March, I would recommend to bring warm clothes, especially since the toilets and the bathroom are separate from the rooms. Bathing is only possible for two hours in the evening. But soaking in a hot Japanese bath makes up for that. The monks and staff are very helpful and welcoming and invite the guests to meditate and chant with them. The food was delicious.

• One night was not enough!

  Amber

  Month of Visit: March

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Everything was amazing! I can't wait to go back and stay longer. I would definitely recommend this Ryokan to anyone traveling to the Mount Koya area. We didn't have enough time to explore the town and all it had to offer (plus it was very rainy), but I would book a week here in a heartbeat.

• Lovely location - amazing experience

  Eliza

  Date of Review: February, 2018

  Month of Visit: February

  Country Of Reviewer: The Netherlands

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  This is definitely a MUST-DO on your list if you visit Japan! Great experience with the evening en morning ceremony plus the Vegan dinner was really delicious! There was a lot of snow and it was very cold but there were heaters provided in the room and it was enough to keep the room warm. The downside was that the toilets were on the other side of the Temple so we had to go out and walk through the cold to use the toilet and bathroom facilities. There were 2 other couples beside us thus it was very quiet so we could enjoy everything at its best! Definitely worth paying a visit!!

• Highlight of our trip

  Severine

  Month of Visit: December

  Country Of Reviewer: Belgium

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Memorable experience. Meditation and chanting were new to us. The head monk introduced us to Koyasan history. We were the only ones in the temple that night so we could fully enjoy the dinner, bath and quiet atmosphere. Don't forget warm clothes in winter!

• Tranquil experience

  Karin

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer: The Netherlands

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Koyosan is a beautiful place to visit, very mystical and tranquil. Although the weather wasn't too good (rain because typhoon Lan) I had a lovely stay at Rengejo-in. I stayed here for two nights and participated in the morning ceremony and evening meditations. The meditations were very special, and memorable. The food was also exquisite, well prepared and served with love. I had a wonderful stay.

• A beautiful and calm place

  Dorit

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer: Israel

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  The temple is beautiful, calm and clean. The food was good. Participating in the ceremonies brought us further into the atmosphere

• Great experience with great food

  Tom

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer: Netherlands

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  A beautiful place with nice people and great food. We enjoyed it very much.

• very good except for noisy tourists

  Ian

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer: Australia

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  It was a great experience, marred by a group of inconsiderate tourists who arrived late in the evening (after the dinner) and did not respect the tranquility of the place. Mobile phones should be put on flight mode the moment you enter the temple with no photos allowed during the meditation etc. What's the point of being attached when one is trying to be detached. Very considerate of the head monk to give some background in English. All ll the staff were friendly and patient.

• Great place to stay with kids

  Rob

  Date of Review: August, 2017

  Month of Visit: August

  Country Of Reviewer: The Netherlands

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 3

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 4

  What a beautiful place to stay on the holy mountain of Koya San. Nice people who were Bert helpfull. Beautiful rooms and interesten food. We stayed for two nights with three kids (17. 15 and 11 years old) and had a wonderpil time.

• Really cool experience, bring light bags

  Lucia

  Date of Review: June, 2017

  Month of Visit: May

  Country Of Reviewer: Costa Rica

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  I went for 2 nights in May and I'm glad I did. It was a unique experience meditating with the monks, they were very friendly to us visitors and really went out of their way to give us a good intro into their type of Esoteric Buddhism - I highly recommend this trip to anyone with an interest in meditation, Buddhism and/or Japanese Culture. Getting there from Kyoto on public transport was not smooth and there were many changes but we eventually got to the temple and the staff was very friendly, the place very unique and pretty and the food very good. We got a room with a garden view which I definitely recommend splurging on if your budget allows for it. It had it's own sink area which is great if, like my mother, you're not a fan of shared bathroom facilities. The lady that showed us around told us it was ok to use a small individual bathroom that was right in front of our room - however we never figured out how to get hot water working there. I am glad I went for 2 nights and not 1 because otherwise time would have been too tight to enjoy Koyosan. My biggest recommendation for guests visiting Koyosan is: TAKE SMALL BAGS with you. We didn't and it was a hassle to lug them around all the train changes and then carry them to our room without rolling (no rolling permitted on temple floors). We really wished we'd prepared a small pack of clothes and left our bags at a locker facility in Namba Station.

• Nice but touristic

  Kostis

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 2

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 3

  Room Rating - 5

  The food was very good, the monks were very kind, the place was great but very very very touristic, which spoils the whole experience. We went for two days, but one is fine especially if you are not a Buddhist. The cost is very high for no special reason, comparing to the rest of the ryokans in Japan.

• Great experience

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 5

  Very nice atmosphere. Monks are very pleasant and welcoming. Room One of the best experiences in Japan.

• Excellent Japanese experience

  Melina

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer: Argentina

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 5

  We had an amazing time. I truly recommend this experience. It was a relaxing, confortable and beautiful stay. The staff was very helpful and the monks were very friendly! April is a good time to go there since its not too hot and not too cold. The food was great, vegetarian and typical Japanease. The ceremonies were amazing, the monk spoke in Japanese but in the and made a short speech in english.

• Best part of our trip

  Nicholas

  Date of Review: April, 2017

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer: United States

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 5

  The whole experience was great! The room was beautiful, the ceremonies were enlightening, and the meals were surprisingly filling. I definitely suggest this experience to travelers looking for a new experience. My brother said he has never been so relaxed in all his life. Not centrally located in Koyosan, but if you're comfortable walking around, the town is not too big to manage. Unfortunately our evening prayer ceremony interfered with our desire to partake in a night tour of the nearby cemetery (which is a MUST).

• Nice and comfortable Ryokan

  Month of Visit: September

  Country Of Reviewer: Lithuania

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  First of all, I've been only in this Ryokan, so I can't compare, but... Although modest and simple from outside, inside garden had water pool shaped like a creek (I'm not sure now, maybe it was a real creek) with big colorful fishes and it was breathtaking. I got nice, surprisingly big and comfortable room with windows to that beautiful garden. Staff was pleasant and helpful, regrettably did't speak English very well, but enough to get by. During morning ceremony in the temple everything was in Japanese and best English speaking monk was away, so I got quite little explanation. Despite that whole experience was memorable, small, but intimate and picturesque temple created really great atmosphere and I felt elated. The singing (chant) was resonating, I would have definitely bought a CD, didn't think to ask if they have such, probably not. Hot springs bath was nice, I'm not a specialist (rather a shower guy), so can't really expand on that. I'm not vegetarian, so didn't like meals like as much as in customary hotels, but it was well served, good and filling. Next morning (I was staying only one night) I could leave my luggage in the Ryokan after the checkout time and go for a walk around most of Mt.Koya. It took only few hours on foot to visit everything that I planned to and come back. Rengejo-in is only few stops from cable car station, so very easy to find and to leave. All in all I had a great experience, can heartily recommend it for everyone!

• Great traditional Japanese experience

  Month of Visit: December

  Country Of Reviewer: South Africa

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 3

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  My first stay at a traditional Japanese inn, since it is a temple the stay was especially interesting. I appreciated the chance to experience the way of Buddhism and learned a lot. The monks were friendly and educational and most helpful when exploring Mt. Koya. We had heavy snow fall but heaters were provided and the snow on the mountain and the temple gardens were magical. Just bring very warm close when visiting during winter. I recommend a stay at Rengejo-in

• Absolutely recommandable place to stay in Koyasan

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer: Germany

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  We were 5 people and could share one big room (which were acutally two I think) together. Everything was just perfect besides that it was still really cold for being spring in Japan. The staff is warm hearted and some english is spoken. The highlight is definitely attending the evening and morning ceromonies that also had a short english translation at the end. I do like meat, but the vegetarian (actually it might even be vegan) food was absolutely excellent and high class. All in all a highly recommanded place to stay if you visit koyasan. Just remember that you might need some extra layers if you visit the place during the autumn/winter/spring season.

• Trop peu pour le tarif proposé

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer: CANADA

  Atmosphere Rating - 2

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 2

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 4

  L'endroit est typique: un temple. Mais l’atmosphère est impersonnel et froid. Le personnel est aimable, sans plus. Les lieux sont très propres et sécuritaires. Les repas sont très bien mais il est possible de trouver aussi bien dans d'autres hébergements et à un meilleur prix. Autant pour la cérémonie que pour les repas, les touristes occidentaux sont séparés des touristes asiatiques ce qui ne permet pas de vivre pleinement une expérience enrichissante. Outre le fait de dormir dans un temple et de croiser des moines qui ne daignent vous saluer, la prestation ne vaut pas le prix demandé. D'autres Ryokans offrent plus pour moins.

• Wonderful place to stay in Koya san

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer: Netherlands

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  We visited Koya San and stayed at Rengejo-In in April 2014. The temple and its garden are beautiful and the personnel was very helpful. We had a relatively large room which was very nicely decorated. In the afternoon there was an meditation session followed by a superb vegetarian dinner. At the end of the meal the head-priest his 94 year old mother joined us and told us stories about the history of the temple and herself in absolutely perfect english, very enjoyable and interesting. Very recommendable stay.

• Disapointing

  Month of Visit: July

  Country Of Reviewer: Switzerland

  Atmosphere Rating - 1

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 2

  Location Rating - 3

  Room Rating - 4

  Very very noisy, it was impossible to sleep because many children of baseball teams were running and shouting in the monastery. Nobody told them to calm down and it was awful even during meditation, priest and dinner. We expected a calm place and it was the worst place we have been in Japan. The price did not match the service at all.

• Good

  Month of Visit: August

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Really enjoyed the experience. Very comfortable and the gardens are beautiful. The food was great!

• Nice stay

  Month of Visit: August

  Country Of Reviewer: Italy

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  The place is absolutely worth a stay. Rooms are beautiful, with a lot of space, and (at least in my case) a great view on the garden. Also common spaces are great (e.g. the bath, the zen garden, the prayer building). Vegetarian food is very tasty and if, as I did, you stay two days they change the menu. Staff is - as customary in Japan, really helpful. Some speak a little English. The first evening there was the mother of the chief monk who entarteined us with the interesting history of her life. Just a warning: the temple main business seemed to me to be hospitality, and not prayer, so probably if you are looking for mysticism it's not exaclty the place. But really if you go in Koyasan this is a place to consider for a pleasant stay.

• Tranquil, intriguing experience with great food

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer: Australia

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 4

  Koyasan was fairly quiet when we were there. We had a spacious tatami mat room looking out on a peaceful stone garden. Slept well with earplugs to cut out the neighbours' chatter and later snoring. The sound carries easily. The meditation and chanting sessions proved a little challenging for sitting still on the floor for 40 minutes plus. There are stools if you want. Enjoyed the multi course dinner and the extended talk from the 94 year old lady who is the mother of the head priest. In the cool weather the hot Onsen was relaxing and rejuvenating. Japanese breakfast also good although I could have wished the tea and miso soup was a little hotter. Public transport to koyasan was very smooth and coordinated. Very interesting enormous cemetery to explore. All up a great experience that I recommend.

• inconsiderate tourists

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer: Australia

  Atmosphere Rating - 1

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 3

  Location Rating - 3

  Room Rating - 4

  We went to the temple for an overnight stay to experience temple life and be a part of the meditation and chanting in the afternoon and morning. At first it was fine with what appeared to be about 10 other people staying but as we gathered for the afternoon meditation about 632 tourists rocked up shouting and carrying on. They came in and out of both ceromonys using the video recorders/cameras/mobiles and kept talking to each other. It ruined our whole stay. Good points were the head monk as he explained things in English and Japanese. Food was varied and tasty. Rooms were good quality Tatami/Japanese style. The monks were on and off friendly I think years of annoying tourists being rude to them is testing the buddist calm. To stay here when it's quiet it would be a good place to stay, but you run the risk of large groups spoiling the experience. Unless you are part of a large group who don't care about anyone else then this is the place for you.

• Once in a Lifetime Experience

  Month of Visit: January

  Country Of Reviewer: Brazil

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 3

  We crossed the world to visit Japan and really wanted to keep in touch with the real tradition of this country. Staying at a buddhist temple was a 'must do' during our trip. We were invited to watch the morning religious ceremony and this was 'the' experience at Koya-san. The vegetarian meals are really good, if you enjoy trying new tastes. As it was winter time, the room was cold. They provided a heater and a very interesting table with a heater downside. It was not enough to keep the room warm, as we had to go out to use the toilet. Anyway, it worth the visit. Japanese people are very polite and it was not different at the temple.

• Lovely location - great experience

  Month of Visit: February

  Country Of Reviewer: Australia

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 4

  Very interesting place to visit. We enjoyed it very much.