Welcome to Muryoko-in. This large traditional Buddhist Temple was originally built in the Heian period (794 to 1185). The name means 'immeasurable light' and it is dedicated to Amida. Muryoko-in has 30 Japanese style guest rooms all without private baths or toilets though there are 2 indoor public bath (one for women and one for men). Dinner and breakfast are “Shojin-Ryori” (Buddhist Monk vegetarian meals). Muryoko-in has a morning service which guests are invited to attend. Check in is at 15:00 and check out is at 9:00. Muryoko-in only accept payment by yen cash.

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Ryokan Reviews:

• Amazing experience

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer: Canada

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 4

  Unforgettable experience that can make you rethink your way of seeing life. The place is really charming and relaxing. There is a wonderful inner garden. In general, the staff / monks were friendly. When we arrived we thought the welcoming was a little cold and expeditious, but everything else was perfect. I would have spent 2 nights instead of 1. We had the great privilege to talk to a monk and ask questions about Buddhism. The morning prayer was an exceptional moment. The place is worth the trip, despite the remote site.

• Truly amazing experience

  Maria belinda

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer: Philippines

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 4

  Koyasan was magical and staying in a ryokan makes it all the more memorable. We arrived just before lunch and were allowed to leave our bags at the reception. Had enough time to visit Okonoin before the rain became too strong to force us back to the temple. Our room was on the 2nd floor. Beyond the hallway we could see the lovely garden below. However our bedroom window looks out to another building but that didn’t take out one bit of enjoyment in staying in a ryokan. Our room was spacious and sleeping on futons on tatami mats was truly a wonderful experience. The highlight was the morning meditation and an audience with a Buddhist priest at breakfast. Amazing!

• Spiritual Showtime

  Jan

  Date of Review: October, 2019

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer: Switzerland

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 5

  The monastery is beautiful and so are the rooms. We were able to cancel one of the two nights on very short notice because of the Typhoon, which I am grateful for. The food was also quite good. But actually, two years ago I have stayed at another temple, shojoshin-in, closer to the cemetery and found it somehow simpler, more honest, mysterious and less showy. After dinner and breakfast we were visited by a Swiss Monk, who told us all about monastery life and specially his own achievements. It was interesting up to a point, but next time I'll go back to the Shojoshinin, I guess.

• Amazing spiritual experience

  Mattia

  Date of Review: August, 2019

  Month of Visit: August

  Country Of Reviewer: Italy

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 3

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 4

  The monastery is beautiful and the atmosphere is incredible; just a few info: - all the rooms overlook a zen garden - the food is quite good (the first day we ate really bad but the second one very good) - you have to have breakfast/dinner in your room - the silence is the most important thing - the monks are really kind and gentle (but they don't speak english) - breakfast time 8.00 am and dinner time 5.00 pm - the prayer of the morning is very interesting so please join it - you have to wear the yukata just before/after the bath - you have to take the bath in a shared bathroom In brief: I recommend 2 nights and.. enjoy your experience!

• Wish we had stayed longer!

  Stephen

  Month of Visit: June

  Country Of Reviewer: United States

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  My partner and I stayed just one night before beginning on a 6-day trek on the Kumano Kodo. It was a beautiful visit, very welcoming, great food, and good conversation with other visitors. I only wish we had stayed longer. One night was not enough to explore the town and fully soak in the atmosphere. Truly a unique place I would like to return to in the future!

• Beautiful during the raining season

  Kristina

  Month of Visit: June

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  I went with a friend at the end of June and although during that time it is the raining season in Japan, I can honestly say that the temples are even more majestic while it's raining. And going to sleep listening to the sound of rain outside... perfection. The food was, of course, amazing and quite a lot, in my opinion. The rooms are beautiful and quiet. You can enjoy a beautiful garden view outside. We attended the morning praying ritual the next day and it was one of the most unforgettable experiences I've ever had in my life. If you happen to speak Japanese, you can talk to the monks and learn even more about the temple's history and their daily lives. If not, that's not a problem. Most of them speak perfect English and would gladly explain to you what is going on. I would definitely come back someday, if I have the chance.

• Exceeded very high expectations!

  Brandon

  Date of Review: May, 2019

  Month of Visit: May

  Country Of Reviewer: USA

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Muryoko-in was fantastic in every way. The monks themselves were very helpful and kind. Most only speak limited english so keep that in mind - but they will still go the extra mile to help. The room was beautiful (be ready to sleep on a futon on the ground) and the gardens were majestic. The meditation in the morning was also very cool and otherworldly especially for the non-Buddhists out there. They even had a small part of the ceremony where you could participate. It also did not feel overly touristy or busy even though there were probably around 10 other groups (maybe ~25 people?) staying at the temple, most of whom were buddhists from other Asian countries or domestic tourists. They aren't joking about everything being closed in the evening in Koyasan, but that was fine because I was plenty happy just sitting in the room and walking around the building. I did end up walking down a random alleyway and finding a nice little bar where no english was spoken at all - sorry, I don't know the name. I would recommend taking a little time in the evening and just walking down the alleyways in the town and seeing what you pop into. I am male, but at no point did I feel even slightly unsafe in this town full of buddhist monks.

• Beautiful experience!

  Mieke

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer: The Netherlands

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  What a great experience! Koyasan was beautiful and it was special to stay at a ryokan in the mountains. It was still cold outside (it even snowed) but the heater in the room was great. The food was delicious and even the way the food was served felt special. At breakfast, after an interesting morning prayer ritual, we spoke with a very kind monk who told us more about their lives. Would definitely recommend!

• Stay Here For Quiet, Spiritual Experience With Wonderful Folks

  Kyle

  Date of Review: February, 2019

  Month of Visit: February

  Country Of Reviewer: USA

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  This is the place to stay to experience a 1,000 year old temple and spend time with monks in a quiet setting. Mom & I did not see more than 7 guest rooms, but I think more are in adjacent building. It is a very quiet, peaceful place. Going in winter was perfect--snow falling outside and on ground in garden was amazing. Just wear extra layers for the hallway corridors! Our room heater worked really well and the room is very traditional, simple, and cozy. Very clean overall. Very welcoming, friendly monks. Eating the traditional, very artistically designed temple vegan foods is a unique experience in and of itself. And dinner provides copious amounts of food. At all costs, go to the 0600am prayer service in the Meditation Hall. It lasts about 80 minutes, with monks inviting visitors to participate in ceremony about halfway through. The fire ritual is especially moving. Afterwards, the master monk greeted us all in Japanese, Mandarin and English, then invited us to tea in a different room. Several visitors sat on a floor around a table with several monks drinking tea and eating small snacks. We communicated across seemingly vast cultural divides and it was wonderful. For runners: Head towards Daimon Gate, cross street and find trailhead. Run pilgrimage trail down mountain as far as you'd like to go. It's gorgeous. When at Koyasan, stay at Muryoko-in. Two nights was not enough!

• Stay Here For Quiet, Spiritual Experience With Wonderful Folks

  Kyle

  Date of Review: February, 2019

  Month of Visit: February

  Country Of Reviewer: USA

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Look no further... This is the place for a 1,000 year old temple stay: Quiet (I counted no more than 7 rooms in main guest corridor); clean; copious amounts of fascinating vegan foods, very artistically displayed; incredible views of garden with light snow. Well worth coming here in winter--just prepare to layer up. Heater in room works more than well. [prepare for cold corridors, however!]Seeing snow in the garden and having snow fall on our final day was amazing. At all costs, go to 06:00am Buddhist prayer ceremony in Meditation Hall. It lasts about 80 minutes but monks invited us into ceremony about halfway through. It was incredible. The fire ritual inside is remarkable. Afterwards, master monk comes out to greet visitors--in Japanese, Mandarin and English--and explains the ceremony. He then invited us to tea in an adjacent corridor room. That was yet another memorable experience, sitting on the floor with several monks, with one gentleman monk pouring tea for us as we crossed cultural lines to get acquainted. Everyone was very welcoming and friendly. This is a very warm, ideal place for getting away from the outside world. Walk less than a mile or so to the cemetery, then 2 kilometers down stone path alongside towering cedar trees, some nearly a millennium old. Muryoko-in is the place to experience Koyasan. [For runners: Head out to the pilgrimage route with trail head by Daimo Gate, across street, and run the marvelous mountain trail.]

• Beautiful place

  Queenie

  Month of Visit: November

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Visited while the leaves turn red, the garden, the town were just beautiful. Pro: -The temple is clean. -I was solo travel and stayed 6 nights so I was arranged to be in a corner room, very spacious. Even I had to move once, but it was notified before I booked so not surprise. -the staff were friendly and arranged different meals for me everyday which is very nice. - Bathroom was outside of the room and shared, but was not crowded. In fact, I only had other people there in one night among all 6 nights I stayed. There was a tour group arrived that night, so a bit busy. -garden is very peaceful Con: - the first part of my staying was in the older part of temple, the toilet shared between man and woman, very small. But later I was moved to the newer part and the toilet is separately between man and woman and much comfortable - th staff tend to clean the rooms during the day, so garden area got a bit noisy between 10-14.

• Amazing food and friendly monks

  Keri

  Month of Visit: August

  Country Of Reviewer: USA

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  This was a highlight of my Japan trip. Muryoko-in is on a side street off the main road. It is near the center and walk-able to sites, but a little quieter. The monks were friendly and actually quite funny. I am vegetarian and I though the food was absolutely amazing. Such varied and subtle flavors. The room was traditional, clean, and beautiful in it's simplicity. There is a peaceful garden and indoor shared bathing room with seated showers and an onsen bath. The prayers in the morning are a unique experience and look into local Buddism. It felt very authentic and less touristy than other places in the area.

• Wonderful experience

  Lesley

  Date of Review: August, 2018

  Month of Visit: August

  Country Of Reviewer: U.S.

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  We didn't know what to expect when arriving in Koya-san, but our stay at Muryoko-in was a wonderful end to our Japan trip. The room was spacious and clean and the monks were very gracious hosts, there to help with any questions we had. It was an honor to be a part of the morning prayers and the fire ceremony is definitely worth attending. My husband and I really enjoyed the food as well! Honestly, zero complaints-- it was a beautiful, serene place to stay.

• Unique experience but one night is enough

  Jannke

  Month of Visit: July

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 3

  Food Rating - 1

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 2

  We enjoyed our stay in the ryokan. The location is in the middle of Koyasan and very central. The room is clean and big. However the futons were not so comfortable, because the futons were very thin. So it felt like sleeping on the floor. The walls are very thin and you can hear your neighboors very good. The monks were very friendly and some are really trying to speak English with you. We did not like the food so much. The meal is vegan, but this did not mean much vegetables or fruit. The Buddist ceremony in the morning is really worth going to.

• First time in Japan

  Greer

  Date of Review: June, 2018

  Month of Visit: June

  Country Of Reviewer: United States

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 4

  The train trip to Mt Koya was an experience unto itself. The funicular train up the mountain was so cool. Koya is perhaps the cleanest little city in Japan...and the little town is immaculate. The temple itself is staggering beautiful. As with everyone in Japan, the personnel were wonderful and kind. You should have dinner and breakfast there, for the restaurants close at 6pm. I wish the meals could have been in the major meeting room. While of course the food was traditional, it would have been more enjoyable eating with a group of people. Of course it is worth the experience. How often can you sleep in a Buddhist temple?

• Great experience

  Steve

  Month of Visit: November

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 4

  W stayed here for one night in November, knowing it was going to be cold we made sure we had some warm clothes for exploring Koyasan, thankfully the covers supplied for the room were plenty warm enough. The service and welcome we received was excellent and the food was lovely. Attending morning prayers was certainly a highlight, and we were thankful for the explanation of what the prayers were about which was given by one of the monks following the ceremony. I'd highly recommend staying here and we would certainly go back given the opportunity.

• Well worth a stay

  Tim

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer: australia

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 4

  Very memorable experience. We walked in to Koyasan so was great to arrive, clean up and relax. Facilitiessimilar to a comfortable minshuku (traditional rooms, thin dividers between them, good vegetarian food, communal washing facilities) but the real highlight was the morning service (not to be missed if you stay here), the explanations of Buddhism and the general atmosphere of being in a religious establishment. Highly recommended.

• A Great Experience

  Dalia

  Date of Review: October, 2017

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  I had enjoyed my stay immensely at Muryoko-in.The monks were very welcoming, check in procedure was smooth and my room was large and comfortable. The food served was delicious, the garden at the in is beautiful and tranquil. Muryoko-in is very well located, within a short walking distance from the main attractions on the mountain. The morning ceremony was an interesting experience and I enjoyed attending it. I highly recommend staying there while visiting Koyasan.

• A Unique experience

  Verena

  Date of Review: September, 2017

  Month of Visit: July

  Country Of Reviewer: New Zealand

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 3

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 4

  Our room was large and very beautiful. We wondered where we supposed to sleep but later found out that the mattresses would be brought in after dinner. However they were quite thin & I used some towels as a pillow as the pillows are very hard. The food was plentiful and beautiful presented. We didn't know what most of it was but enjoyed the interesting flavours and textures. There were a couple of large groups that came through during our stay and we didn't get a lot of attention. This also meant the bathing area was very busy. I really enjoyed the stunning Japanese garden and being able to attend the morning prayers was very special. Also the location is excellent and I recommend hiring an electric bike from the nearby info centre to have a look around Koya san.

• Amazing cultural experience for our family

  Sara

  Month of Visit: July

  Country Of Reviewer: USA

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Our children (5, 7 & 9) agree that our stay was the highlight of our three weeks in Japan. The monks were very kind and welcoming, and Koya San is an exceptional place. Our room was comfortable, and vegetarian food was delicious and plentiful. My older son chose to wake up early to attend services. At the end, the monks very patiently explained the history of their faith and the meaning of some of the prayers and rituals we witnessed. They invited us to tea with the Japanese attendees and we all cheerfully tried to exchange niceties despite the language barrier. I was nervous about bringing our kids to Koya San even though they're well travelled and culturally aware. The kind monks at Muryoko-in made it a pleasure, and an experience that we will all remember for a long time to come.

• Good choice at Koya San!

  Emilie

  Date of Review: July, 2017

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer: France

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 3

  We didn't know which shukubo to choose and so it was a little by luck that we ended up in Muryoko-in. We arrived late because of a train problem and we were glad the monks could still arrange for us to have dinner. The dinner (and breakfast as well) was really good and different from what we ate at other places. The room was big and neat, altough the mattresses were quite thin compared to other Japanese style rooms. The shared bathroom was all right, and there were also toilets and bathsinks near the rooms. The garden is beautiful to look at from the corridor. The morning ceremony was a little long for us, but it is part of the experience, and we especially enjoyed that the head monk ate the breakfast with all the guests afterwards and took the time to explain us different things about buddhism. We recommend staying there :)

• The spiritual and cultural highlight of my trip to this amazing country!

  Month of Visit: January

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Being on a very tight budget, we decided to book a night here as a treat during our trip to Japan and I am so glad we were so kind to ourselves! We came to Koyasan in the middle of winter, when everything was frosted with beautiful white snow, adding to the magic of this perfect little town was the traditional beauty of the monastery we were to call home for the night. Everything about our stay at Muryoko In was perfect -The beautiful furnishings in our room, the bottomless pot of green tea to warm us up and the perfect manners of the monks who aided us in our stay. In the evening and in the morning we were delighted to receive a traditional vegetarian banquet, which ordinarily would have been way out of our budget, and which proved to be probably the best meal we had in Japan (which is no mean feat for a country of such culinary delights). The morning meditation was captivating to watch, and we were able to live out a life long dream to join the monks and our fellow guests in a traditional tea ceremony following their meditation. We came out of our stay here feeling pampered, inspired and with a life long friend in the endlessly insightful Matthias who helped us with the language barrier, and even took the time to tell us about the fundamental teachings of Buddhism, leading both of us to look further into the faith and philosophy. If you're looking for a uniquely Japanese experience, and would like a peaceful break from the frenetic pace of the cities, then stay here, I promise you will come away from it with a deeply humbling, cultural experience that you will cherish for the rest of your life!

• very pleasant experience

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer: new zealand

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  visited Koyasan with a group of friends and wanted to experience Japan for the first time and all it offers - including in the spiritual sense. Considering that it was a temple stay we werent expecting much comfort really but apart from the fact that we got served dinner and breakfast, we received a welcome tea, our room was private for our use, it had a heater, we were also provided yukatas, there was WIFI!!!, our beds got made for us by the monks which we truly appreciated and felt really humbled by. The monks were very accommodating although they spoke minimal english. It was interesting to be part of their morning prayer ceremony. We loved every minute of it!!! truly a steal :)

• A unique expérience

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer: France

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  We spent one night in this temple. We expected a very low confort but it was absolutly not the case : the room was big and beautiful and the table had a heating blanket, very useful during the cold evening on the mountain. The meal (dinner and breakfast) were very good, and much better than what we expected! Of course, on top of everything, the fire ceremony was really worth the early wake up.

• great@

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 1

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 2

  Room Rating - 4

  We had a great time!

• Beautiful

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer: UK/Japan

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Wasn't sure what to expect but the room was big and beautiful and the food was great. I'm vegetarian living in japan and it was nice to have a meal that is actually vegetarian without any sneaky fish or meat stock for once! The only thing we didn't like was that between our room and the next was basically just a screen with an open gap at the top so it wasn't very private. But it was comfortable and yukata and tea things were provided, it was similar to the ryokan experience. Would recommend.

• Amazing experience, but cold in Winter

  Month of Visit: December

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 3

  My father and I went up to this inn in late December when Mt Koya is coldest (-3 in the day when I was there) - not the best of ideas. A portable heater was provided, but it was far from sufficient. At bedtime, I was wrapped in three layers plus the quilts! The worst part was leaving the room, as there was absolutely no heating anywhere else. You can imagine I wasn't too enthusiastic about bathing. Aside from the cold, the inn was beautiful. The small pond in the garden was frozen, and the snow everywhere was just stunning. Hospitality was excellent, all the monks spoke English, wifi was great, the food was vegetarian but very tasty and filling. The highlight was attending morning prayers and being invited to have tea and snacks with the head monks after - I sat in with a group of six others, and although no one really spoke english, language was not a problem as one of the monks was a true scholar and was able to translate English, Japanese and Chinese flawlessly. I thoroughly enjoyed this session. I would recommend going in a warmer season, or else just be prepared with layered clothing and wet wipes! Not that big a deal, really, considering you won't be sweating much.