Welcome to Eko-in. A 1000 year-old Buddhist temple, Ekoin offers Japanese style guest rooms and one of them has a private bath and toilet. All of the guest rooms have a garden view. Guests are free to attend morning services and the Goma fire ritual. Guests can participate in meditation sessions from 16:30. Sessions can be translated in English and English brochures are available if there is no interpreter. WiFi is available in public areas and is free of charge. Rooms feature tatami-mat flooring, comfortable futon bedding and paper sliding screens. Eko-in provides shared baths (same gender only) for both women and men, and the public baths are open from 16:00-22:00 and 06:00-09:00 daily. Eko-in is close to other ancient Buddhist buildings such as Kongobu-ji Temple, which is a 10-minute walk. The Ichinohashi entrance to the ancient Okunoin cemetery is a 3-minute walk away. Meals are served at the guest room at 17:30 basically and feature Buddhist vegetarian cuisine. Groups of 4 or more persons dine at the Japanese style dining room.

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Ryokan Reviews:

• Koyasan 2021

  Courtney

  Month of Visit: May

  Country Of Reviewer: American

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  I had a great experience at Ekoin. All the monks were super nice and had great English. I really enjoyed learning the meditation and about esoteric Buddhism. The service, room, food was all wonderful. The town is so close together you can walk everywhere you want to go. I would definitely recommend staying here to all my friends and family.

• Eko-in has everything !

  Vincent

  Month of Visit: September

  Country Of Reviewer: France

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  I have been a few times to Koyasan. I've stayed at another Shukubo in the past and I keep excellent memories about it but Eko-in brings the Koyasan experience to another level. Eko-in offers so many different activities: Zazen ceremony, Shakyo writing, Night-tour of the Okunoin cemetery, morning services and fire ceremony. Eko-in is run by young male monks and they have a very good sense of hospitality and design. I like the way they renovated parts of the temple keeping its original atmosphere. Some people might be surprised to see the lobby with facilities that you usually find a western style hotel such as a coffee machine, 2 computers connected to the internet,... They even have a small boutique where you can purchase souvenirs. Someone might be disappointed thinking that it's really traditional but it is a necessity to maintain such building in good condition. Meals are vegetarian and though I'm not a vegetarian it's always nice to see how much imagination they have! I was particularly impressed by the Zazen meditation. Being a complete beginner, it was excellent that the staff explained how to meditate in English. The fire ceremony was captivating though nobody in the audience really understands what they do or what they say (even Japanese people!). lol I didn't get a chance to catch his name, but I would like to thank very much the man who looked for us into town after we had checked-out to bring me my sunglasses that I had left at Eko-in! This was so kind and it reminds me how nice Japan and Japanese people are!

• One night at Eko-in

  Luis

  Date of Review: September, 2019

  Month of Visit: September

  Country Of Reviewer: Portugal

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Mount Koya is an experience worth doing and the stay at Eko-in was very enjoyable. The room was clean and very nice with plenty of space. Food was great and a different experience. Walking in Mount Koya it's a pleasure , enjoying the temples , nature and the calm. We had the night tour in the cemetery which I strongly recomend. The lights in the night and all the atmosphere is impressive.

• Highlight of our trip to Japan

  Emily

  Date of Review: June, 2019

  Month of Visit: June

  Country Of Reviewer: United States

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Spent one night at Eko-in and it was the best part of our trip to Japan. Our second time visiting the country, we wanted to see more than just the large cities, and were interested in learning more about the history and practice of Buddhism in Japan. The inn was comfortable, quiet, and so beautiful. Wish we had stayed two nights! We payed a bit extra for a garden view + private bathroom and our room was incredible.

• Wonderful experience for one night

  Danny

  Month of Visit: May

  Country Of Reviewer: The Netherlands

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  I traveled through Japan for three weeks and Koyasan is one of the most interesting experiences I’ve had in this beautiful country. The monks at Eko-in are very friendly, they speak English perfect and their temple is a charm. That being said, it’s also one of the most populair temple and I could tell: after I arrived and wanted to stroll the streets, a group of 20 or more British tourists arrived. They were friendly people, but I couldn’t read in a quiet place in the temple as these tourists were talking ALOT. I was disappointed in how many tourists visited Koyasan. Anyway, picture the tourists away and you will have an amazing day/night in Koyasan. I recommend walking the cemetary at night by yourself instead of a group (Eko-in gives a tour). It’s more magical and when I went back to temple, I’ve seen two large groups walking after a monk. Glad I didn’t participate. At the end of the cemetary there was a monk chanting/singing/praying, which was truely magical. I was very lucky to arrive just on time for that. The free meditation session on the day of arrival, the Buddhist session in the morning as well as the fire ritual were outstanding. This highlighted my trip for sure. Be sure to participate! The food was okay, the room was typical Japanese which is nice, the stay overall was great as well as the hospitality and the surroundings are beautiful. I’d recommend to stay one full night.

• Expensive by Worth It (even in the cold)

  Month of Visit: January

  Country Of Reviewer: Ireland and the UK

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  When we first booked my partner and I had hoped to go for a price more towards the lower range presented above, and so were quite surprised when we had to pay a fair bit more (over 30,000Yen for one night) but having made the booking, decided we'd do it anyway. Eko-In make great pains to offer more than many of the monasteries on Koyasan, with the meditation class, the fire ceremony as well as prayers, and included in the price was dinner and breakfast in our own rooms, which was all delicious and a great change of cuisine after two weeks in Japan. The nighttime tour of the cemetery is also fantastic, particularly in the snow, though you need to pay extra for it too, and the public baths were a welcome warm up in the winter cold, and generally it was all fantastic. Overall, if you have the money then definitely book this, though for a young couple trying to do Japan a bit cheaper this was by far our most expensive two days here.

• Beautiful modern temple

  Date of Review: November, 2018

  Month of Visit: November

  Country Of Reviewer: Switzerland

  Atmosphere Rating - 3

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  We had a room in the side building on the second floor with private bathroom. The bathroom was very modern and new. We had large windows with trees and a seating area with chairs before the window. There was free tea and sweets waiting in our room, also a Yukata and jacket to wear. The food (dinner and breakfast) was very good! The temple offers free coffee at the main building. When visiting Koyasan staying at Ekoin for the first night is very convenient. Our itinerary was: Taking the train at 13:00 in Osaka, arriving at the temple by 15-16:00, attending meditation, dinner, attending the cementary nightwalk, go to bed after bathing. Attending morning ceremony and fire ceremony. Breakfast and checkout. The temple is right across a bus stop and a café. 5mins walk from cementary. but be aware of the fact that Ekoin is the most popular and well known temple in Koyasan. The check in was with 10 people in one room. The cementary nightwalk is open for everyone in Koyasan so we had two large groups of people. There were around 40 people at the meditation and ceremonies. So if you are looking for convenience Ekoin is perfect!

• A highlight of our trip to Japan

  Dawn

  Month of Visit: July

  Country Of Reviewer: United States

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 3

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Mount Koyasan was a nice contrast to Tokyo and Kyoto, tranquil, restful, and meditative. The temple itself is beautiful, from the gardens to the interior spaces, with its traditional architectural details, like painted screens. The best part about our stay was definitely the night tour of the cemetery, which starts at Eko-in. The young monk who led the tour was delightful and informative, and he had a real joy about him. Being in the cemetery at night was a very aesthetic experience, and at the end of the tour you end up at a structure with hundreds of hanging lanterns. It felt otherworldly. We found the guided meditation at 4:00 on check-in day and the prayer service early the next morning interesting and moving. We had to miss the fire ceremony, unfortunately, but we really appreciated that the temple aims to teach. The food was good, but not spectacular, which is probably the point. We didn't get a chance to use the onsen, because a typhoon was on its way and we felt we needed to make arrangements, but the traditional futon beds were extremely comfortable, and even though we had to rush out the next morning, we were grateful to have had the opportunity to be taught and to see what the monks actually do.

• Nice Experience, But Not Amazing

  Casey

  Date of Review: June, 2017

  Month of Visit: June

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 4

  We spent one night at Eko-in. While it was a cool experience to stay overnight in a temple and participate in some of the prayers/rituals with monks, we wished there was more explanation and effort to teach us about their culture, routines, etc. That being said, it was a long trip to Koyasan from Kyoto for this experience (as there isn't a ton else to do in the town). That aside, the inn was clean, the staff was nice and it was a unique experience.

• Best part of my whole trip

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer: United States

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  My friend & I visted Japan for 2 weeks. Hands down, my stay at Eko-In was the most fulfilling and soul-touching part of my trip. Though this website cautiously (understandably) stated not to expect hotel-level service at the ryokan, I was blown away by the quality of service and amenities at Eko-In. The staff of young monks in training were always friendly, polite, just simply wonderful. The food was all vegetarian (bonus for me!), so I was free to explore the colorful treats that were elaborately set up each night for breakfast and dinner. The morning fire-ritual and meditation (optional)were invigorating. The monks openly invite you to participate in their holy rituals ~ what a TRUE HONOR that was. The rooms were beautifully simple, open, with lots of windows & natural light (but screens for desired privacy). My friend and I visited in October, so it was chilly at night. They provided space heaters that warmed the room tremendously. They have separate onsens for women & men. The women's one was small and intimate ~ perfect for first timers like myself & my friend :) Once you get in once, you'll want to keep going back! It's sooo relaxing! I went on the night tour of the cemetery that they offer(highly recommended), led by a most precious monk. He graciously spoke English to our multi-lingual crowd ~ and he was funny! Ah, what an endearing soul. The surrounding mountain town was adorable as well. Lots of little shops, and it was great to walk around and see the other temples in the area. From the time my friend & I set foot on Eko-In to the time we (reluctantly) parted, we had nothing short of a phenomenal time. I can say nothing but wonderful things about Eko-In. I don't usually take time to write reviews, but I mustn't let a treasure like this go without praise. I very highly, with no reservations, absolutely recommend choosing Eko-In for your stay.

• nice experience

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer: NZ

  Atmosphere Rating - 3

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 5

  This was a real treat, in terms of location and time wise. I was there in autumn and colours were amazing. Eko-in was well located, near the big cemetery and walking distance to everything else, clean, well provided and catered for (the food was amazing, something I was looking forward to every night, served in my room). The monks were friendly, apart from one who I call Mr Grumpy but perhaps that was his karmic lesson! I liked it but i had the impression that I was on the tourist trail (taking photos during the dawn chanting ceremony, yikes!), TV in the room etc more like a hotel with a spiritual touch than the other way around. Still, grateful for the experience and hosting at a time I needed to retreat.

• One of the magical places of my life

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer: Australia

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  The trip I took to Japan has been in the planning for ten years, and although my travelling companions and I stayed in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Shirakawa and Miyajima, I rate my stay in Eko-In as one of the most memorable and cherished memories of my entire trip. The tranquility of Koya-San cannot be understated; even a person who does not generally subscribe to spirituality such as myself felt a profound peace in the forests and Okunoin graveyard. Even the town itself was serene and relaxed, far removed from the energy of Japan in general. Eko-In itself was easy to find; the station staff after the cable car are helpful and speak English, and the bus drops you basically across the road. When I entered the gates I was stunned. We came at the start of Autumn, and a handful of the maples were turning red, and the reflection pool in the courtyard was beautiful. The monks speak amazing English, and when we were shown to our lodging on the second floor of the temple guesthouse we were amazed by how comfortable it was: tatami floors and futons of course, but it also had powerpoints to charge cameras and phones, and a heater for if it gets cold. Downstairs was a modern bathroom and toilet. We were also greeted with a pamphlet inviting us to tour Okunoin cemetery at night with one of the English-speaking monks, as well as another asking us to come to morning prayer and fire ritual. While extra cost, the Okunoin night tour is one of the most rewarding activities I participated in while in Japan and I highly recommend you attend. The food, while vegetarian due to the beliefs of the monks, was amazing, served in a private room for our travelling group of five. They even have a public bath like a miniature onsen indoors for free use. In the morning we attended prayer and the fire ritual to Bishamonten. While I don't think they insist on your attendance, they do prefer you to attend, and seeing it is amazing culture to witness I recommend you go. I won't go into detail of the ritual, but it was truly humbling to be present for. It should be noted that the monks ask you don't bring any food products with you onto temple grounds, as bringing certain foods like meats into the temple is against the wishes of their religion. However, the monks are very welcoming and friendly, which was a little different to how I imagined them before my arrival. They also require that you pay your lodging in hard cash and not card. I still find myself longing to return to Eko-In temple and Koya-San, and I know that someday I will find myself there again. I wholeheartedly recommend staying here, and I know that anyone reading this will feel the same way as I after staying there.

• Fantastic

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer: UK

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Eko-in is a a very tranquil lodging in an already tranquil area, situated near the Okunoin Cemetery it is possibly the most peaceful place I have visited. The temple itself is beautiful, the staff speak great English and the rooms are lovely, thee come with two heaters, a flat screen tv and wifi. We were lucky to be staying on the 20th April (a special date) and went on the night tour of the cemetery and visited the temple within for a Buddhist ceremony. We also took part in the meditation and early morning prayer and fire ceremonies. I have taken 1 star off for the food not that there was anything wrong with it, it was delicious but there is only so much tofu I can eat. Highly recommend staying here

• a place victim of its own success

  Month of Visit: May

  Country Of Reviewer: France

  Atmosphere Rating - 2

  Food Rating - 2

  Staff Rating - 3

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 2

  Koya-san is a fantastic place, Eko-in was however a little bit disappointing, probably victim of its own success. We were located in an annex of the temple, a simple modern building decorated with tatamis without charm. The food was not as delicate as expected and the morning prayer was spoiled by the doozens of foreign tourists. Only the location is convenient, close to the cemetery and other must-sees. This was my second time in Koya-san and probably the last time, I would not recommend this place to any friends.

• beatiful place and very nice hosts!

  Month of Visit: May

  Country Of Reviewer: USA

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  We had a wonderful experience at Eko-in, great food, everything was always on time, and clean. The onsens were clean and very relaxing. The monks were very kind. We went on the night-time english cemetery tour and thought it was great, we learned a lot and the monk who did it spoke english very well. Also in May in Koya-san, the cherry blossoms are in bloom as it is cooler there, so we got a lot of great photos! Would definitely recommend to a friend.

• Memorable

  Month of Visit: July

  Country Of Reviewer: Australia

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Truly a memorable experience. The room was delightful - clean and traditional with a stunning view. The service was friendly and attentive - the young monks were charming. The Buddhist meals were interesting and (mostly) tasty. It was an honour to be a part of the delightful Buddhist morning services. The location is very convenient and picturesque. Highly recommended.

• Tranquility at Ekoin Temple in Koya-san

  Month of Visit: June

  Country Of Reviewer: USA

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 4

  Our one night stay at Ekoin Temple provided us a glimpse of a more rural, traditional Japan far from the industrial and commercial development in the central part of the country. While a couple reviewers commented that the ability of many of the monks at Ekoin to speak English might compromise the genuine feel of the place, we allowed this to provide an opportunity to speak with the monks studying there and find out more about their lives and beliefs. Our guide at the night time walk thru the Cemetery and shrine gave a very clear talk about his religion, how they practice, and how they view spirituality. On the stroll back we also got to talk about his career path, and the role priests play in lives of their 'congregants'. It is important to keep in mind that this branch of Buddhism is part of modern Japan, and these clergy exist in this modern world. The stay at the temple was very tranquil. We had our window open all night and heard not a sound. The two meals served traditional style in our room were exotic and energizing. The room itself was very comfortable and airy. The onsen bath was relaxing and as always a great way to unwind. The trip back to urban Japan, specifically Tokyo on a JR Rail pass, is pretty complicated. From the temple to our hotel in Tokyo was 7 hours on one bus, one cable car, five trains, and a taxi. No real hang-ups but a lot of stairs and train platforms so travel lightly!

• Needs to be experienced

  Month of Visit: July

  Country Of Reviewer: Australia

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 4

  Though I think it's becoming commercialised it's still an amazing experience. Eko-in is conveniently located and access to the main Koyasan sites is easy. The rooms are comfortable and the public baths more than adequate. The food was interesting, though perhaps a little disappointing - had an element of being 'mass produced'. Information in the rooms stated a variety of drinks were available for purchase but none were offered at dinner time. The morning prayer service was a good thing to experience, as was the fire ceremony. We did the optional guided night walk in the cemetery, which was excellent.

• Breathtaking

  Month of Visit: July

  Country Of Reviewer: USA

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Eko-in is set in such a beautiful area. The staff is quite welcoming and very engaging. The extra activities, when available (such as the cemetery tour, meditation instruction, morning services, and fire ritual), are a wonderful touch to explore the history and sacred, almost magical atmosphere of Koyasan. The food was excellent (in spite of not being a vegetarian, myself) as was its presentation. The chance for an in-room massage (extra, but easily arranged by the staff) was great to have, as well. I loved my stay at Eko-in.

• A Lifetime Memory

  Month of Visit: August

  Country Of Reviewer: UK

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  I can honestly say my time at the Eko-In will never leave me. The temple is absolutely stunning and only surpassed by the kindness and service of the monks. The tours and the ceremonies they allowed us to join in were incredible and are memories of a lifetime. I would highly recommend this to everyone as Koya is a must for all travellers.

• Inspiring

  Month of Visit: August

  Country Of Reviewer: The Netherlands

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  We have spent a few days at the Eko-in. And those days have been a wonderful experience for us in all ways. The monks are very friendly, helpful and the room, the food, everything was a delight. We found it a very good way to get to know and experience more of dharma in daily life. And as things come and go, we had to leave, keeping the memory in our hearts.

• Peace and new things

  Month of Visit: September

  Country Of Reviewer: Spain

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 4

  We were there for one night and it was a different and faboluos experience. We did a guided tour to visit Okuno-in at night with one of the Eko-in monks and we could learn a lot.

• Excellent

  Month of Visit: September

  Country Of Reviewer: Canada

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Such a memorable experience. Highly recommend the night cemetery walk and the morning prayer and fire ritual. Wish I could have stayed a bit longer.

• sublem experience

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer: Israel

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  I rate my stay in Eko-In as one of the most memorable and cherished memories of my entire trip. Eko-in was well located, near the big cemetery and walking distance to everything else, clean,.The food was amazing/ the monks were quite welcoming and very engaging/. I really like to take part in the meditation and early morning prayer and fire ceremonies. I wholeheartedly recommend staying there.

• Absolutely amazing!

  Month of Visit: November

  Country Of Reviewer: Canada

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  My friend and I stayed here for only one night, and had the most incredible experience. The monks were wonderful, and helped us out whenever we needed something or had questions. The grounds were beautiful and the room was great, with the best view. The morning prayers and the fire ceremony were so cool! It was so great to have been apart of it. It puts you into a trance almost, it's something I've never experienced before. I will definitely come back and stay at Eko-in, thank you so much for truly making our short trip to Koyasan so memorable. 5 stars all around!

• Wonderful place to stay

  Month of Visit: November

  Country Of Reviewer: U.S.

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  We stayed one night in Eko-in and it was one the best places we stayed in while traveling through Japan. Excellent location. We highly recommend this place. We had a corner room on second floor and we couldn't ask for a better room. The view was so beautiful, the room set up was so pleasing. They morning ceremony including the fire ceremony was very interesting. We also were very happy that we participated in the night tour of the cemetery that they offered.

• Peaceful and Quiet

  Month of Visit: February

  Country Of Reviewer: Singapore

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  It was close to Okunoin, just two bus stops away. The monks could speak little english. One or two could speak good english. They were very helpful and kind. The room were heated nicely with futons laid out already when we came back from a short night tour of the Okunoin cemetery. Very tourist friendly place.

• Nice and comfy ryokan

  Month of Visit: February

  Country Of Reviewer: Singapore

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Spent only one night at Eko-in. It was snowing and the view outside was just beautiful. The monks were very helpful with everything. Did their best to make us feel welcome. Wish I had stayed one more night. Some of the monks could speak average english.