Shojoshinin

The stay was enjoyable. Our group was satisfied with the one-night visit. The room facilities and food were sufficient for this type of stay. The monastery is excellently located right next to the entrance to the cemetery. Beautiful surroundings and a very शांत, peaceful area.

Our temple stay at Shojoshinin was undoubtedly the most magical moment of our grand trip to Japan. The temple is stunningly beautiful and impeccably clean. We were lucky to get a room with a gorgeous view of the inner courtyard and the forest. We thoroughly enjoyed drinking tea while admiring the scenery. The location is convenient and situated right next to the entrance of the ancient cemetery. This allowed us to easily go for atmospheric walks both in the morning and in the evening. The Buddhist dinner and breakfast were not only beautifully presented but also highly nutritious. The monks were friendly, and we really appreciated the free guided tour of the temple. A truly relaxing and enriching place!

You need to stay at Shojoshin-in if you come to Koyasan! There's an English speaking receptionist when you check in, a Chinese monk and you can always use google translate to communicate with the Japanese-only staff/monks! There's goma prayers at 1pm, a tour of the temple only for lodgers at 4pm, dinner served at 530pm (& the food is super flavourful), you can do sutra copying in your room (pay at reception) and pay for a handwritten goshuin as well! Shojoshin-in is the closest temple to Okunoin's entrance so its super convenient to do a night tour (run by an external vendor). Main doors close at 5pm but you can enter through the side door. I met a Japanese lady whom stays only at Shojoshin-in when she comes to Koyasan every year! I miss this place already :(

Was a unique experience in an amazingly beautiful area. Would definitely recommend and visit again next time in Japan.

The location is very close to Okunoin Cemetery, so you could take an evening walk and easily return before the doors close at 9 PM. It felt safe and convenient, and the atmosphere in the evening was beautiful. The bus runs frequently, so getting to the station the next day was no problem at all. The temple offers a Goma (fire) ritual in the afternoon, and one prayer stick is included. The morning meditation was also a wonderful experience, very impressive. The staff were genuinely positive, friendly and helpful. Some of them speak very good English, they explain everything clearly, and they let me leave my luggage when I arrived early. I highly recommend this place, but a few practical things worth mentioning: – The stairs to the guest rooms are very steep, and the temple slippers are slippery. If you have trouble with stairs or simply want to avoid the risk, I recommend asking for a room on the first floor. – I visited in early December, and it was really (really!) cold as the corridors are unheated. You absolutely need very warm socks for meditation and the fire ritual. I was completely frozen. – My room took a long time to warm up, but the kotatsu made a huge difference once it heated up, and there was also a gas heater + a tea set with hot water. – Having a sink in the room was a very convenient bonus, but the water in mine was cold though. In the bathroom hot water is available.