As the centre of the Shingon Buddhism, Mount Koya or ‘Koyasan’ is one of Japan’s most important centres and home to numerous temples. Many of those temples – over fifty in total – offer lodgings including dinner and breakfast and opportunity to partake in Buddhist practices with the resident monks. Known as ‘shukubo’ in Japanese, temple lodgings are typically open to guests of any faith or background – a popular experience for many international visitors. As one of Japan’s most important spiritual centres, Mount Koya attracts many visitors for many reasons, with accommodation including hotels and other guesthouses also available.

Shukubo typically offer guests traditional rooms with ‘tatami’ matting, low furniture and on-floor ‘futon’ and serve vegetarian menus of ‘shojin ryori’ (monk’s cuisine) – see below. Prices vary for accommodation with most priced between JPY9000 to JPY15,000 per person, including dinner and breakfast). Most shukubo offer guests the opportunity to join morning prayers with many also offering guided meditation sessions during the day.