Spending a night in a Buddhist temple in Japan wasn’t anything like I thought it would be.   It  seemed like a very cool thing to do on a trip to Japan where we had a  few free days at the end.   

While fascinating, it was not what I was expecting.  

I expected to be surrounded by saffron robed monks, chanting and going about their daily activities.  Instead, what we experienced was a temple converted to a tourist destination with barely a hint of the purpose of the building.  

My sense is that this was a way for the Buddhist sect to support themselves.  

We checked in to Shojoshin-in on Mt. Koya on the Kumano Peninsula.  The process took a long time.  Maybe an hour.  Part of the issue was the language barrier, but the other seemed to be the fact that there was only one person checking people in and there were several dozen of us.   

Mt. Koya has become a tourist destination. It is a group of about 50 temples where guests are welcomed.    

I think probably a couple dozen people were spending the night in the temple where our tour company booked us.    

Meals were served in small separate rooms by the same man who checked us in, again, making the process long.  I didn’t mind that because the food was beautifully presented and very tasty.  We sat on the floor eating on trays.  It was lovely.  I think I enjoyed it more because we weren’t rushed.

I wondering if the monks actually ate meals like this?  I also wondered where the monks were?  We didn’t see any during the day. 

In the early morning we were invited to observe ritualistic prayers, a ceremony performed by two monks for the two dozen tourist/guests lined up along the wall.  Afterwards we were invited to meander around the temple looking at the various alters and religious items.  

I found this all to be interesting and a bit mysterious. I would love to know more about the meaning of the chanting and the various items we had the opportunity to look at.

I enjoyed the water fountain and pond behind the temple. Great subject for photography. Meditative.

So, yes, I stayed in a Buddhist temple, but it didn’t appear to me to be a functioning one.  I don’t know.    Unfortunately there wasn’t an English speaking person to explain. 

 We didn’t book a guide for our visit so I can only surmise.  My guess is that the monks of the order were housed elsewhere and our home for two nights was a monastery now converted to a guest house.  

Interestingly, a new temple was being erected next door.  I wondered if this was to house monks or the influx of tourists like me, eager for a spiritual experience.  

I didn’t regret staying there one tiny bit, but if I go back to Japan, I’m going to look for a “working temple” to visit if that is  an option.  I’ll either find myself an English speaking guide or do more research.   Now,  I am really curious what it would be like.