Koyasan Shukubo Ekoin Temple

May I respectfully inform any reader that Ecoin Temple dazzled and inspired us, leaving a deepest impression on our family, including our 4 sons from 13 to 24 years of age. It remains our most vivid memory from a beautiful two-week tour of Japan. My advice is "Hurry to here without delay!!" Our 13-year-old planned our trip, and so I had no idea where we were going next as we rode a public funicular railway up a steep mountainside. It was a surprise to learn we were visiting a UNESCO World Heritage village. A further surprise was the efficiency of the village, with a public bus waiting at the funicular summit, as a dozen tourists boarded and were dropped off at various local hotels. Our destination seemed modest on arrival, and it was surprising to be met by young and welcoming Buddhist monks who brought us to superbly modern and luxurious rooms. We were invited to learn basics of meditation at 5.00 pm, then we returned to our rooms where a superb and varied vegetarian feast had been laid out by monks, on tatami mats, awaiting us. Our beds were a super-luxurious version of the traditional Japanese inn offering of a sleeping pad on a tatami mat. Our rooms had private gardens with fast internet and giant TV's!! In the morning we attended a formal Buddhist ceremony with meditation that was an unforgettable lifetime experience. We were surrounded by walls of thousands of small golden and shimmering tokens commemorating individual monks who had been guiding these same rituals for over 1,500 years. Our modern monks seemed so unusually dedicated, peaceful, tolerant, efficient, and kindly, that I found it breathtaking to realize we were participating in a traditional ceremony practiced by perhaps 5,000 or 10,000 similarly dedicated monks, teaching the same lessons of simplicity, tolerance, peace, and avoidance of worldly ambitions, since 816 AD. Then we went to the Fire Ceremony nearby, that was even more astounding in visual beauty and inspiration.

Gorgeous environment, very nice stay in a beautiful building with great traditional food and pleasant staff. Amazing to be able to partake in the morning services as well!

- Best-located shukubo where you can start your Okunoin excursion - Monk events included - Moderate food volume which I did not expect (looks like increased in size for tourists) - Good command of English which is unusual for Japan - Room which opens to a pond in the yard - Okunoin excursion I took that separately on the awesome-tours website, however it was carried out by one of the monks. And it was cool. In fact Koyasan is among the top places in Japan I've been to.

Started with a tour of Koyasan that happened to be with one of the Ekoin monks, Nori. It was the highlight of our week in Japan! He was so informative. It added tremendously to the experience for myself and my two adult children. The rooms were wonderful and comfortable. The dinner was exceptional as well. The morning prayer session was fascinating. My only added suggestion would be to ask guests to leave their cell phones outside the door in their shoes. Pictures are nice but detract from the experience. Same with the fire experience. Other than that, amazing!

Very traditional, clean, comfortable, staff were lovely and attentive and spoke English well. Well maintained property. Also the morning rituals and cemetery night tours are a must. You can book Heritage pass which allows you to get on the cable car and buses. However you can just use your suica card which is probably easier in the end