Sekishoin

WAKAYAMA, 571 Koyasan, Koya-cho, Ito-gun, Wakayama
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50 reviews shown

10/10

Exceptional

18 Mar 2020

Emily

Great upgraded rooms and magical garden

It was nearly empty so we were upgraded. Usually I think there would be a lot of people. Rooms were excellent and service good. Food was simple but for the price I can’t complain.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

12 Mar 2020

Patricia

Wonderful stay

Was a wonderful stay at Sekisho-in. Room was very clean, spacious and comfortable. Food was very good and we were made to feel very welcome. The temple was a lovely experience and the town of Koyasan is just so beautiful.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

29 Feb 2020

Earl

Arrived in late Feb. Wonderful experience. Cold but heaters in room worked well.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jan 2020

Verified traveler

The amenities exceeded expectations. The room was larger than expected. We had a four futon room with three futons setup. It would have been a bit tight with four. The room had a living area, a sleeping area, a garden viewing area, and a balcony. We did not opt for the private bathroom. We may have stayed during a slow night (Early Jan) because we still had the shared public bath to ourselves after dinner, and we enjoyed a nice soak. I saw an older review saying there are no hair dryers. They have hair dryers now.

The dinner and breakfast was good as well. If you're not used to Japanese vegetarian dishes, you might find the food lacking. It's a lot of radishes, bamboo shoots, seaweed/kelp, tofu, squash, rice, and mochi. Most of it is served cold with unlimited warm rice and hot tea. I thought it was quite good.

The morning ceremony was a great experience. The monks will encourage you to do the incense offering. A booklet in your room will explain what to do. Read and research beforehand as it's not explained during the ceremony.

Overall, I'm glad we stayed here. It was a good experience. I did not get to interact with the monks. I wish I was able to do this to learn more about Koyasan; however, I understand most of them do not speak English.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

02 Dec 2019

Verified traveler

Interesting experience in a temple! Location is convenient!

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

01 Dec 2019

Verified traveler

Nice reasonably priced place to stay in Koyasan.

Location - perfect -close to okunoin cemetery and temples.
Room - sufficient futon setup with a low table with kettle and tea. Heater in room - heats up fast - good because the common areas are outside temperature. Don't run heater all night, but not needed just spark up in the morning and instant heat. Like camping :-)

Arrival - checked in at ~12 noon . They were organized and ready for us - excellent. Little english spoken - but not a problem - we got all the info we needed for the temple stay.

Amenities - lots of shared bathroom /washup areas. We used the hot bath rooms to clean up/soak/warm up - it was great! (onsen like) There are two mens and two ladies bath/onsen rooms. Very nice. Honour system coffee machine for morning.

Food - very creative and tasty vegetarian dinner 5:30 (extra fee booked with room - do it - it's a good experience) Breaky was at ~7:15 -7:30 after morning service - which was also good to do (6:50AM).
NOTE . I booked the dinner after the original booking via email - but they had not record of it - or lost in translation. We were able to book dinner as we arrived at 11:45. dinner bookings taken until 12 noon of same day. Best to book at hotel booking time.

FYI - We left right after breakfast to catch a 8:11 AM bus right outside the temple to get back to Tokyo that same day. Easy (but multiple) transit back to Osaka then Tokyo

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Nov 2019

Christopher

Wonderful Experience

Amazing atmospheric place to stay. This is not just a place to stay but a wonderful experience.

Self

6/10

Pleasant

20 Nov 2019

Temple stay experience wasn't really immersive since there were many other tourists so the experience didn't feel personalised. Wished that the service was warmer. The food for both dinner and breakfast were mediocre. Dishes that are supposed to be hot/warm (e.g. tempura) were already cold by the time guests arrived at the dining hall (there are preset dining hours). I stayed in the new hall which is a long walk in but the facilities are new and WiFi was surprisingly strong. Heater in room! Best thing to have since Koyasan can get really cold. No hairdryer provided.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

15 Nov 2019

A-

I enjoyed it very much. Air conditioner was broken, but I just moved the futon to the room with a heater. Garden is beautiful. Dinner was good. Breakfast was simple. Bathroom attached to the room was so new and clean. Great alone bath time. I came in a bit late, but they had my dinner still waiting for me. I'm glad I stayed here.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

11 Nov 2019

Verified traveler

Great monastery food.
Appreciated opportunity to be part of morning ceremony.
Very good onsen.
Location very good - near cemetery & a short distance from centre of town.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

16 Oct 2019

Verified traveler

Koyasan was amazing, the stay was ok

The good:
- good location on main road and close to the main attraction
- included breakfast was ok
- room had a nice balcony and view

The bad:
- the welcome was very cold, we didn't feel like they were very happy that we were staying there
- little English spoken by staff

Partner

8/10

Excellent

12 Oct 2019

Verified traveler

Very fast check in and out. Comfortable

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

16 Sep 2019

Verified traveler

This was a real experience, definitely worth the trip.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

30 Jul 2019

Ovidiu

Interactive meal service and prayer.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

22 Jul 2019

Verified traveler

This is a monastery run by monks not a hotel. They gave us two huge adjacent rooms, which was much appreciated. The location is great as it is a few minutes by foot from the cemetery, which made it easy to go to both the evening walk and the 6:00 am offering ritual and be back by the 7:00 am chanting at the monastery. We enjoyed our stay very much - the simpler monastic setting and the relative remoteness of Koyasan was a welcome deviation from the hurried and over stimulating experience of Tokyo and the other big cities we visited

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jul 2019

Verified traveler

Great experience, try it!

Great stay, everything I expected and more. Tremendous experience, recommend to all

4/10

Poor

19 Jun 2019

Verified traveler

The outside of the property looked impressive and it ws nice to take part in the mediation in the morning

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jun 2019

T-Meaux

Having the chance to stay as guest with Buddhist monks and priests in their temple is priceless. The accommodation is way beyond what I would have expected. The friendly hosts made a private memorial ceremony possible. It was an amazing experience and I will return. Thank you very much!

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

23 May 2019

Verified traveler

Nice and cosy temple stay

The room is excellent big, clean and in an authentic japanese style. I had view to the japanese garden, and I could hear the beautiful songs of the birds.Loved the morning meditation.

10/10

Exceptional

16 May 2019

Verified traveler

Koyasan

Very surprised having such a large room with balcony and mountain garden view. Futon beds on Tatami are thick and comfortable.
Half board vegetarian food was plenty and free coffee supplied too.
The location is just a few steps away from Ichi No bashi bus stop (the beginning of 2 km Forrest walk to Okunoin 奧の院)
Monks and staffs are friendly and helpful.

Family

8/10

Excellent

23 Apr 2019

Keith

Beautiful old temple that we enjoyed staying in very much.

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

22 Apr 2019

Verified traveler

Loved living in a temple, the food was really good. They explained what each of the items on the plate were prior to the guests starting to eat. It is not a buffet style, you get a preset vegan meal and that’s what you eat. The showers are open and not separated. I really wish we had some information on the morning ceremony they did, even in the form of a pamphlet to inform us of the what and why it is being done. Even a small history lesson prior to the ceremony or at dinner would be great addition!

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

30 Mar 2019

Kel

Very unique experience. Highly recommended. The accmodaruons are very basic compared to western standards but the atmosphere is wonderful and participating in the morning prayer was the highlight of our trip to Japan. The location is also excellent as it is very close to the Okuinoin.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

29 Mar 2019

Verified traveler

This is a Buddhist Temple so pretty much everything is unique. We had a room with a private bath. The room was huge. The meal provided by the monks was pretty in appearance and very delicious. The atmosphere of the temple is very serene. Would recommend for rejuvenation and to reconnect spiritually.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 Mar 2019

Talia

Would stay again

Lovely temple stay w excellent vegetarian monk meals and can participate in religious service before breakfast. Lots of guests here but you only run into them at meals and ceremony. V convenient location can walk to all sites and bus stop is just a few feet away. not as elaborate or picturesque as some other temples, but it gave us everything we needed and wanted

Family

10/10

Exceptional

27 Mar 2019

MICHAEL

Great location, Very Good WIFI, Claen & comfortabl

The Monks were kind. Clean & comfrtable room with a view of the garden. Great location within walking distance to shrines, temples and Japan's largest cemetery, restaurants. At bus stop 9 on bus 9 from the cable car station.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Mar 2019

Katherine

This was by far the highlight of my trip! I had a wonderful experience here. Everyone was very accommodating. It was so special to see the monks prayer service in the morning. The one thing I would note is that this is a true monastery. So if you book this know that the accommodations are basic, as described on the website, the reason you go here is for the experience. I would definitely recommend!!

10/10

Exceptional

25 Mar 2019

Frederick

Great time

8/10

Excellent

06 Dec 2018

Graeme

Great experience of temple life

From looking around town this was one of the smaller temples to stay in and perhaps didn't have the amenities some others may have. As you would expect from a Buddhist templet the accommodation was very basic but the reason you are staying there is for the experience. The monks were very friendly and helpful in showing me around, the morning service was enlightening and the breakfast prepared was surprisingly tasty for vegan fare. If you prefer to travel in style and comfort than maybe this place is not for you but if you are up for a real experience then I definitely recommend.

8/10

Excellent

11 Nov 2018

Verified traveler

First time staying at a temple

This is the first time staying at a temple and I had a good experience here. This was the only place that had a private bathroom so that was great.
When we checked in we were welcomed by a monk who gave us a free bracelet gift and escorted us to our room.The room didn't have a door instead it was a wooden frame with square holes which I found uncomfortable at first, but you can lock it and also lock our room door. We had our own balcony which was nice and leading out into their garden.
We slept on futon and was glad they had a heater as it very cold there, it was icy cold in the morning so make sure you bring jackets.They provide some comfortable robes like ones the monks wear and you can wear it to the morning prayer (6.50am) and breakfast is served after which is vegetarian. I really enjoyed my first experience staying at a temple and Koyasan is amazing place to visit.

Partner

2/10

Poor

01 Nov 2018

Olivier

Just Feels like a bad touristic attraction with monks cold as ice and noisy foreigners taking picture all over the place.

I booked the private suite for 2 person. 200 Euro for a room without windows, what a great deal! I guess for this price shared room are a better option as I could hear other guest talking and snoring the whole night..

Also made me smile to see female employees among the monks. Even if they are limited to the kitchen!

At the end, it was not that bad as we spent as less time as possible in this hotel and really appreciated walking around the temples by day and night.

8/10

Excellent

22 Oct 2018

Tara

Unique stay in a temple

It was a very nice authentic experience in a temple. Getting to sit with the monks during their morning prayer ceremony is very nice. The temple is also in a great location in Koyasan.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

17 Oct 2018

Verified traveler

Great experience!

Amazing experience. Very sacred place where you get to see a morning prayer, have traditional breakfast and dinner (purchase separately) and the grounds are beautiful, the garden specifically. Highly recommend for a temple experience!

8/10

Excellent

13 Oct 2018

Henck

Serene and unique

Very comfortable futon, beautiful views.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

01 Oct 2018

Tim

We thoroughly enjoyed our (family of 2 parents and a 9 year old child) stay. Koyasan is not cheap, but it is worth it.

10/10

Exceptional

07 Sep 2018

Verified traveler

Nice service and a peaceful place

4/10

Poor

27 Aug 2018

Verified traveler

We stayed at Jokiin the night after and it was exceptional. it was the same price as Sekishoin. It is not worth the price for the room with the private bathroom which we had.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jul 2018

Verified traveler

20metres from the bus stop, spacious tatami roo with futon bed, beautiful in summer because it's cooler 1000m up in the mountains, Buddhist style vegetarian breakfast was good to get you going, but a morning tea stop is recommended.

6/10

Pleasant

15 Jul 2018

Verified traveler

Traditional Temple Stay

Enjoyed the opportunity to try a traditonal buddhist monk dinner/breakfast.

Very close to the cemetery, which is a must see in Koyasan.

Unfortunately the beds/pillows were terribly uncomfortable and linen appeared to have not been cleaned in a long time finding stains and hairs...

10/10

Exceptional

28 Apr 2018

Verified traveler

Unique experience

The whole stay was absolutely stunning. From food to public bath, from private room to community activities (prayer and food) everything was amazing. We prefer to visit this temple over a ryokan bath house!

8/10

Excellent

12 Apr 2018

Geri

Modest Lodgings, Beautiful Surroundings

We didn’t expect much from this shukubo stay - I mean, you’re staying with monks. The vegetarian food was eatable but not great, we couldn’t lock our room, bugs get into the room because of the screen windows, and the futons were barely futons - felt like we were sleeping on the floor. However, we had an amazing view of the Japanese garden from our room, and at night we sat on the wooden porch and drank beer while enjoying the scenery. It was so peaceful and serene. Sekishoin is also a great location because the main temple of Koya-San, Okunoin, is within walking distance. Overall, this experience is unlike any other and I do recommend it - just keep in mind what you’re signing up for.
Only other complaint is that the check in and out time is wrong on Hotels.com. They wouldn’t let us check in until 2 and check out was at 10.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

09 Jul 2023

Saito

奥之院に近くて良かった

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

14 Dec 2022

KING CHEONG

給我們的通告是早上7點有儀式，我們準時7點到，但儀式已完了！

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

29 Oct 2022

Nazim

Très bien sauf la cérémonie du matin

Très bon séjour, cadre et emplacement idéalement pour visiter la ville. Calme revigorant, seul bémol, la cérémonie du matin à 7h n’est pas expliqué en dehors du japonais.
L’établissement en lui même ainsi que les repas sont très bien.

10/10

Exceptional

12 Aug 2022

Atsuko

清潔でご飯も美味しく、お勧めです。

Business_and_leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

18 Jun 2022

Tomoko

あたたかいもてなしに、お寺らしい雰囲気

古い建物ですが、広い和室には昔ながらのこたつがセットしてあり、寝巻きは、はだけて寒い浴衣ではなく、誰もが着やすい作務衣でした。風呂やトイレは部屋にもあり、ベランダから美しい庭に降りられました。布団は羽布団で清潔で暖かくて心地良く、朝までぐっすり眠りました。
寒い時期で、夕飯時間より遅れて到着したにもかかわらず、広い和室を石油ストーブで温めてくださり、椅子とテーブルは座りやすく、夕飯が終わるまで、お寺の方がそっと別室で片付けを待っていてくれました。

朝夕のメニューは、翌日泊まった有名な宿坊よりずっと美味くて量もバラエティもあり、大変に満足しました。

共同の中風呂に入りましたが、夜中じゅういつでも入ることができ、熱くて快適かつ清潔でした。

朝の勤行では、秘蔵の仏像見学など派手なモノはありませんでしたが、丁寧にお坊さんがお寺の大切にしているものをひとつひとつ説明してくださいました。
快適にもてなそうという気持ちと、素朴なお寺らしさとが感じられて、大変気に入りました。

今度は、ぜひ、家族で宿泊したいです。また外国からのお客様も、是非、お連れしたいと思いました。

Self

8/10

Excellent

22 May 2022

???

お部屋も浴槽もトイレや洗面所も、どこもかしこもとても綺麗で、本当に気持良く過ごさせて頂きました。ありがとうございました。

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Nov 2021

Keiko

部屋も料理も満足しました。wifiはつながりませんでしたが　また泊まらせていただきたいと思いました。

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

09 Nov 2021

JeongHun

전문 숙박시설과 같은 서비스는 아니지만, 깔끔하고 맛있는 식사가 있는 템플스테이를 체험할 수 있습니다.
일본어로 소통하는 것이 원만하나, 영어 안내문도 존재합니다.
내부 시설은 고풍스러우며, 기본적으로 아침식사가 나오지만, 주변 음식점들이 17시에 문을 닫기 때문에 숙박시에는 저녁식사도 추가하는 편이 좋습니다.
아침 예불에 참가 가능하니 체험해 보시길 바랍니다.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

26 Oct 2021

HIROAKI

快適に過ごせました。

快適に過ごせました。奥の院一の橋バス停に近く、初めて訪れても迷いません。これからの季節は気温がとても低いけど、暖房はガスファンヒーターで快適な部屋でした。チェックインの日は晴天だったので、傘を持参してなかったが、翌日はにわか雨だったが、傘を貸して下さった。本当に有難かったです。

Self