Ren'gejo-in Temple (Pilgrim's Lodging)

It was an alright experience in terms of all that they offered tbh — given the price. The check in is at 3pm and the check out is at 9am. The bath area isn’t so good. The food is OK, the rooms are OK. I couldn’t really follow the monk’s English but the meditation part (the quiet part) was alright. 3 stars because it wasn’t horrible or anything, but not much more because I wouldn’t call it great. PS: it’s also really expensive to get to Koyasan. So pick something that’s worth your while.

One of the most experience that I tried, sleeping in a old monastery in this beautiful, spiritual and peaceful place immersed in the nature. My room was a shukubo, a traditional room japanese inside the temple, very confortable and clean. You had the great possibility to assist to the ritual of meditation around 5pm and also to the prayer at 6am and it's a spiritual moment unforgettable full of emotion and positive energy. Inclusive to the reservation there are tipically really nice dinner and breakfast. Near to the place there is the bus station and you can arrive with facility by walk to the big cemetary Okunoin, the biggest of all Japan.

Unfortunately, I mostly have to agree with the bad reviews here. The spiritual experience wasn't great - it was quite hard to follow the monks english pronunciation and the meditation room was stuffed with other western people of whom quite a few didn't even come by choice, but because it was just one of the stops of their travel company organized japan trip. In my opinion, this place shouldn't be open for groups such as this, but only for people who actually sign up for the experience. Guests also received different dinners (ingredients, size and quality) which I found odd for a buddhist temple and given that we paid 225€ for a double room. Since the temple didn't meet my expectations in a spiritual way, I also have to rate it purely as an accomodation. While the place is generally nice, for a "japanese traditional overnight experience" I'd still rather go to a traditional ryokan in an onsen town like Kurokawa for half the price and with more amenities. In summary, it feels a bit like a tourist trap all considered. I still give three stars because somehow, it was still a memorable experience, just in a different way than expected. Btw, visiting the Koyasan cemetery that day was one of the highlights of our Japan trip

We were absolutely blown away by our room. We expected a somewhat ascetic aesthetic, but our room was absolutely gorgeous. Admittedly, the room rate was quite expensive. The room had tatami mats and futons (as expected), which was extremely comfortable. The room was decorated exquisitely and had everything one could want in a room. We had two lovely sitting areas - one for tea or coffee and another overlooking a peaceful garden. Our toilet and shower area was ultra modern. Everything was immaculate and beautiful. Staff was very friendly and spoke excellent English. The food was fabulous and beautifully presented. We thoroughly enjoyed the 6 am chanting sessions and the 5 pm meditation with the monks. In addition, the onsite "onsen" was great. For that reason, it is not necessary to get a room with shower facilities. (We didn't realize that, so our room had more than we needed). Great location for walking everywhere in Koyasan. Quiet, peaceful, lovely stay.

Tourist trap. This is the third time I have done temple-lodging in total, and second time in Koyasan. While the other two experiences were truelly spiritual, this one felt pretty weird. Everything written in the other low reviews is true.

Buddhist temple with different types of room, we had a very comfortable one with private bathroom and woods view, it is pricy but totally worth it. Super clean and decoration looks like a movie with great Japanese style. Morning chanting and afternoon meditation every day. Vegetarian breakfast and dinner are served, lots of small local dishes very filling. It’s an experience to make at least once in a lifetime (at least two nights I would say to enjoy the temple and town life).

I had an amazing stay. I was at Ren’gejo-in for a single night in early March when there was still some snow on the ground. Keep these in mind before booking: - There was no lock for my room. Despite this, I felt incredibly safe the entire time as a solo female traveler. There’s also a safety box. I think some rooms (western style?) do have locks if that’s something that concerns you. - I was greeted by a very friendly monk, others may appear to be colder. Don’t take it personally. - Buddhist philosophy is about having “enough,” not excess. Food was plenty for me, but maybe bring some snacks if you require more - The schedule is relatively strict. You may not have a ton of time to explore the area outside the temple if you check-in after 4pm - This is a huge temple - it took me ~ 5 minutes to walk from my room to the main temple. Others may find this off putting, but I especially appreciated this opportunity to slow down and admire the beauty of the gardens I already miss the morning/evening meditations, nutritious vegan meals, relaxing (and quite hot!) onsen, and stunning scenery to connect with nature.

We were excited for an authentic and peaceful experience, but unfortunately, it fell short in several ways. We participated in a meditation session, expecting some guidance, but there was little to no explanation—everything was primarily in Japanese, making it difficult to follow. It felt more like we were just sitting in silence rather than truly engaging in a meditative practice. The food was very good, showcasing traditional Buddhist cuisine, but the portions were quite small, leaving us unsatisfied. As for the accommodations, the lack of privacy was surprising. The walls were essentially thin paper screens, meaning we could hear everything from the neighboring rooms. On top of that, the futons were extremely thin and uncomfortable, making it hard to get a good night’s sleep.