Koyasan had already been a marvel, and we'd only been here a couple of hours!
We'd spent some time ambling around the multitude of Buddhist religious sites while breathing in the crisp mountain air, visited the one-of-a-kind cemetery, and had some delicious local food.
And we'd not yet even started one of the main reasons we'd added this detour to Mount Koya, during our 3 week itinerary travelling around Japan: The unique chance to experience staying in a Buddhist temple!
But here we finally were, about to check-in at our accommodation for the evening, and excited to begin the afternoon's activities at the monastery.
Koyasan shukubu accommodation: A 1-night stay at the marvellous Eko-in temple
A popular syukubo temple lodging option, Ekoin temple on Mount Koya is a great choice for anyone wanting to experience a stay in a Buddhist monastery.
It was, we found, in some ways a strange melange of the old and new...
Welcomed at the entry by a monk - head shaven and dressed in his traditional orange robes - who requested we relinquish our shoes, we were then promptly and efficiently checked in by another tapping away briskly at his computer. The traditional wooden building within which we were to be housed came with the expected beautiful shoji panels, tatami mats and religious icons. And a coffee machine, WiFi and televisions.
But that is not to say that it was inauthentic - Ekoin is a working monastery, filled with monks on their way to meditation or going about their daily tasks. On the other hand, interaction with most of the monks is somewhat limited, visitors here are not fully integrated into the life of the temple, and those seeking an in-depth hands-on experience of temple life may find themselves leaving somewhat disappointed.
Beds and Rooms at Eko-in temple
The rooms themselves at Ekoin were slightly sparse, if far from spartan. A low table at the center of the bedroom, a clothes rack and some hangers, an oil heater and a safe, made up the bulk of the furniture.
The bathroom facilities here are shared, and only open at certain hours of the day. Monks would arrive later bearing the futon mats on which we would sleep.
But what the room lacked in comforts it made up for in views. All rooms look out on the lovely traditional Japanese garden and pond at the heart of the building, which make a soothing and tranquil backdrop to a stay at Ekoin temple.
Activities at Ekoin temple
There are a few voluntary activities available at Ekoin, including the practice of Buddhist sutra writing, or joining the monks for early-morning prayers or their morning fire ritual, as well as meditation, and we decided to kick things off with the latter.
Socks swishing gently on the wooden walkways, we arrived at the meditation hall late-afternoon together with our fellow devotees, and seated ourselves on the small round cushions laid out symmetrically on the carpeted floor.
Even though the room had a warm feel about it, the temperature itself was slightly bracing as the wide sliding doors were open to the interior garden, and I was thankful for the double layer of socks I was wearing. The atmosphere was filled with hushed expectation, and no-one was really talking. There was not much in the room to distract as we sat and waited, apart from a large wall-hanging scroll in the front of the room, depicting a calligraphic symbol (which we would soon find out was an image of the shuji character 'A' - the first letter in the Sanskrit alphabet).
One of the resident Ekoin monks arrived, and talked us through the practice of Ajikan meditation - a method unique to Shingon Buddhism. Its purpose is to bring the practitioner into a state of enlightenment, and this is achieved by centering oneself, almost fully closing the eyes and focusing on the breathing, and meditating on the image of the 'A' shuji - which represents the basic essence of all things, and is said to embody great spiritual power.
Having received our instructions, we were left to our meditating.
Sitting on the floor in a meditative position does become a bit challenging, and after a while a bit of fidgeting became noticeable amongst our fellow participants. As a whole though, the exercise was certainly instructive in turning off the mind from external thoughts for a while, and we did come away feeling relaxed, as well as appreciative of the commitment it would take to dedicate oneself to the practice for long periods of time, day after day.
Dinner at Koyasan Syukubo Ekoin
Back in our room, and thawing gratefully by the heat of our oil heater, it was time for our dinner.
Rates at Ekoin monastery are half board, and the meals at the temple are shojin ryori cuisine - a Buddhist form of vegetarian eating that respects the tenets of the faith - and are served privately in guests' rooms.
The meals were served traditional kaiseki-style consisting of many small dishes, and were fully meat-free, however that did not mean that they were limiting - hopefully the above photo gives you an idea of what to expect. In addition to being vegetarian, the meals were beautifully presented, were tasty and filling, and we loved both our dinner and breakfast experiences during our stay at Eko-in temple.
Dinner concluded, the sun had fully set and the time had come for one of the best things to do in Koyasan: our nighttime cemetery tour in Okunoin - located just a few minutes walk from Ekoin and led by one of the temple monks...
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Back at Ekoin later, the temple monks had delivered our futon bedding, and we sank gratefully into oblivion, the thick coverings more than a match for the cold outside.
The following day we were up again before daylight, and in the icy mountain air we set off to the on-site temple where the morning fire ceremony was to take place.
The Goma fire ritual is unique to - and one of the most recognisable features of - the Shingon sect of Buddhism, and one which they practice daily.
Fire is believed to have a cleansing effect, removing negative effects and clearing thoughts and energies. Small wooden tablets - called gomaki - on which wishes and desires are written, are also burned and so sent up to Buddha, and visitors are invited to participate by writing their own gomaki wishes for a small fee.
The Ekoin temple fire ceremony was impressive, a sensory overload of sounds, sights and smells, starting off gently but building to a crescendo of spitting fire. There was the heavy pounding of drums, the sizzle of oils and cracking of wood, the pervasive chanting, and all of it overhung by the pall of smoke quickly filling the small temple space.
In all, it was an exciting and novel experience, one we are grateful to have experienced, and which was marred only by the few individual visitors disregarding the injunction against photography. This was not meant to be a tourist show, but rather a sacred religious ceremony, and was a privilege to experience as an outsider, and we found those taking pictures to be disrespectful of the monks as well as completely missing the point of the occasion.
Breakfast (included in the hotel price) was served straight after the ceremony, once again at the low table in the privacy of our own room and comprising more delicious vegetarian fare, together with a generous pot of green tea.
And soon after, we regretfully gathered our few belongings and took our leave of Ekoin and its unfailingly cheerful monks. Up next would be our stay in the wonderfully traditional Gora Hanaougi ryokan in Hakone.
Final review of Eko-in temple
Japan as a country is not short of exceptional experiences. But even set against that high bar, our 1 night stay at a buddhist monastery stands out for us.
Our visit to Ekoin temple was one of those unique, bucket list experiences that has stayed with us long after we said our goodbyes to Japan.
For anyone who can spare the additional night it would take to detour from Osaka to Mount Koya, we think it is worth the cost as well as the time spent, and will leave you with memories to last a lifetime.
We believe the accommodation at Ekoin is one of the best in Koya-san. From authentic activities to delicious food and welcoming monks, it lived up to all our expectations.
Eko-in Temple (Pilgrim's Lodging) location: 497 Koyasan, Koya, Ito District, Wakayama 648-0211, Japan
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