1000+ year-old Buddhist temple, Shukubo Koya-san Eko-in offers Japanese-style accommodation. Guests are free to attend Buddhist morning services, the Goma fire ritual and meditation. Meals are served at the guest room at scheduled times and feature Buddhist vegetarian cuisine. Groups of more than 4 people dine at the Japanese-style dining room, where chairs can be provided upon advance request.
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Last update on 19 Dec 2018 by Guest
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Added by Meggie and Ben on 28 Apr 2014
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10 Reviews
First Review by Meggie and Ben
CA89SS
Points +2138
Incredible experience - Edit
We splurged on our honeymoon and booked into Ekoin for 2 nights. It was one of the standout moments from our trip in Japan. We hired a car from Kyoto rather than lug all of our stuff via bus. The food, room (superior with bathroom), meditation and fire ceremony have all been exceptional to be a part of. I thought it wouldn’t sit well having western lunch style dishes for breakfast but we adapted easily! The monks are all so kind and generous with their time and knowledge. The baths allow tattoos and even though we didn’t get around to using them, it’s good to know! I’m not sure what all of the dishes were but check out the images - W O W!
Read moreGuest
kylijshaw
Points +598
Relaxing experience - Edit
Food was really simple, light and tasty. I felt like it was a welcome break from the more indulgent food I’d been enjoying on our trip.
Read moreThe presentation was lovely and enjoying it in our room just added to the experience of relaxation.
Guest
mysticsonic
Points +795
It's about the whole experience - Edit
Just a heads up: the cookies given when you arrive contain honey!!!
Read moreDinner was beautiful, with the standout being the Mushroom broth with noodles.
If you are planning a trip to Koyasan, I would recommend bringing snacks with you, as the meals are of course relatively light, especially breakfast. Sorry if that makes me sound like a gluttonous animal; dinner was wholesome and filling, but after a day of exploring on a light breakfast, I did find my mind wandering toward food fairly early on. There are restaurant options in town, but we didn't have time to visit them sadly.
It's hard to review Ekoin based on the food only, as it feels like this lodging was part of the entire Koyasan experience.
Guest
NirvanaRoseWilliams
Points +4718
Must visit - Edit
We went in winter, it was so beautiful and peaceful. The accommodation was warm and traditional but homely. The monks are so welcoming. The food was amazing. This place was a huge highlight of my trip to Japan.
Read morePros: Understand vegan , Traditional accommodation , Peaceful vibe
Guest
Hellokelsey
Points +186
Fresh and diverse traditional meals - Edit
We loved our stay here in Koyasan. The facilities, food and service were second to none. The staff were so lovely and explained various parts of the experience to us, including that all the food is vegan. We loved feeling included in all their practices and then having our freshly prepared meals waiting for us in the room. Food was a great way to experience the more traditional culture of Japan as well, and we loved the variety.
Read morePros: Completely vegan food, Excellent service, Diversity of food
Cons: Pricey but stay included food and good facilities
Guest
Nancy Cadet
Points +950
Beautiful , peaceful , delicious temple lodging - Edit
On our second trip to Koyasan we reserved two nights in Eiko-in ; it’s tranquil, with all the natural beauty and architectural details you might expect from a temple lodging, but also has modern facilities and is well-organized. Eiko-in is well worth the charge per person/per night (and shukubo in Koyasan are pricey; this is on the moderate end of the scale).
Read moreWe had a lovely tatami room in a quiet corner of the inn, overlooking a garden. There are sitting areas with views throughout the complex, a Japanese bath, morning and afternoon temple services open to the guests, and vegan dinner and breakfast served in the room. The menus were different each day, and complimentary tea and sweets are delivered to the room, with a fine espresso maker, a water cooler and hot water dispenser in the main entrance.
Staff were helpful, courteous and friendly. All in all, a wonderful & memorable stay. Our visit was in late November and all areas, including the meditation hall and main temple , were well heated, and guests were provided with yukata, thick cotton jackets, slippers, toothbrushes , etc.
Pros: Peaceful, Vegan cuisine , Thoughtful and considerate service
Guest
yann.shukor
Points +52
Good experience - Edit
Reserved following a recommendation from friends. On the expensive end of the spectrum.
Read moreNice well maintained venue : this temple is basically a well run business.
An LTE tower mast in one corner and numerous guest rooms allow this temple to thrive financially and to amply cover its maintenance costs.
The food is what you would expect to be served as a tourist: nice but nothing exceptional
It was pleasant to have our own private dining room though
The communal baths are a little on the small side, but clean and adequate
The room was also fine but lacked air conditioning
They organize a half hour mediation session at 4.30pm and the morning prayer and fire ceremony, at 6h30 and 7h respectively, which added up to provide a nice experience overall
The staff are either smiling too much or not at all; I guess that monks are not really your average catering staff. The footwear regulations are a little tedious and lack a degree of flexibility
Updated from previous review on 2019-08-02
Pros: traditional setting
Cons: footwear, quality of the food, price
Guest
Magic Jenny
Points +69
Not only nice temple stay but also great food - Edit
Really enjoyed it here during Sakura time in 2015. The food the monks served was fresh, tasty, delicious. And the overnight stay was more or less included, if you want to see it that way!
Read morePros: Dinner & Breakfast incl. in room price
Cons: Nothing to do with the food but:, Mediation offering had been cancelled.
Guest
eatinggreen
Points +608
One of the better options in Koyasan - Edit
We didn't stay here but enjoyed a nice lunch spread overlooking a tiny leafy garden. The monks were more personable and chatty than most, which really does make all the difference. Compared to where we stayed (Fukuchiin), the environment was very simple and rustic, but considering the food at Fukuchiin is not pure vegan (like many Koyasan temples they use fish broth in their cooking and sweets they gave us contained eggs), Eikoin is definitely more suitable for veg'n travelers. The lunch we enjoyed was lovely.. not quite up to the standard of Kyoto or Tokyo shojin cooking, but good all the same.
Read moreWe had a good conversation with one of the monks at Ekoin who told us that actually it is quite rare in Koyasan to find a temple kitchen that is purely vegan as most do use fish broth. Good to know if you're thinking of a trip - make sure you book a temple whose food you can trust.
Pros: friendly monks, purely vegan (NOT a given in Koyasan)
Guest
Meggie and Ben
Points +1786
Amazing! - Edit
My husband and I stayed at Ekoin for one night in April 2014 and it was a fantastic experience. Ekoin an amazing old monastery retrofitted with all modern amenities, including tvs in the rooms and wifi. The rooms are beautiful and have original hand-painted screens. The rooms have windows looking out into the beautiful forest of Koyasan or the interior garden of Ekoin. Just walking around the inside of the monastery was beautiful.
Read moreThe monks were accommodating and we especially loved the night tour of Okunoin (the largest cemetery in Japan), which is just a few steps from the front gate of Ekoin. During the tour, monks taught us about Shingon Esoteric Buddhism and Kobo Daishi, the founder of Shingon Buddhism.
The monastery has indoor baths (onsen) for men and women and they were very nice and the water was hot. It was great to soak after a day of travel!
Ekoin is on the main street in Koyasan and you can walk to any of the sights from it. It's also just a few steps from the bus stop for the bus to take you to the cable car to get down the mountain, so it's easy to get your luggage there.
Oh, and the food was fantastic! The monks cook and serve shōjin ryōri to you in your room. Shōjin ryōri is traditional vegetarian Buddhist cuisine based on the Dharmic concept of ahimsa (non-violence). It prohibits the use of meat, fish, onion, leek garlic, and other root vegetables in cooking and is focused around seasonal fruits and vegetables. The idea behind shōjin ryōri is that it will put you in the best frame of mind to understand Buddha’s teachings. Though it's they call it traditional vegetarian cuisine the monks told us it was actually vegan since no dairy products or eggs are used. Yay!
We were served dinner and breakfast in our room and the food was great. It's a bit different for a Western palate but it's an awesome experience and you get to try lots of interesting vegetables and flavor combinations.
I highly recommend Ekoin!
Pros: Great location, Great food, Beautiful rooms
Cons: Shared bathrooms
Guest
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