Got to Koya and found 20cm of snow. The monk actually let me use his boots since i only had trainers. A tip: after the morning pray ..you will change location for the candle cerimony. Try to enter first in the room for the candle cerimony and sit on the right of the monk otherwise you might have find a... more

I chose Ekoin based largely on TripAdvisor reviews and was very pleased (so thank you, reviewers!). The public areas are lovely--lots of polished wood, serene alcoves for study or just enjoying the beautiful objects. My room was quite spacious, 8 tatami, with shoji-style doors to a balcony overlooking the central garden. I highly recommend the early morning temple service and... more

I'd read a lot about the various temple lodgings in Koya-san (Mt Koya), the final destination for Japanese pilgrims and one of the holiest places for Japanese Buddhists. Because of our aversion to cigarette smoke, we struggled to find a place to stay, but wanted to have 2 nights there because of the enormous travel distances and time (from Osaka,... more

A friend and I stayed in Ekoin temple earlier this year as part of a general trip through Wakayama, and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. Koya-san and the surrounding area is fascinating and a must see if you are interested in exploring Japan "off the beaten track". It is a bit difficult and time-consuming to get... more

We stayed two nights and enjoyed it very much. Everything was very clean and the food was great. We were able to make our reservations via email. We attended the evening silent meditation and also the morning meditation and fire ceremony which I highly recommend. The monks were very nice and helpful. We also attended an esoteric ritual. More information... more

I stayed at this temple a couple of weeks ago, and I was very pleased with the experience. The room was lovely; simple (as it should be), clean, spacious (for Japan anyway) and with a nice garden view. The food was beautifully presented, and I found it delicious. It might not be to everyone's taste, but we enjoyed it very... more

Coming to Koya-san is an experience I recommend highly and staying at a temple lodging is the only way to stay overnight in Koya-san. I have been twice and stayed both times at Ekoin. The rooms are simple, think nothing in it except a table, telephone, safe and TV, but have a wonderful view over the garden. It is beautifully... more

We stayed at the Ekoin one night in March 2008. I have to start by saying that the way the monks run the temple took a little getting used to. We arrived in the afternoon, and immediately were shown to our room by a young monk. The room itself was very clean and had a wonderful view of a garden,... more

I booked this temple through email without fuss. The only question asked was whether we wanted the bigger meal for a fee. We chose this option. We arrived at the temple on a cold day in December and were immediately shown to our rooms. There is a heater in the room, but we had problems with heaters in both rooms.... more