Daienin

Staying in a temple was a first for me and didn't really know what to expect. But the check in experience was very smooth and I had a wonderful sleep. Dinner is served strictly at 1730 so make sure you're settled in by then and you have the chance to attend the morning prayers which start at 0630 and after which breakfast is served at 0730. Both dinner and breakfast had lots of varieties and enough to fill your stomach. And you have to remember that it's an operational temple so the monks have the temple to run so don't expect too much from them during the stay. Highly recommend it.

Great temple—clean, spacious, traditional. Location is nice too. I tried to call on a few occasions to make sure my reservation was confirmed, and they hung up on me both times (language barrier). I had one of my friends call instead (she speaks Japanese) and we got what we needed. Experience likely to do with a language barrier, which is understandable.

Enjoyed our retreat. Felt welcomed, room was clean and well-sized, and the onsen was great. Went to morning prayer. Would have loved an opportunity to ask questions about the monks' practices. But questions weren't invited. Breakfast was adequate. We paid separately for dinners and were surprised at the cost. So ask first because you won't pay until checkout.

Expensive for what you get. The toilet stall was so small that I could not sit on the toilet with the stall door closed (5'9" female). The monks we dealt with were fine, and the morning prayer service was interesting, but the futon mattresses were very thin. Great location. We didn't book the dinner option, but beware that there are no restaurants open in the town in the evening...we ended up buying food at the FamilyMart and picnicking in our room.

Daienin is an exceptional value, with good location near the cemetery and delicious meals. But if you have an allergic sensitivity to mildew, beware of the rooms in the back section of the inn. The mildew smell is apparent in the hallways and the men's room. They tried to mask it in my room, but within an hour my eyes were itching. I didn't smell mildew in the front half of the inn or the upstairs dining room, so confirm the location of your room after reserving.