- Ubu-zan Inryoji Temple and Mokujiki Acupuncture Clinic
Ubu-zan Inryoji is a Soto Zen temple on a mountainside surrounded by nature in Nantan City. The temple, run by the monk Mr. Kuroda, is home to a “Smiling Buddha,” said to have been carved by Mokujiki Shonin, an itinerant monk of the Edo period. Mr. Kuroda came to live at the temple through a connection he made as a student. He believed that there he could help people smile through both acupuncture and Buddhism, so he began practicing as both an acupuncturist and a monk. Encouraged by the wish to bring joy to visitors, this young monk now welcomes guests to the temple.
Overnight Stay at a Forest Temple
Living the Rhythm
Nantan, Kyoto
Hidden among the forested hills of Nantan, this Soto Zen temple offers an opportunity to step away from the pace of daily life and enter a different rhythm for a night.
Guests take part in the natural flow of temple life, including morning rituals, seated meditation, quiet work, and time spent simply within the surroundings of the temple. Meditation is guided by the resident monk, who introduces a sitting posture designed for comfort and stability.
Surrounded by trees and shaped by the changing sounds of the forest, this overnight stay invites guests to experience the atmosphere of a living temple community and spend a day moving at a slower, more intentional pace.
- A Buddhist Monk and Acupuncturist
Mr. Kuroda is from Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture. He decided to become an acupuncturist after seeing how quickly acupuncture helped heal injuries he sustained during club activities. While he was at university, a teacher told him that he could live at Inryoji if he cared for the temple. This opportunity led him to become a monk and study Buddhism. In 2019, he spent about a year studying at Koshoji Temple, the first Soto Zen training monastery to be established. Alongside treating patients and serving as a monk, he leads zazen experiences, study sessions, and events on Eastern medicine. His aim is to make the temple a place where people gather.
- He says
“Eating and cleaning are part of daily life, but by giving our full attention to each ordinary activity, we may discover something new and see our lives afresh. I hope you will enjoy the luxury of simply sitting and doing nothing.”
- Ubu-zan Inryoji Temple
- Monk Kuroda
- Kuroda is a Soto Zen monk who runs Ubu-zan Inryoji Temple. In 2017, while managing the temple, he opened Mokujiki Acupuncture Clinic beside its main hall. As both a monk and an acupuncturist, he listens to the concerns of those who visit and organizes activities including zazen experiences and lectures on Eastern medicine, with the aim of making the temple a place where people gather.
Access
30 minutes by train and 10 minutes by taxi from Kyoto Station
The marker shows the approximate area.
The exact address will be provided when your reservation is confirmed.
Experiences
- Reserve
Full Overnight Zen Temple Stay with Dinner & Breakfast
33,000 JPY / personSpend 19 to 21 hours at a secluded Soto Zen temple in Nantan and experience the rhythm of monastic life under the guidance of a resident monk. Check in between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m., then take part in evening, early-morning, and morning zazen, samu temple work, and the morning service before checking out between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. the following day.
The stay includes temple lodging, yakuseki dinner, and a simple rice-porridge breakfast based on monastic meals. Your host, who is qualified in acupuncture and moxibustion, begins with stretches and offers practical instruction—including chair-based options—to help each guest find a stable meditation posture.
- Reserve
Short Overnight Zen Temple Stay with Breakfast
18,700 JPY / personSpend 13 to 14 hours at a secluded Soto Zen temple in Nantan with a resident monk who is also qualified in acupuncture and moxibustion. Check in between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m., take part in evening, early-morning, and morning zazen, samu temple work, and the morning service, then check out between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m.
The short plan includes temple lodging and a simple rice-porridge breakfast based on monastic meals; dinner is not included. Before zazen, the monk introduces stretches and adapts the sitting posture to each guest, including chair-based meditation when needed.
