One of our more unique opportunities in Japan included staying overnight at a monastery at the top of Mount Kōya.

The experience was remarkable. The stillness and gardens are what I remember vividly. 

Shobuko Temple Lodgings is a Monastery operated by Buddhist monks, who practice a form of Esoteric Buddhism called Shingon Buddhism.

The monks performed many rituals, some of which we were able to observe. 

The most unanticipated part was the Japanese public bath. These were the only showers and there were designated times for sexes. Traditional japanese culture forbids taking clothes in the shower. The procedure is to sit on a stool and shower and then relax in the large heated pool with all the other shower users. 

I would have never guessed I would end up in a nude public bath with a bunch of old Japanese men. It was quite the experience.

Pictures From Our Stay

@curiouser posing on the stairs. 

Inside The Temple Lodging

Our simple bedroom. I actually loved our little rice pillows. Very hard but still comfortable. 

Eating at the Monastery

The food was very simple at the Monastery. The monks practically only ate rice and tofu. 

We were given a few additions like tempura vegitables but the main course of all meals was rice and tofu.

A Late Night Walk

 Konpon Daitō (根本大塔 aka Great Fundamental Pagoda) is a 50m tall two tiered pagoda in the central temple complex. It is the largest building in Koyasan. View more pictures of this pagoda in this Steemit post.

I do not follow Buddhism, but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of staying at the Shobuko Monastery.  I felt truly immersed in the Japanese culture. 

Michelle and I took a month to travel across Japan and China this past May. It was epic! Follow me @slickwilly and Michelle @curiouser for posts about our adventures!  

 Hi there, I’m Will.  First and foremost I am an entrepreneur and voluntaryist.  I aspire to help build a more free world, one that we all want to live in.  Some of my biggest passions include cryptocurrencies, marketing, finance, cannabis, traveling, bodybuilding, snowboarding, motorcycles, and Subarus.  All pictures are my own, taken with a GS7 Edge or GoPro Hero 4. I release everything under CC0 unless otherwise stated.

My website: williamjohnsonlong.com