Kōya San

After Danjo Garan, we headed back to Jokiin. Arriving back at Jokiin, we saw two monks chanting on a balcony next to the reception area. This was oddly reminiscent of my stay at a convent in Ruteng, Indonesia where I returned after a day of sightseeing to the sound of singing nuns.

Shokubo lodging includes dinner. At Jokiin, all meals are shojin ryori (Buddhist vegan, no onions and garlic), supposedly prepared by the monks. When reserving the room, I was given a choice of a one-, two-, or three-tray meal. I chose the two-tray meal and hoped it would be enough.

Our meal was served to us in our room by a guy I suspected wasn't actually a monk, as his head wasn't shaved (he wore a head covering, though) and he wasn't present at the prayer ceremony the next morning. I was pleased when he didn't offer us alcohol; I'd read about guests at other lodgings being offered alcohol with their meals, and I thought that was odd for a Buddhist vegan meal. The meal was beautifully presented, delicious, and very filling. I suspect many meat eaters would willingly give up meat if they could eat like this every day. We sat on cushions on the tatami mat floor to eat our meal.

After dinner, a monk came and set up our mattresses on the floor. We chilled a little, then went to the on site onsen. Public bathing is the only option at many of the lodgings. Jokiin did have one shower room, but it was only available for use in the morning.

After a comfortable sleep, we woke up early and got ready for the 6am morning prayer ceremony. It was cold and there was frost on the vegetation. We went into a beautiful, lantern-lined room and sat in silence as the head priest and four monks chanted for about 30 minutes. Halfway while the chanting was going on, one monk distributed information sheets inviting guests to come up to the altar and offer incense. The sheets also gave instructions on how to do it.

After the chanting was done, the priest, who introduced himself as Kato, gave us a short history in English of Koyasan and Jokiin, told us about Shingon Buddhism, and explained the features of the altar. He then guided us on a walk around the altar. I only had my iPhone with me; I took a few pictures, but I wanted better quality shots, so I went back to my room to grab my camera only to find the prayer room door shut when I returned.

Our next activity was breakfast in a communal room. There were about 20 guests in all. While we were eating, our bedding was cleared from our rooms. The message was unspoken but clear - they didn't want us hanging around before check in time and after breakfast. Part of me couldn't help but wonder if the temples opened themselves to travelers out of economic necessity. I also wondered whether, with only five monks (that I was aware of) on site, they had enough resources to prepare the meals themselves, or if the meals were catered. I also wondered how having to cater to guests impacted their daily routines and religious activities, and what their routines would be if they didn’t operate a lodging.

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