The Shokubo is a unique experience! We all enjoyed our stay. The rooms are not large but clean, great sleep on futons. The monks and the staffs were all kind and very welcoming. Though we have booked rooms from two booking sites, they kindly arranged all of our 4 rooms in the same quarter, next to each other and we felt very private. Thank you so much. The Shojin Ryori vegetarian dinner and the breakfast were superb! They were perfectly crafted in a special traditional manner and all were delicious, served in a calm and cozy temple dining room. One of us joined the morning prayers and got to meet the abbott who also shared the history of Soji-in. They had an English interpreter for foreigners joining the session. The shared bathrooms were nice, clean and quiet at night, with facilities similar to a basic Japanese onsens, just that the water is not the natural mineral water. The location is very nice, quiet yet almost at the Center of the town in-between Kongobuji temple and Danjo Garan. In all, a lovely and special temple lodging we all very much enjoyed.

We booked rooms from this site and also the other as we are a larger group and required many rooms. The explaination on booking.com was very clear that there is a private toilet in the room but the bathroom needs to be shared. But the other site offered another type of room signifying a private bathroom, more expensive, and was not clear on the sharing bath. We expected an in-room bathroom as with a bath & toilet also with the higher priced rooms in the other website, but no, the same rooms with different names. However, their shared bath rooms were nice, onsen- like, quiet and near all our rooms. The only bit inconvenience was they only open for use only pm, around until 10 pm and close in the morning.

This is not a hotel, but a temple where we were guests, not customers. So a usual rating would not be the correct thing to do, as it is up to us to adjust to what the place offers. Do not book it if you are not on board with the prerequisites the temple sets. With that being said, we were surprised by the level of comfort that was offered! We were greeted by English-speaking staff and welcomed with soup and cookies before being led to our room. We stayed in a family room, that was announced to be without a bathroom- but it surprisingly had a private toilet and a large washing area. All amenities were offered- a Yukata robe, slippers, toiletries and toothbrushes. The room was huge and the futon beds were comfortable. We used the public bath, which was wonderfully hot and relaxing. The dinner and breakfast were excellent. It was possible to buy soft drinks and alcoholic drinks for dinner. The location of the temple in Koyasan could not be better, the most important sights are within a short walk. It is such a beautiful place, with a beautiful stone garden. I highly recommend to attend the morning ceremony.

The rooms are thin-walled, so make sure to be quiet after 22:00 as the house rules suggest, to not disturb other guests.

Exceptional experience - we've thoroughly prepared for the trip and knew what to expect from temple lodging, being ready to manage our expectations, however it wasn't necessary as the accommodation provided excellent service! Starting from an amazing michelin-level dinner, relaxing experience in a well-maintained and completely empty (at 20:00) onsen, cozy and warm room equipped with toiletries, and finishing with a morning prayer where an english-speaking (!) monk (sorry, completely forgot the name, but i believe it was Patrick?) provided translation for a conversation with the head monk. Cherry on top - unlike all other temples, in Sojiin they didn't remove our futons during breakfast, so we had plenty of time to nap before check-out. It just feels like they have taken into account all the feedback provided by the guests and responded to their needs!

What an amazing experience! The shrine is just beautiful. The room was very clean, large and has everything needed, including a small Japanese garden. The dinner and breakfast surprised us with the number of foods and the variety of tastes. We joined the morning ceremony that was such a unique experience. The shrine also has a big and beautiful Japanese garden that is very fun for a morning walk.

When we stayed there the shrine had some construction works, so the entrance was not as seen in the pictures but it absolutely had no influence on our great experience.

- Wonderful place. Very beautiful, peaceful and quite special - amazing food. Yes it is all vegan and I am not, but they certainly know how to cook their vegetables and tofu in many different and creative ways. One of the two dinners was a solid 10/10 for us - sweet welcoming tea reception

- the beds and pillows are uncomfortable. I know it comes with the cultural experience, but our backs had problems both nights. It would be nice to have extra support for the bed and softer pillows. Would be nice to be able to make the room dark or offer something to cover the eyes so we do not immediately wake up with sunrise - the staff was polite, but it did not feel welcoming ( of course with some exceptions). It would have been also nice for them to give us a little introduction of the significance and history of the place where we were.

Everything was lovely. It was a very peaceful way for us to finish our trip to Japan. I loved to baths, it was excellent. Recommend everyone walk around the rear landscaped gardens.

We went to morning prayers ( 6am ), then breakfast. By the time we got back to the room ( about 8 am ) it had been packed up. Bedding was gone!! and we wanted to have a little nap before checking out. So we dragged some bedding out of the cupboard... so a message to the monks, we visitors sometimes like a little more napping time. Sometimes our body clocks in a different time zone!

We spent three nights in Koyasan, a quiet place with lots to do. Very nice room with a view of the garden. Delicious vegetarian breakfast and dinner. Nice public onsen. Garden ok but not extremely well kept. However, they have a very dynamic pricing system and we ended up paying 70% more than the base rate as our room was apparently the only one available that week at the time of booking. If you can book at the base price, I think you get very good value for money (and I would have given a rating of 10/10), but the standard was not up to the price we paid.

Staying in a working temple is a wonderful experience that we will always cherish. The room was comfortable, the surrounds were beautiful. The meals were prepared and presented in a way that reflects thoughtful and creative use of vegetarian principles - we were able to savour this wonderful experience also as truly special. From Sojiin, we were also able to take in the surrounds of Koyasan. We loved the quiet and serene pilgrim trail.

Everything was in-keeping with a unique accommodation experience. We were ready to accept and respect the differences that come outside of hotel accommodation.

Truly wonderful experience. The room was spacious and very comfortable, making it easy to rest and recharge. The temple has a peaceful, calming atmosphere that invites quiet reflection. The meals were beautifully presented and surprisingly delicious—simple, balanced, and clearly prepared with care. The morning service was especially memorable: uplifting and gently moving, it added a meaningful layer to the stay. The staff were exceptionally kind and helpful throughout my visit, which made the experience even more special. I’m grateful for their hospitality and would gladly return.

Everything. From location, to welcome, to room, to comfort - the food, the staff, the Yakutas, the BABY Yakuta, the bath - everything felt special, wonderful and thought through. :) we had such a lovely time there. Our toddler son was special spicy during our stay and the staff treated us so graciously and wonderful. We loved our stay at sojiin and recommend it full heartedly.

The fact we couldn’t stay there a whole week. (Because we didn’t plan for it).