[gong banging]
[drumming, chanting]
-Travelers in Japan have many options
when it comes to where to stay.
If you're in Tokyo, hotels, Airbnbs,
and capsule hotels are the most popular.
But for an off-the-beaten-path experience,
make a reservation for a temple stay.
Once an accommodation option for religious Japanese travelers,
shukubos, or Buddhist temples where you can sleep,
are becoming more accessible for foreigners.
Last year, the Terahaku project launched
to promote temple stays across Japan.
Over the next three years,
the project hopes to expand to 1,000 temples.
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Temple stays often include vegetarian meals
to accommodate the diet of Buddhist monks.
♪♪
Guests can also experience activities like meditation,
prayer ceremonies, yoga, and copying Buddhist scriptures.
[men chanting]
Temple stays offer travelers a look at life outside of cities.
They can be in beautiful natural settings.
You'll leave with a sense of calm.
Kakurinbo is a shukubo in Minobusan, Japan,
near Mount Fuji.
The Buddhist temple is 550 years old.
Guests of Kakurinbo are driven up to the nearby temple
to watch morning prayer services.
If you miss the monk's bell ringing in the morning,
visit later in the day for a second ringing
that signals the afternoon service.
[gong banging]
Back at Kakurinbo, there's a lot to do in between prayers.
Because Kakurinbo is in Japanese wine country,
the communal soaking bath is pink
thanks to its essence of wine.
After soaking,
guests can rest in their tatami mat rooms before dinner.
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They can also try on Kakurinbo's luxurious wedding kimonos
for a photo shoot.
The kimonos were donated from their designer
and can cost up to $30,000.
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Wow.
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-Okay.
-Thank you very much.
Owner Junko-san is passionate about cooking for her guests.
♪♪
Since the region is famous for yuba tofu,
an essential part of the Buddhist vegetarian diet,
Junko-san finds ways to incorporate it in new ways
for her guests.
♪♪
For travelers not staying at Kakurinbo,
you can book a lunch and kimono experience on Airbnb
to get a mini temple-stay experience.
♪♪
Temple stays are becoming more accessible for travelers
thanks to new English-language websites
and offering online booking options.
♪♪