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Our expectations from this stay were far exceeded in spite of our curiosity for our very first experience in a temple lodging. After a week in Tokyo, we quickly adapted to Japanese politeness, but here, in the Temple, we really felt as a part of a family. We felt kind of blessed in this magic place, not only with the Temple, but also in the surroundings: the magnificent garden and hundred-years-old cedar forests embracing this holy place. At the dawn, we were invited to a God's service to another Temple in proximity – Kuon-ji with Buddhist chants and prayers. The hosts of Kakurinbo prepared delicious dinners and breakfasts: they presented new and sometimes unusual meals for us. They were also very flexible with our changing plans and prepared yummy onigiri for our trip instead of breakfast. We were also offered some activities during our one week stay: copying sutra (calligraphy), morning prayers in Kuon-ji, morning yoga, excursion in a paper making manufactory, making Buddhist bead bracelet, tea ceremony, trying on wedding kimonos and kintsugi. There was a small festival of the Temple for guests which we enjoyed. The hosts also helped us a lot when picking us up at the train station in the evening when taxis were not available. The whole place of Minobu was calm and friendly with a few shops and Zencho café (run by the proprietors of the Temple lodging) offering delicious Japanese and European food. The Temple is a great starting point for short mountain hikes: you can take a cable car to the Minobu mountain and walk down through cedar forests full of ancient shrines. In a clear day, you can observe Mt.Fuji from the top of Mt.Minobu. The stay in the Kakurinbo Temple refreshed our body and soul. Even a month later, our experiences feel as if we were still there and we would be happy to return one day.

An unforgettable experience — the traditional food, stay, and bath were incredible. The monk and his wife were amazing hosts. He gave us a full tour of Kuonji Temple and invited us to attend the morning ceremony, where we felt truly included. Highly recommended — we would love to come back!

This was an outstanding experience. The chief priest and his family are amazing. The rooms are big and spacious, the food is very good. Minobu as an area is so beautiful, with large mountains covered with green cedartrees and nestled in between are all the important temples. The chief priest did an astounishing work in introducing us to the buddhist practices. The walk to the morning prayer, 04:45 in the morning is very very rewarding.

Great experience of Japanese onsen, delicious dinner and breakasft buffet, great outdoor onsen, traditional rooms, not crowded. Ice cresm for free, mochi making and happy hour with footbath included. Lots to enjoy!

A quiet and serene stay far away from the hustle and bustle. The view of mount fuji from the property was perfect. Rooms were all facing mount fuji and clean. Buffet dinner and breakfast were good with wide variety. There were some night time activities for guest like origami and simple games like uno and jenga could be borrowed. I could not ask for more and would love to visit again.

Helpful and passionate staff provided clear and detailed guidance, the great design of the resting lobby, the atmosphere of the shop and dining area

We didn't realize how remote the location was, but the staff went above and beyond to help us get to the festival. The facility is spotless, and the Olsen was amazing. We left early and didn't have breakfast, but dinner was delicious with a lot of variety.

Nice place, great host, a pity we only stayed 1 night

The house was spotlessly clean and the location was simply perfect. We stayed in a traditional Japanese style room with futon bedding, which was both comfortable and cozy it gave us the feeling of experiencing Japan like the locals do. The host was incredibly attentive throughout our stay, always making sure we had everything we needed. He even went out of his way to pick us up from Shin-Fuji Station and kindly drove us back when we checked out. Although the house has an amazing view of Mount Fuji, unfortunately the mountain was hidden by clouds during our visit. Still, the setting was so peaceful and beautiful that we didn’t feel we missed out. We rented bicycles and cycled to the Shiraito Falls, which was absolutely breathtaking. If you enjoy nature and want to spend some quiet time away from the crowds, I highly recommend renting a bike and exploring the area it was one of the highlights of our trip.