Spiritual Retreats Near Tokyo

Morning meditations at Kourin temple (Tokyo)

A stone's throw from Shibuya, the Kourin temple, has taught Zen since 1668. Affiliated with the Rinzai School of Buddhism, the temple offers several meditation sessions every morning.

Divided into two parts, 25 minutes each, these sessions (which start at 7:00 am sharp!) Will familiarize you with zazen, the seated meditation that Buddha himself would have adopted. The explanations are then in Japanese and English, and everyone is welcome, whether you are a beginner or a confirmed practitioner.

Note that the monks also give lessons in Shakyo (hand-copying of sutras) and Shabutsu (the practice of copying Buddha's image by hand), every day from Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 12:00.

• Read also: Zen temples of Kyoto

FURTHER INFORMATION
Address: 5-1-21 Hiroo Shibuya-ku, 150-0012 Tokyo
Registration: not necessary
Itinerary: 3 minutes walk from Hiroo station (Hibiya line)

• Read also: Zen temples of Kamakura

FURTHER INFORMATION
Address: 409, Yamanouchi, 247-0247 Kamakura
Registration: not necessary
Price: 300 yen (US $2.78)
Directions: 5 minutes walk from Kita-Kamakura station (Yokosuka line)

If you are advanced in the learning of zazen, note that a special 2.5 hour session is organized every first Sunday of the month. Starting at 6:30 a.m, the latter is even followed by a traditional breakfast, to reward the students for their hard work.

FURTHER INFORMATION
Address: 7 Chome-12-22 Kinuta, Setagaya-ku, 157-0073 Tokyo
Registration: not necessary
Price: 400 yen (US $3.71)
Directions: 10 minutes walk from Soshigaya-Okura station (Odakyu line)

A one week retreat at Narita-san Shinshoji temple (Narita)

If you are looking for total immersion, the spiritual retreats of Narita-san Shinshoji temple may interest you. Ranging from 3 days and 2 nights, to 7 days and 6 nights, these long stays are ideal for discovering Zen in its purest state.

In the program? Zazen and Shakyo will be there in a calm and peaceful setting, where no phone or exit will be allowed. The temple rules are very strict. A medical check-up is requested before the start of the retreat, and people suffering from chronic illnesses who require daily medication will unfortunately not be able to participate.

FURTHER INFORMATION
Address: Narita-san Shinshoji Temple, Chiba prefecture Narita-shi, Narita 1
Registration: go to the temple to contact the registration service (the medical examination will be done in a designated hospital).
Price: 5,000 yen (US $46.48) for a stay of 3 days and 2 nights, and 1000 yen (US $9.29) extra per day
Itinerary: 8 minutes on foot from Narita station (Narita, Narita Express lines)

• Read also: Zen, a school of Japanese Buddhism

Five days of intensive course at Toshoji International Zen Center (Tokyo)

Twice a year, the Toshoji International Zen Center welcomes foreign visitors for five intensive days of Zen practice.

Responding to the principle of Sesshin ("touching the heart-mind"), the courses are not only about meditation. Spiritual walks, readings and shakyo, here the students exercise in "full awareness" of each of their activities from 04:00 to 21:00. Therefore they fully embrace their spiritual side since the goal is above all to reconnect with oneself, in its most complete form.

FURTHER INFORMATION
Address: 4 Chome-5-18 Yutakacho, Shinagawa, 142-0042Tokyo
Registration: send your request in English or Japanese by email (official temple website)
Price: 3,000 yen (US $27.89) per day, possible retirements in April and December.
Itinerary: 10 minutes walk from Nishi-Oi station (Yokosuka line)

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