A night at Zenko-ji Temple 善光寺に泊まろう

For a few yen, you can sleep in the temple with pilgrims and other tourists. This is an opportunity to experience monastic life in one of Japan's most popular temples. Men and women, practitioners and non-practitioners are therefore welcomed , day after day, within the Zenko-ji temple .

Eat like a monk

The meals served, dinner and breakfast therefore, are exclusively vegetarian : Buddhism prohibits the consumption of meat. Called " shojin ryori ", you won't even find fish or animal substitutes in these dishes. It is rather tofu and konyaku (konjac in French) that are in the spotlight. The dishes are equivalent to those that can be served in a ryokan : your taste buds will be amazed! It goes without saying but no alcohol , not even sake, is available in the temple.

Sleep like a monk

Prepare to spend the night in a traditional monastic chamber, separated from the others by sliding paper walls, or shouji . Friends with fragile backs, beware: you will sleep with a futon , on a tatami . If you will have the right to a small gas heater and/or a kotatsu (a heated table) during the winter, also bring a sleeping bag and good sweaters , so as not to spend the night shivering. The bathrooms and toilets are common to all visitors, although not mixed. It will also be an opportunity to disconnect: no TV, or even Wi-Fi on the horizon! At Zenko-ji temple, there are only 39 shukubô available so don't forget to book.

pray like a monk

After this good night's sleep, you will then have the chance to take part in a ritual that has not changed for several centuries, and which takes place every day of the year, without fail . At around 6am (times change depending on sunrise time), the monks lead you into the main hall sanctuary, where the Buddha statue is kept. Along the way, monks belonging to the Jendai sect take part in a procession called “ o-juzu choudai ” (or rose garden procession), which also takes place every morning. The main priest, followed by the priestess, surrounded by other monks who protect them with red umbrellas, give their blessing all along the way to the kneeling visitors . Once arrived, the monks prepare for the oasaji , the morning prayer . The main monk has his back to you and chants the sutras, while making large gestures. Little by little, the other monks join him: impossible to resist the magic of the moment, the psalm resounding in the darkness and the serenity of the place. The monks of the Todo sect take over: you will have trouble seeing the difference because only the sutras change. Each ceremony lasts 30 minutes. Don't worry about what you should or shouldn't do, you will be completely taken care of from start to finish. Note that it is not mandatory to spend the night there to attend the oasaji .

Zenko-ji Temple therefore provides you with the perfect opportunity to discover whether monastic life is for you, or not! After a night on site, do not hesitate to continue your discovery of the Japanese Alps , between black runs and soba noodles.