The overall rating for this accommodation is 4.0. The ratings for dinner (no meal) are as follows: Overall 4.0, Food/Taste - , Service 3.5, Atmosphere 4.0, Value for Money 4.0, Drinks - Our first night of the "Kyoto Railway Related Travel" trip was spent here. We were intrigued by the idea of staying at the temple lodging of the famous temple "Chisan-in". About two weeks ago, we made a reservation through the travel company's website for the "One-night stay with breakfast plan including morning service and tasting the traditional Nezumi soup at Chisan-in; Western-style room; 1 night with breakfast included; 2 people per room; 9,600 yen per person (tax and service charge included; Kyoto city accommodation tax of 200 yen extra)". We checked in around 5:55 PM on a Sunday and checked out around 8:50 AM on a weekday. The accommodation is located to the east of Kyoto Station, within the grounds of "Chisan-in". If you are heading from Kyoto Station, the city buses (86, 88, 100, 106, 110, 206, 208 routes) are convenient. You can get off at Higashiyama Shichijo bus stop and walk about 3 minutes. Although we didn't use it, there is a parking lot in front of the accommodation building and at the back on the left side (east side). The building is a three-story long structure with a traditional Japanese calm exterior. It looks new and clean, more like a high-class ryokan... it didn't feel like a temple lodging at all. The interior also had a calming Japanese atmosphere. It was a spacious layout. The first floor has the front desk, lobby, shop, dining room "Chisan-in Tea House Kikyo", large hall, and large communal bath, while the 2nd and 3rd floors are guest rooms. The staff at the front desk were dressed in traditional robes and were very polite. There were about 6-7 other guests besides us on that day, including middle-aged couples, groups of two middle-aged women, and solo middle-aged men and women. [Guest Room] We were assigned to a Western-style room on the 3rd floor. It had a separate bathroom, shower toilet, and washbasin. It was quiet, clean, and had a sense of cleanliness, with enough space for two people. It was very comfortable. It had two large beds, a desk, one chair, air conditioning, TV, empty refrigerator, electric kettle, etc. There were outlets and USB ports next to the bed, which was convenient. They also provided two complimentary bottles of mineral water along with original tea sweets, which was nice. From the window, we could see the main hall of "Chisan-in" and the city of Kyoto. [Bath] As mentioned earlier, there are separate communal baths for men and women on the 1st floor (indoor baths only). The bathing hours were from 3 PM to 11 PM. The men's bath was spacious, with a large bathtub that could accommodate about 10 people at the same time. There were also many shower stalls. Although it wasn't a hot spring, it was refreshing to soak and relax. I wish I could have also bathed in the morning. [Breakfast] We had breakfast in the dining room "Chisan-in Tea House Kikyo" on the 1st floor, along with other guests. It had a bright and casual atmosphere. There were six 4-person tables and one 8-person table (shared seating). Our meal time was from 8:05 AM to 8:25 AM. They offer both Japanese and Shojin (Buddhist vegetarian) cuisine (both set meals), and you are asked to choose one when making a reservation. We both chose the Shojin cuisine. It consisted of grilled thick fried tofu with sesame sauce, simmered Koya tofu and fish cake, stir-fried hijiki seaweed, tofu with sauce, pickles (takuan and chopped suguki pickles), Nezumi soup, and rice. It was quite a generous meal. The Shojin cuisine was light but flavorful, with a rich dashi broth, and we didn't feel like it was lacking in quantity. We could really taste the flavor of the ingredients. It went well with the rice... we even asked for seconds. The "Nezumi soup" is a soup passed down from Chisan-in, with daikon radish, carrot, burdock root, and azuki beans. It had a gentle flavor and was delicious. [Morning Service] Guests can participate in the "Morning Service Visit" and the subsequent "Guided Tour of the Temple Grounds with a Monk" (free of charge).

The breakfast here is a valuable guided tour where you can see the morning prayers at the main temple of the Shingon sect Chisan sect. Young monks in black robes who seemed to be apprentices were chanting sutras diligently. The guided tour also includes national treasures and designated scenic gardens, with breakfast as the final stop. The Shojin cuisine is healthy, but I was surprised that it was more luxurious than I had imagined. I recommend participating in the early morning tour without feeling obligated, as it is a unique experience that cannot be had elsewhere. Highly recommended.

I stayed with 2 meals included. The food was delicious.