• Zen Meditation Retreat Japan • Japanese Culture Homestay • Japanese Cooking Lessons • Buddhist Life & Community •

¥14,000 per night, per guest
includes meals, morning zazen, and most on-site activities.

Find your Zen.

A unique homestay experience offering a kind and gentle introduction to Zen meditation and the Zen Buddhist lifestyle awaits you in the peaceful village of Hiji, only 10 minutes away from the famous tourist center and hot spring capital of Japan, the city of Beppu.

Zen Buddhist monk Yodo Kono and his family welcome you into their daily life: morning zazen at the temple, cooking and eating together, cleaning, and conversation. This is a small family homestay, not a hotel or resort, and with a maximum of nine guests at a time, it stays personal and intimate.

Delicious home cooked Japanese meals are prepared with your participation and with consideration of your dietary needs and preferences. Vegetarian options are available.

A wonderful place to rest and regenerate, participate in the local Zen temple community, and experience Japanese Zen lifestyle, Beppu Zen Retreat provides an authentic Zen experience with a personal and compassionate touch.

• Personal hosting by a Zen monk and his family

• Flexible dates: choose your own dates of stay

• Minimum stay of 5 nights

• On-site activities and local attractions

• A small, personal retreat, with a maximum of 9 guests at a time

• Solo travellers welcome

• Private bedrooms: we never ask strangers to share

• Open year-round

See what our guests say in our reviews.

GyaTeiJi Zen Temple

GyaTeiJi was first established in 1346 and has now been held by the Kono family for three generations. The temple is only a 30-second walk from the house where you will stay, and is where you will practice meditation each morning, and where a variety of other retreat activities are held. GyaTeiJi is also a busy community centre for the local area, giving you the opportunity to see how a real Zen temple operates, and to meet the local temple community. Calligraphy, tea ceremony, traditional kimono dressing, and group meditations are just a few of the regular activities here.

The Guesthouse
You’ll stay in one of our two guesthouses, traditional Japanese homes with modern amenities, only a 30-second walk from GyaTeiJi temple, with the ocean visible in the south and the mountains rising in the north. Located in the quiet mountainside neighbourhood of Toyoka, part of the town of Hiji, these idyllic surroundings are perfect for rest and relaxation; but only a few minutes from the shopping, restaurants, and tourist attractions of nearby Beppu. The houses feature traditional Japanese decor with wood and tatami interiors. Some guest rooms are simple tatami rooms with traditional futon bedding, and others have Western-style beds. Hosting a maximum of nine guests at a time, the retreat provides a feeling of community, connection, and shared experience among guests and direct, personal interactions with your hosts.

Staff

Experience warm and personal Japanese hospitality with the Kono family.

• Yodo Kono, Rinzai Zen monk and former high school physics teacher, is your guide to zazen (Zen meditation) and the Zen way of life. Yodo has been training as a Zen monk since 2008 and is the third generation of his family to look after GyaTeiJi temple.

• Keiko, Yodo's wife, is a calligraphy master who has studied formal calligraphy since childhood. She is also highly skilled in tea ceremony, takes part in many of the retreat's activities, and often helps with meal preparation.

• Yodo's mother is a tea ceremony teacher with more than 50 years of experience.

• Kazuko Katsuyama teaches kimono dressing and tea ceremony to guests, with more than 40 years of experience.

• Other teachers and local people are an important part of temple life. GyaTeiJi hosts a variety of classes and events, and you are welcome to take part.

• Pierre Black, your online coordinator, handles bookings and your questions before you arrive.

Guests

Everyone is welcome. We host people from all over the world and do our best to accommodate everyone. If you have specific concerns or questions, just ask, or read our detailed Questions page.

This retreat is a good fit if you:

• want an immersive experience of Japanese culture and the Zen way of life

• want to eat, and learn to cook, delicious Japanese food (vegetarian options are available)

• want real rest and relaxation with a gentle Zen practice

• want to begin or deepen a personal meditation practice

• need to rest and reset after stress or a big life change

• want a warm and friendly homestay

• want to share daily life with a Zen temple family, and use free afternoons and weekends to explore Beppu's hot springs and the surrounding region

• are visiting Japan for the first time and want a well-rounded, guided, and affordable cultural experience

• are a beginner or intermediate meditator

See what people are saying about Beppu Zen Retreat - check out our guest REVIEWS here.