Book Your Stay


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

  • Personal hosting by a Zen monk and his family

  • Choose your own dates of stay

  • Minimum stay of 5 nights

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

  • Solo travellers welcome

  • Private bedrooms / shared bathrooms

  • Open year-round

See what our guests say in our reviews.

Before You Book

Beppu Zen Retreat is a small family homestay, not a hotel. Please take a moment to read these essentials:

  • Best arrival time: 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM.

  • Other check-in times: 8:00 to 9:30 AM, or 1:00 to 9:00 PM. No check-ins outside these hours.

  • Please confirm your arrival time: always let us know in advance, and please don’t arrive unannounced.

  • Pickup: normally available from Bungo-Toyooka Station and the Hiji bus stop.

  • Arriving at Fukuoka Airport around 4:00 PM or later? We recommend a night in Fukuoka or Beppu first.

Full travel and arrival details are on Getting Here. To understand the spirit of the retreat, please read In Yodo’s Words.

Book Your Stay in 2 Steps

Step 1: Ask about your dates

Email us at BeppuZenRetreat@gmail.com with:

  • number of guests

  • preferred check-in date

  • preferred check-out date

  • total number of nights

We'll confirm availability and hold your dates for 24 hours. If you need a little longer to arrange travel, just ask.

No reply within 24 hours? Please check your spam folder, or try pierre@pierreblack.com.

Step 2: Confirm your stay

Once we've confirmed your dates, pay your 10% deposit and complete the guest registration form using the button below. See the Payment Chart for the exact deposit for your length of stay, and be sure to select the correct number of nights at checkout.

Confirm Your Stay

Things to Know

  • Rates are per guest, not per room. There's no reduction for sharing a room. (Why?)

  • Minimum stay: 5 nights. If you have the time, we recommend 10 days or longer.

  • Deposit: 10% of the total, paid when you book. Deposits are non-refundable (see below).

  • Balance: paid in cash (Japanese yen) during your stay. Please don't pay it in advance.

  • Consumption tax: a 10% Japanese consumption tax is added to the balance. It is not added to your deposit.

  • Cultural activities such as tea ceremony, calligraphy, and kimono dressing have a suggested donation.

  • Outings: entrance fees, transport, meals out, and other personal expenses are your own.

For on-site details, see our Guest Orientation page. For other practical questions, see Questions.

Small wooden shrine with a stone Jizo statue and fresh flowers near the temple

Paying the Balance

Please pay the balance in cash, in Japanese yen, directly to the retreat at any time during your stay. Please don't pay it in advance. See the Payment Chart for exact amounts.

International ATMs at 7-Eleven and FamilyMart stores and post offices accept most foreign cards. If you need help getting to one, just ask.

Cancellations and Date Changes

Deposits are non-refundable.

If your plans change, we'll do our best to move your booking to new dates, free of charge, as long as the new dates are available and you let us know as early as possible. Deposits can also be transferred to another guest. We are as flexible as we can be, but we can't guarantee that your preferred new dates will be free.

  • Date changes made at short notice may involve an additional booking fee.

  • If you shorten your stay after booking, or during your stay, the deposit for the cancelled nights is not credited toward your balance.

  • Deposits are not refunded for failed visa applications.

Get the book Find Your Zen by our monk, Yodo Kono: