Koyasan: which temple has the best food?

Hi,

I'm headed to Japan in late Feb, and am planning to spend a day in Koyasan. The temples on top of my list right now are Ekoin, Shojoshin-in, and Muryoko-in.

Does anyone know:
1. Which of the above temples serve the best food?
2. Is there some other temple you would recommend above the three above?
3. Is a one-night stay sufficient to see Koyasan, or would it be too rushed?

Any other tips/advice are very welcome too. Thanks!

Hi - I stayed at Shojoshin-in last May. The food there was very nice, obviously vegetarian. But what sold it for me was the proximity of the temple to Oku-no-in - really easy to go there after dinner, best time in my view to see the place.

We used the Sanboin shukubo and the food was fabulous and it was well located in the area, I would certainly recommend this place. Here is the trip report I posted on Travelblog.org: http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Wakayama/Koyasan/blog-449415.html

Thanks! I'm definitely planning on seeing Okunoin in the evening, so proximity is also high on my list.

How far are Shojoshin-in and Eko-in from Okunoin? Is Eko-in significantly further from it than Shojoshin-in?

About Okunoin in the evening: I am a little worried about getting back to the temple after wandering about Okunoin. How long does it take to go all the way through and back, and does the area get very dark? Do the buses still run at night?

I don't remember where Eko-in was in relation to Oku-no-in but Shojoshin-in was really next door. Depending on which month you go there it might get dark too early if you first have dinner at the temple. We went mid-May. We had dinner first (17h00), then immediately went to Oku-no-in. It was starting to get dark and by the time we arrived to the Lantern Hall, it was fully dark. It is quite a long path and we met some people who were giving up because it was too dark (and they were getting spooked by flying squirrels) but the sight of the illuminated lantern hall made the walk so worthwhile. You can get there faster by the normal route but then would lose all the interest of visiting Oku-no-In at dusk.

What is considered the normal route?

I know you can either walk through the cemetery starting from Shojosho-in (which is what I'm planning to do), or take the road South of it and cut through a shorter section near some information centre.

I'll be going in late Feb, and plan to head towards okunoin after dinner. Would it help if I were to bring a small flashlight, or is that still risky?

How clear is the path from Shojoshin-in/Ekoin to Okunoin? Is it easy to get lost in the dark, if I bring a flashlight?

sorry, I meant, "How clear is the path from the temples to the LANTERN temple?"

My daughter and I stayed at Kodai-in for two nights in 2006. I chose it because the description said it had a garden and Japanese toilets (not western-style), because I wanted a more authentic experience. In fact they only had western toilets, probably recently installed. The food was fantastic, the building all natural materials with a very welcoming atmosphere, the Abbot's wife and son cooked and served and were lovely people - I would have liked to stay longer. As we left they gave us a tour of the whole temple - WONDERFUL. Small but perfectly formed. See it top/centre on the map at http://www.geocities.jp/koyasan_i_g_c/vi/stay.html.
We hired a guide to show us the main cemetery and temples, worth every penny - you get much, much, much more out of a personal guide than just following a guide-book. Google kaorikodama0220 - she was our guide, excellent in every way.
I will never forget the train journey as we neared Koyasan, the track twisted and turned, got steeper and steeper, the metal screeched on the tight curves, the mist came down. Stay as long as you can in Koyasan!!
My other favourite trip was to Jigokudani, the monkey park.
I love Japan!! Have a super time!!

Hello teashan!

I'm heading to Koyasan in the next couple of months and if you are back from your holiday, I was wondering if you could just advise how the experience in Koyasan went for you? What temple did you pick at the end, was it worth it?

Ekoin is extremely close to Oku-no-in, only a couple of minutes walk. It's impossible to miss even during an evening walk. :)
The food was delicious, and the monks very friendly. It's highly recommended. If you stay there, make sure you get a room with a garden view!

Oh, and about the time schedule. I stayed for one night, and I definitely wished we had stayed one more. At least avoid planning so that you arrive in the afternoon and leave early morning, as we did.