Sogen Temple — Attraction in Okayama

You can only participate in meditations on Sundays. It’s not a place of open spirituality but rather rigid and inflexible. If it’s a meditation center, one should be able to join meditations freely, without fixed schedules or specific days. Therefore, I don’t recommend it, since spirituality should be something more open, free, and fluid—not what they propose. Also, if you just want to take a walk in the park, you wouldn’t go to a Zen temple but rather to engage in group practices. I don’t recommend it. Also, the people who are focused on taking photos or promoting photography in that place—or just taking selfies—seem completely distracted and out of...

Not a ‘monastery’ as they like it to be called. It’s a training center for both males and females. 90 percent European and American, very few Japanese. A good, helpful teacher and many devoted disciples. Plenty of intrigues and everyday squabbles. Zen was a hobby and gave me some wonderful memories and also helped me return to the Catholic faith and for this I’m thankful. If you’re contemplating a stay, my advice is keep both your eyes and ears very open and your mouth shut. Recommended but keep an objective mind and use common...

This temple is by far my favorite in Okayama for several reasons. First, there is a 8K hiking trail that starts in Okayama Higashiyama Rail Car Station, makes its through the hills with excellent views of Okayama and then ends at this temple. Second, their garden has beautiful koi fish, Japanese maple, weeping willow cherry blossom tree (blooms one week earlier than the regular cherry blossoms), bamboo and more. Third, people can join the Buddhist meditations on Sunday morning...