Zen Meditation Retreat(Beppu Zen Retreat) — Hotel in Hiji

I stayed 6 nights/7days at the Beppu Zen Retreat and I had a very good experience! You have to stay at least 5 days and I understand why, it takes a while to fully appreciate the area and settle your body. Yodo is a calm presence and his wife is amazing and cheerful. I also got to met Pierce, who was nice. And I loved the other girls I met while I was there!!!! The food was good, the temple is beautiful and Beppu~ the town close by is lovely.

I loved the tea ceremony and calligraphy class offered as part of the retreat too. ANY interaction with Kikko was amazing. I adored her and wish I saw her more.

Irene was also there, she works with Yodo, and it was awesome having her there to help translate and ask questions too. She really made my experience.

I had such a good time at Beppu but I do want to write this review to set some clear expectations. Because even though I had a great time, I felt my expectations were off - and I heard that from another guest too.

The homestay house has 3 rooms, each with AC (yay) there is one bathroom for everyone to share. The bathroom was odd, according to my western standards, but it did the job! The first night had no hot water. At any time the house can host 1-4 guest. The house is not fancy by any means, it is a very modest and clean home. There is only AC in the bedrooms not the kitchen or any other areas. The bedroom is very basic and bare. You will get a futon to sleep on the ground. This is not a fancy futon, but I slept fine. I did wish it was softer or fluffier, but everything was super clean. *Yodo speaks English, but not fluently. This was not an issue but wanted to note~ Every morning there is a 40 minute mediation at the temple, and then a very simple breakfast. You will help clean after breakfast. Then there might be a calligraphy class, tea ceremony or temple clean up. The temple clean up might be yard work or sweeping. Then lunch, which you will help prepare and help clean up after. Lunch is a pretty easy set-up and cleanup. After lunch there is a few hours for you to go into town before dinner. Going into town is not super easy.. there is one train and it comes once a hour. I took a cab once and it was S30 USD. So you had to run to make it to the train and make sure you get on the train back. The train is about 15 min uphill/downhill from the homestay. It is a lovely walk. The town of Beppu is cute and the hells and hot springs were fascinating. I liked it a lot. Dinner is an event! You will help prepare dinner, have dinner together and then clean it all up. It is the main event, so there is a lot of prep and a lot of clean-up. But it is lovely together time.

This is a once in a lifetime experience for me, that I will never forget. I do highly recommend it but please know you are not signing up for anything fancy and make sure to read the entire website...

I just ended a five-day zen meditation retreat a few days ago at Beppu, in a guest house run by Yodo-san and his family. After leaving the guesthouse, I couldn't stop reminiscing about the good time in the guesthouse, friends that I've made and the conversations we've had.

Thought to provide more details here because I realised reviews were helpful in providing information about the stay.

I booked the stay after deciding that I wanted an immersive spiritual experience during my career break. I was curious about Zen Buddhism and wondered if it could help me to understand what enlightenment means and how to practise in the everyday life.

Yodo's place is quite popular so make sure you book in advance via their website. I was staying with three other guests and there are only three rooms in the guest house.

During the stay, you will be assigned a room which is furnished with a futon on top of a tatami mat. The toilet and shower facilities are shared (but separate) with some toiletries provided. Meals (lunch and dinner) are prepared together with Yodo and other guests, often a very elaborate process. During my time we handmade udon noodles, had a sushi party and many variation of kaiseiki. Everyone plays a role. If you don't know how to cook, just follow Yodo's instructions. Meals are often a good way to connect and ask Yodo questions about Zen and Japan.

Every morning starts with a early morning hour-long meditation at Gyateiji Zen Buddhist Temple (where Yodo heads up the Zen practice) just next door. Thereafter, we head back to have a traditional rice porridge and maybe some coffee. There might be some activities in the morning like tea ceremony or calligraphy, taught by Yodo's mother and wife respectively. Afternoons are free time for self guided activities and this could be planned together with fellow guests. This could be a hike, onsen or exploring the cute town (called Hiji).

During my stay, I also got to experience Japanese acupuncture. We asked Yodo about it and he asked his doctor friend to visit the guest house. Yodo knows many people who are good at their craft in Beppu, and this also includes craftsman who are skilled in bamboo works.

Overall, I find this retreat a good appetiser for someone who wish to learn more about Zen but not in an overly structured or strict regime. Yodo and his family were warm and welcoming and I felt very much at home....

This place is a really special place.

First of all the temple itself is beautiful. You‘ll get the chance to meditate in the main building every morning with a beautiful view of the garden, the sound of the flowing river and the birds. The lodge where I stayed is a warm, cosy and traditional japanese house with nice tatami rooms, just next to the temple. I felt very home. The peaceful nature around the temple is beautiful with the sea on the one side and the mountains on the other side. Beppu city is not far away, so it’s very easy to hop into a train and try out one of many many onsens (hot springs) in town.

You‘ll get the opportunity to learn calligraphy, experience tea ceremony, get in touch with local community and having very interesting talks about japanese life during tea time, lunch or dinner. You can ask Yodo anything and he’ll always give you an answer.

What make my temple stay most beautiful is Yodo, the monk and his wife Keiko. Yodo and Keiko are one of the most kindest and warm-hearted people with the greatest hospitality I’ve ever met.

Yodo has a lot of knowledge about zen buddhism and I learned a lot from him about zen buddhism and japanese culture. I really liked listening to him. The food is absolutely amazing and I really enjoyed cooking traditional japanese food together with Yodo, Keiko and the other guests. I even enjoyed cleaning up together as a group activity!

Keiko is very skilled in calligraphy and her calligraphy lessons were so fascinating, fun and unforgettable. What I like the most about her is that she is such a sunshine, always with a smile on her face :)

I am grateful for every day I wake up at this zen retreat, every meal we cooked together, every rice grain I ate, every person I met, every meaningful conversation I had, every moment in silence, every lesson I learned about japanese culture, buddhism, about life, about myself.

I left with a heart full of gratitude, calmness, inner peace and zen.

Thank you Yodo and Keiko for having me at your...