Rare Immediate availability due to a cancellation.
From Today until Dec 15. Limited availability.
5 night minimum stay - choose your preferred dates
Please let us know immediately if you're interested.
beppuzenretreat@gmail.com
• Zen Meditation Retreat Japan • Japanese Culture Homestay • Japanese Cooking Lessons • Buddhist Life & Community •
2024 pricing: all-inclusive rate ¥12,000 per night / per guest
2025 pricing: all-inclusive rate ¥14,000 per night / per guest
includes 3 meals, meditation practice, 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 offer you a remarkable immersive experience in Japanese culture, food, and the Zen way of life. The small number of guests keeps this homestay experience 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.
Over 670 years old, GyaTeiJi temple has strong ties to the local community.
• personal hosting by a monk and his family
• flexible dates, choose your own dates of stay
• minimum 5-nights stay (or more)
• on site activities & local attractions
• small retreat and personalized experience
• maximum 6 guests at one time.
• single guest bookings welcome.
• all rooms are private.
• open year-round
See our guest REVIEWS here. :))
GyaTeiJi Zen Temple
was first established in the year 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 interact with Japanese 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 a traditional Japanese house 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 prefect for rest and relaxation; but only a few minutes from the shopping, restaurants, and tourist attractions of nearby Beppu. The house features traditional Japanese decor with wood and tatami interiors. Guest rooms are sparsely decorated tatami rooms with traditional futon bedding. Hosting only 3-6 guests at a time, the retreat provides a feeling of community, connection, and shared experience among guests and direct, personal interactions with your hosts.
Keiko demonstrating formal Japanese Tea Ceremony.
Staff
Experinece warm and personal Japanese hospitality with the Kono family.
• Yodo Kono, Rinzai Zen Monk, and former high school physics teacher is you guide to Zazen (Zen meditation) and the Zen lifestyle. Yodo has been a monk for the past 10 years and is the 3rd generation in his family to inherit GyaTeiJi temple.
• Keiko, Yodo’s wife, is a calligraphy master and has been studying formal calligraphy since she was a child. She is also highly skilled in formal Tea Ceremony. Most importanly, perhaps, Keiko is the main architect of the delicious meals you will eat here!
• Yodo’s father and mother are active participants in temple life. Yodo’s mother is a Tea Ceremony teacher and has 45 years experience! Yodo’s father is also a monk and is closely involved in all temple activities.
• Kazuko Katsuyama, guest Kimono dressing and Tea Ceremony teacher. She has over 40 years of experience.
• Other staff and outside professionals and teachers are an important part of temple life. There are a variety or presentations and classes offered at GyaTeiJi temple and you are welcome to participate.
• Pierre Black, your online coordinator, is responsible for bookings, answering your general questions, and website maintenance.
Guests
Everyone is welcome. We host all kinds of people from all over the world and we do our best to accommodate everyone.
If you have specific concerns or questions just ask! Read our detailed FAQ section here.
Morning tea after meditation.
This retreat is recommended for people who:
- want an immersive experience into Japanese culture and Zen lifestyle.
- want to eat and learn to prepare delicious Japanese food. (Vegetarian options are available.)
- want real rest and relaxation with a gentle Zen practice.
- want to develop or deepen a personal meditation practice.
- need to heal, rest, regenerate, and reset after stress or life changes.
- want a warm and friendly homestay experience.
- want a home-base with a homey feel from where all of the tourist attractions of this region can be easily enjoyed.
- are travelling to Japan for the first time and want a well-rounded, guided, and affordable Japanese cultural experience.
- are beginners or intermediate meditation practitioners.
A group of students from the nearby university on a visit to try out Zen meditation.
See what people are saying about Beppu Zen Retreat - check out our guest REVIEWS here.
Watch the video here:
