Live Like a Japanese Buddhist Monk

Learn about the traditional Buddhist lifestyle while enjoying views of Mt. Fuji

Mt. Minobu is home to the secluded Kuon-ji, a temple that is headquarters of the Buddhist Nichiren-shu sect. It is also called Minobu-san Kuon-ji, using the Japanese reading of the mountain’s name. Kuon-ji provides an opportunity to embrace traditional Japanese Buddhist customs: the aroma of incense, droning prayer chants, and the calming rhythms of copying sutras by hand. All are your gateways to a completely new experience. 

To really do it properly, book a stay at the nearby Kakurinbo temple lodgings. Eat simple but nourishing shojin ryori, traditional vegetarian Buddhist fare, as you feed your spiritual curiosity.

Access: From Tokyo Station, take the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen bullet train to Mishima Station (about 40 minutes), transfer to the Tokaido Line for Fuji Station (about 25 minutes), then transfer to the Minobu Line for Minobu Station (about one hour 25 minutes). Kuon-ji is about a 15-minute walk from the station.

Minobusan Kuon-ji Temple