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Live temple rhythm
A working Rinzai Zen temple with meditation, shared meals, and quiet rural days — not a westernized spa package.
Wellness getawayMindReach
Shoganji Zen Retreat
Authentic Zen temple life in rural Oita — meditation, meals, and English email booking
Oita, Oita
5 nights
Experience highlights
What a stay here actually feels like.
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Intimate guest circle
Usually only a few guests at a time, which keeps the stay personal and participatory.
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Book in English by email
Ask about dates, send the application, and confirm deposit through the process on zenretreat.com.
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Sea, forest, and onsen country
Bamboo forest nearby, beach a short walk away, and Beppu onsen region close for optional hot-spring days.
Gallery
The setting
Spaces, views, and surroundings at Shoganji Zen Retreat.
Your hosts
Meet the people behind Shoganji Zen Retreat
Owner-run properties feel different when you know who welcomes your group on arrival.
Rinzai Zen monk / temple host
Jiho Kongo
Online coordinator (English booking and guest support)
Pierre Black
Your journey
Email your dates
Write shoganjizenretreat@gmail.com with preferred nights.
Deposit and application
Follow the book-your-stay steps on zenretreat.com.
Arrive for temple life
Settle into meditation, meals, and shared temple care.
Explore the region
Optional beach, hiking, onsen, and cultural outings.
About
About this getaway
Shoganji Zen Retreat is a modest rural Zen Buddhist temple in the Saganoseki area near Oita City, Kyushu, currently headed by Rinzai Zen monk Jiho Kongo. Since opening its doors to international guests in 2004, Shoganji has offered an authentic temple-life homestay — not a hotel spa retreat and not a closed monastery.
Stays are all-inclusive of lodging, meditation practice, two meals per day, and most on-site activities. Guests are expected to help with temple upkeep, gardening, and meal preparation and cleanup. The setting is a historic temple site (artifacts and grounds centuries old), tucked on a mountainside above a tiny village, about a five-minute walk from the beach, with bamboo forest nearby and onsen country around Beppu.
Typically only a small number of guests stay at a time (often around four), so the experience stays intimate. Booking is handled in English by email at shoganjizenretreat@gmail.com, with a guest application and deposit process described on zenretreat.com.
Shoganji is a working Zen temple serving local families, held by the Kongo family for more than a century. International guests come for simplicity, authenticity, and quiet beauty — meditation, calligraphy, Japanese cooking, gardening, nearby hiking and swimming in season, and optional cultural outings with their hosts.
Packages & pricing
Rates and availability from the property's official booking page.
Featured program
All-inclusive Zen temple stay
Lodging, meditation, two meals daily, and most on-site activities. Guest participation expected.
Check dates & bookPlan your trip
Availability notes
- • Email preferred dates first — small guest capacity.
- • Deposit confirms dates; balance usually paid in cash on site.
- • Complete the guest application questionnaire after dates are approved.
Accommodation
- temple-homestay
- private-guest-rooms
Location & travel
- Getting there
- Shoganji is in the Saganoseki area near Oita City, Kyushu. Getting-here details and local pickup guidance are on zenretreat.com/getting-here. For overseas booking questions use email; local phone numbers are for pickup/assistance once in Japan.
Policies
- Minimum stay
- 5 nights minimum; 30 nights maximum (longer on request).
- Cancellation
- Deposits are non-refundable but often transferable to other dates when available — confirm with the retreat.
- Children
- Confirm family policies directly when emailing to book.
Good to know
- Languages
- English, Japanese
Contact & book
Reach the retreat directly or reserve online
FAQ
Good to know
Can I book in English by email?
Yes. Preferred dates, applications, and booking questions go to shoganjizenretreat@gmail.com. They typically reply within about 24 hours.
What does the nightly rate include?
JPY 10,800 per guest per night includes lodging, meditation practice, two meals a day, and most on-site activities. Confirm current details on zenretreat.com/book-your-stay.
What is the minimum stay?
A 5-night minimum and 30-night maximum (longer stays considered on request).
Is this a hotel or spa resort?
No. It is a working Zen temple homestay. Guests help with temple maintenance, gardening, and meal prep/cleanup. Expect a simple, authentic rural Japan experience rather than a glossy resort.
Where is Shoganji located?
Shoganji Zen Temple, 269 Shuki, Oita-shi, Oita-ken 879-2115, Japan — in the Saganoseki village area, about 30 minutes from Oita City, near bamboo forest and a short walk from the beach.
How do I confirm a stay?
Email preferred dates, pay the deposit via their published PayPal flow, and send the completed guest application questionnaire to shoganjizenretreat@gmail.com. Balance is typically paid in cash at the retreat.
Location
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