Temple Hotel Takayama Zenkoji

Cold at night as it is a "medieval" building, bit you will love the cozyness of the heating futon. If you are into it , morning prayer and meditation session is nice.

Was around the globe with my hub and only find time to write this now :P The resident monk Kaiji-san is very good in English and was able to provide clear and wonderful information about Buddhism, meditation and the temple. The temple rooms are very clean and puts you in a contemplative mood to relax in. The bathrooms are all clean and modern. There is plenty of space in the room and it is impossible to feel claustrophobic. You can also have time to yourself at the public section of the spacious main hall in the evenings to find "inner peace" if you wish to be outside your room. There is also this verrry cute instagram worthy "cafe-house" breakfast place that sells omelette and sandwiches just across the street from the front facade of the temple where you can dine in and stack the small town experience. The 10 mins walk from the train station to the temple is along the not-very-busy well-tarmacked main roads so lugging your suitcases is not a problem. The temple is a pleasant and safe 10 mins walk on the quaint and quiet neighbourhood street along a not too busy road to bring you to the old town in where you find coffee places, soba inns, quaint local produces and a lovely river with a morning market to spend time in. Just a stone throw behind the temple and housed within a petrol station is the 24hours 7-11 convenience store for what you need (or wish to buy) and for cute Japanese snacks to try. There is also a local hospital is nearby for emergencies. Excellent place to stay for a quiet rest at night and a lovely lively town to visit in the day! Highly recommend to stay here in Hida!