Happily, the retreat is unlike a typical (and typically austere) Japanese temple stay. Morning and evening zazen (seated meditation) at Dairyuji are by no means compulsory, nor the point.

Wondering where to stay in Kyoto, Japan? There are different types of ... stroll from UNESCO World Heritage sites like Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Yasaka Shrine, and the beautiful and famous streets ...

SANBAGAWA, Gunma Prefecture--Benmou Suzuki’s dilapidated 420-year-old temple, located deep in the forest near a tiny Japanese mountain village, hardly looks like prized real estate. Yet the monk ...