Book Your Stay
¥12,000 per night, per guest
Includes two meals a day, meditation practice and all on-site activities.
Minimum stay 5 nights, maximum 30 nights.
Please read this whole page before booking. Most common questions are answered somewhere on this website, so a quick look around first helps us a great deal. Thank you!
At a glance
- Your dates: choose your own dates of stay, subject to availability.
- Length of stay: minimum 5 nights, maximum 30. Longer stays are considered on request.
- Price: per guest, not per room. There is no reduction if you share a room.
- Payment: a deposit by PayPal confirms your stay. The balance is paid in cash (yen) at the retreat.
- Arrival and check-in: 8:00-11:00, 12:30-17:00 or 18:30-20:00 (8-11am, 12:30-5pm or 6:30-8pm). Please avoid meal times (11:00-12:30 and 17:00-18:30). No check-in before 8:00. Please plan to arrive by 20:00. If you are delayed on the day, 21:00 (9pm) is the hard limit: please do not call or come to the retreat after 21:00.
- Rooms: always private. We never put strangers together in the same room, although you may share with your travel companions if you choose. Bathrooms are shared.
- Group size: typically no more than 4 guests at a time.
- Language: English is the main language at the retreat. No Japanese is needed.
- Off-site activities: optional, and may involve additional cost.
- Seasons: please read the seasonal notes at the bottom of the Facilities & Attractions page before you book.
- Visa assistance: citizens of some countries need a formal invitation and other help to get a visa for Japan. Learn more.
For more detail on any of these points, see our FAQ.
How to book a stay
- Ask us about your preferred dates by email at ShoganjiZenRetreat@gmail.com.
- Pay your deposit to confirm your stay. Pay your deposit here, and be sure to select the correct number of nights in PayPal. The payment chart shows the deposit, total and balance for every length of stay.
- Send us the Guest Application Questionnaire below, including your confirmed dates. Copy and paste it into an email, or type your answers in any format.
Once your stay is confirmed, please read and print the Arrival Day at the Retreat page. It is also a good idea to read the Orientation page. The balance is paid in cash, in person, during your stay. Please do not pay it in advance.
Rates
¥12,000 per night, per guest, with two meals a day included. Prices are exact; there are no additional fees or taxes. See the payment chart for the total cost, deposit and balance for stays of 5 to 30 nights.
Important: the retreat and temple are maintained mainly by guests. You are helping to care for a temple site more than 600 years old. You are expected to take part in indoor and outdoor temple maintenance, gardening, and meal preparation and clean-up. Shared meal preparation and clean-up are essential. Please leave every space a little cleaner than you found it!
Guest Application Questionnaire
Complete the application below once for each group, family, or individual guest.
Please email us the completed questionnaire at shoganjizenretreat@gmail.com.
We will get back to you, usually within 24 hours, and confirm your stay.
Required fields are marked in bold. Your passport number is not needed now, but it will be required at check-in.
1. Guest Names:
2. Number of guests:
3. Number of rooms preferred (if more than one guest):
4. Check-in date:
5. Check-out date:
6. Number of nights stay:
7. Country of Residence:
8. Nationality (passport):
9. Age:
10. Telephone number(s) (at home, intl cellphone, or in Japan):
11. Emergency contact (friend, partner, family member):
12. Gender:
13. Occupation:
14. Interests / hobbies:
15. Languages spoken:
16. Previous experience with meditation:
17. Personal expectations from your stay:
18. Special Food or Dietary Requirements / Preferences:
19. Relevant Medical Conditions:
Deposits and cancellation policy
Deposits are non-refundable and are officially limited to the dates confirmed at the time of the deposit payment and original booking. Unofficially, however, we are more flexible and will absolutely do our best to make reasonable date changes for you, free of charge, and transfer your deposit payment to alternate dates of stay; provided that the new dates are available, and that you have informed us of your cancellation within a reasonable time so that we are able to book another guest for the canceled dates. We try our best to accommodate necessary changes to your itinerary or modifications to your travel plans, however, we cannot guarantee that your preferred dates, should you request a change, will be available. Deposits are completely non-refundable under any circumstances. Deposits are very transferable, however, to different dates of stay or even to different guests or other retreats we are affiliated with. We try to be as flexible and generous as possible with this, however, once you have created a booking, the deposit payment itself is never refundable. Deposit transferability and booking flexibility is handled on an individual case by case basis.
By booking and staying at Shōganji Zen Retreat you agree to the Zen Retreat Waiver of Liability.
