Fuchinobo

“The BEST!”

This had to have been in our top two favorite places we stayed while on our honeymoon in Japan!! You are literally just outside the main gate to Zenkoji Temple and easily within walking distance to many shops and restaurants. The staff is exceptional and incredibly friendly and hospitable. If you... more

This had to have been in our top two favorite places we stayed while on our honeymoon in Japan!! You are literally just outside the main gate to Zenkoji Temple and easily within walking distance to many shops and restaurants. The staff is exceptional and incredibly friendly and hospitable. If you are concerned about any language barrier, don't be! We were able to communicate and if worse comes to worse, use pictures! We ended up being the only guests there for the evening which made our stay very special. Our room had beautiful views overlooking the main temple road and the stunning snowy mountains. The Shojin Ryori cuisine is all vegetarian and is TO DIE FOR! The presentation, quality and taste are all 100/100. We would definitely stay here again!! One heads up, there are some strict curfew rules that you should be aware of. Dinner is served at about 6:00pm and the baths close at 9:00pm. You are also not allowed to leave the inn after 9:00pm. There is an early morning service at Zenkoji that we participated in and would highly recommend to everyone. It is a very special experience!! You will have an english speaking guide who is very knowledgeable and helpful! This place is truly something special and we felt very fortunate to be able to stay here. Would highly recommend, but be aware that you are sleeping on futons and not beds.

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“The best way to experience Zenkoji”

I wanted to give my teenage son the experience of staying in an Shukubo (temple inn) but was concerned about our limited Japanese language skills. From the moment we arrived the staff at Zenkoji Fuchiinobo were friendly, hospitable and accommodating. We were there on a weeknight and our room was... more

I wanted to give my teenage son the experience of staying in an Shukubo (temple inn) but was concerned about our limited Japanese language skills. From the moment we arrived the staff at Zenkoji Fuchiinobo were friendly, hospitable and accommodating. We were there on a weeknight and our room was actually 3 spacious, tastefully decorated tatami rooms: a sitting room, a sleeping room and a dining room. The futons were comfortable and warm. The heating and WiFi worked well. The Shojin Ryori (vegetarian) dinner and breakfast were delicious, satisfying, and beautifully presented. The staff even arranged for an English speaking guide to take us to the early morning service at Zenkoji. Like everyone else we encountered in Nagano, our guide was gracious and knowledgeable. Our stay at Fuchinobo and visit to Zenkoji will be a cherished memory. A couple of notes: As a shukubo most of the guest rise early for the dawn service at Zenkoji. Dinner is served at about 6:00 pm and the baths close at 9:00 pm. I believe the front doors are also locked at that time. If you like to stay out late exploring the sights or stay up late in loud conversations a shukubo may not be right for you. The rooms are lovely but be aware there are shared bath facilities. Each floor has modern mens & womens toilets as well as rows of sinks.There are both a mens and womens onsen bathing facilities in the basement. All of the facilities are exceptionally clean and functional. Knowing we were foreigners, the staff was kind enough to reserve one of the baths for us for private use. Zenkoji in Nagano is a great place to stop over between Kanazawa and Tokyo. A nights stay in Fuchinobo or at least a Shojin Ryori meal will make the trip even more memorable.

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“Buddhist dwelling ”

Well what can I say. ‘Speechless’ We enjoy traveling and experiencing cultures and enjoy sightseeing. This Buddhist dwelling is as traditional as it can get and completely different to what a tourist usually stays in. A small dwelling of maybe 3/4 rooms traditional kitted out. The toilet is outs... more

Well what can I say. ‘Speechless’ We enjoy traveling and experiencing cultures and enjoy sightseeing. This Buddhist dwelling is as traditional as it can get and completely different to what a tourist usually stays in. A small dwelling of maybe 3/4 rooms traditional kitted out. The toilet is outside the room but on the same floor. The hot bath (private) is located in the basement. Staff are very welcoming and polite, the food although vegetarian was well presented and ample. Location is excellent, only 1 minutes walk to the Zenko-Ji Temple. A must stay.

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“Unique experience”

We wrote to Fuchinobo in Nagano to request for one night stay, we were pleasantly surprised by quick and positive reply. Took the Shinkansen to Nagano and short taxi ride to Zenkouji entrance, the cute temple ryokan was right there, less than 1 minute walk from taxi drop off. Room was huge, we ha... more

We wrote to Fuchinobo in Nagano to request for one night stay, we were pleasantly surprised by quick and positive reply. Took the Shinkansen to Nagano and short taxi ride to Zenkouji entrance, the cute temple ryokan was right there, less than 1 minute walk from taxi drop off. Room was huge, we had two room with separate sleeping and eating areas. Bed futon was thin compare to others, dinner was served in the room with nice varieties of vegetarian dishes. Service was impeccable. BTW, there was no private bathroom so we had to walk down the corridor in the middle of night when nature calls. Next morning we were greeted by volunteers who kindly showed us the temple and helped us participated in the morning service. Three nicest ladies who were so proud to share the temple history with us. Zenkeuji was gorgeous but a bit on the commercial side with too many shops and vending machines all around the 1600 year old establishment. Overall, this is a very unique and precious experience, vastly different from the conventional hotels.

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