Buddhist-Life Themed Cafe Opens at Takayama Zenko-ji Temple in Gifu

15.August.2021 | SPOT

Takayama Hotel Zenko-ji isn’t your typical hotel: this Buddhist temple invites anyone, regardless of faith or nationality, to stay in one of its five rooms. The property has now opened the ‘Activity Cafe Zenko-ji,’ a place to rest and relax while learning more about various cultures and, of course, traditional Buddhism. 

 

The well-ventilated and airy temple.
All drinks, including coffee and tea, are free of charge. 

 

The Takayama Zenko-ji Lounge Area

Enjoy free Wi-Fi, ample power supplies, and clean restrooms. 

 

Feel free to work remotely and have meetings in the main hall. 

Being in a new space will open up your mind and expand your creativity. 

 

The cafe was first opened for a limited time beginning in April 2021, inviting locals and tourists alike to come and find stress relief while praying for an end to the Coronavirus pandemic. However, given the location’s immediate popularity, it will now be open for good. 

 

In the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, an increasing number of people have lost their physical and mental balance. For both the locals and visiting tourists, the temple is meant to be a place where anyone can find a sense of calm and peace of mind. Deep in the city of Takayama, this is where people are meant to relax, feel energized, and regain who they used to be before this stress became the new normal. 


Hiroshi Yamamoto, a Buddhist priest who works as the manager at Temple Hotel Zenko-ji, is the founder of the Activity Cafe. Hoping to help bring back the bustling tourist atmosphere of Takayama, he intends the space to be a meeting ground for locals and visitors from around the world to interact naturally. 

 

After graduating from an American university and working as an English teacher, Yamamoto became ordained as a Buddhist monk. Now a certified meditation instructor, he specializes in teaching meditation and Buddhist programs in English. 

 

Those utilizing the cafe can experience asceticism by walking through a dark tunnel to help find their inner peace, and can also try their hand at sutra-writing!

 

How would you like to spend some time at the Activity Cafe in Takayama? 

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