A deep night, inside a sanctuary normally closed.

Anrakuji

Four hundred years of receiving travelers.

In 1598, the local lord designated Anrakuji an ekiroji — an official traveler's lodge, free of charge for any pilgrim on the road.

The temple has carried Shikoku's osettai (open-hand hospitality) longer than almost anywhere else. Its evening practice in the main hall draws over a thousand international pilgrims each year — across nationality, across belief.

Chant. Lamp light. The everyday quiets, and only your breath remains.

For Our Guests

Hours that open only to those who stay.

By day, Anrakuji belongs to pilgrims and visitors. After the gate closes and the grounds empty, the temple shows another face.

If you are staying with TEMPLE STAY, those hours are yours as well.

• Buddhism after darkSpend the evening in the main hall, taking part in Buddhist practice alongside the monks.
• A private dining roomMeals are served in a room kept for staying guests only.
• The guest wingRooms normally closed to the public become yours for the night.

We host in English. If Buddhism or the pilgrimage is new to you, we will walk you through what happens and what to do — nothing to prepare, nothing to bring.

Rooms

Four rooms, opened as TEMPLE STAY.

In July 2026, the shoin guest wing — once reserved for distinguished visitors — opens as TEMPLE STAY ANRAKUJI. There are four rooms: Dainichi, Seiryū, Kōyō and Ran.

Each can be booked on its own. As your party grows, rooms are added — and with all four, the whole wing is yours for the night.

• DainichiThe 53 m² principal room. 1–2 guests (child co-sleeping welcome)
• SeiryūUp to 2 guests
• KōyōUp to 2 guests
• RanUp to 2 guests

From one guest to eight across the four rooms, with this historic wing kept private to your party.

Seiryū · Kōyō · Ran

Three rooms beyond Dainichi.

Seiryū, Kōyō and Ran each take up to two guests. Smaller than Dainichi, but within the same wing — the same quiet, the same green in the garden.

Slide the shoji open and a chair waits at the window, with the vermilion of the pagoda and the trees of the season beyond it. Along the corridor, a bamboo lattice window holds whatever flower is in season.

Meals

The temple's own shojin ryori.

Dinner is shojin ryori — the temple's own Buddhist vegetarian cuisine, built on seasonal produce from Tokushima and served in a dining room kept for staying guests. Breakfast follows the season as well.

We accommodate allergies and religious dietary needs as far as we can, and you are welcome to bring your own food. Tell us at least two weeks ahead and we have far more room to adjust.

Services

Before the night, and after it.

We can look after more than the one night. Take whatever fits the shape of your trip.

• ItinerariesMulti-day journeys across Shikoku, with a private vehicle, driver and multilingual guide.
• TransfersPick-up and drop-off at airports and stations.
• LuggageSent ahead to your next lodging or to the airport, so you can walk unburdened.
• ExperiencesSutra copying, temple calligraphy, time in the land around the temple — arranged around what you want.

You don't need to know what to ask for. Tell us where you'd like to go and how long you have, and we'll draw up a proposal.