Interact with the locals by "Making sweets in a private home"

You can try making Japanese sweets at a private farm-inn in Ayabe City.

Careful about using only pesticide-free ingredients, you can cook seasonal Japanese sweets with the owner and their family, using wild plants such as cherry blossoms and mugwort, etc., in spring, and chestnuts and azuki beans in autumn.
The finished Japanese sweets can be taken home as a souvenir.

There is an additional charge for this experience and reservations in advance are required. Please feel free to inquire.
Experience fee: ¥6,000 (per person) *Reservations are required at least 7 days in advance.

*It is about 30 minutes by car from Shoureki-ji Temple, so you will need to drive. For guests who are not coming by car, please contact us.
If you would like to rent a car nearby, or if you need to be picked up/dropped off, we can arrange this for an additional fee. Please feel free to contact us first.

3 p.m. Check-in

Enjoy a relaxing time in a historic temple that you can rent out to yourself, limited to one group for one day. The chief priest of the temple will act as your own personal guide, listening to your wishes and suggesting ways to spend your time during your stay.

5 p.m. Evening Bell Ringing

You can join us for the evening bell ringing. Also, since there are many people in the neighborhood around Shoureki-ji Temple, if the timing is right, you can have tea together with the locals and talk to them.

7 p.m. Dinner

A “Kuromine Shamo Full Course” will be served in a spacious Japanese-style room with a view of the beautiful garden. On the way to the restaurant, the chief priest who is the chef will come to show you the rare ingredients and cooking methods.

9 p.m. Star Gazing

How would you feel about star gazing while sitting on the porch?
From Shoreki-ji Temple, you can see the starry sky as though you were in a planetarium. The main hall and courtyard lit up by lights are also very beautiful, so please enjoy them with a drink after dinner.

11 p.m. Going to Bed

Take a nice rest to calm your mind in a Japanese style room, which has tranquility that only a temple can offer.

ー　The Following Day　ー

6 a.m. Morning Service

Since you have the rare chance to stay at a temple, wake up early and participate in the morning service. The service will be held in the main hall. The meaning within the sutras will convey the importance of living a better life.

7 a.m Breakfast

If the weather is nice, you will have breakfast on the wooden deck in the bamboo grove. We will prepare a breakfast set that contains local ingredients.

9 a.m. Leaving the temple

After checking for any forgotten items, you will leave lodgings. You will be on your way to making sweets.

10 a.m. Making Sweets

You will move to an old house about a 30-minute drive from Shoureki-ji Temple and start making sweets. This is run by a parent and their child, so you can have a fun and peaceful time cooking with the daughter and her mother.
The sweets you make can be taken away with you, so we recommend that you go hiking in the nearby mountains, and eat them when you take a break.