For a long time now, several Buddhist temples around Japan have offered accommodation for tourists interested in the aesthetics and lifestyles of these traditional establishments. However, it’s that same traditionalism that has made them relatively difficult to locate and communicate with in the information age. ▼ Don’t hold your breath
For a long time now, several Buddhist temples around Japan have offered accommodation for tourists interested in the aesthetics and lifestyles of these traditional establishments. However, it’s that same traditionalism that has made them relatively difficult to locate and communicate with in the information age.
▼ Don’t hold your breath looking for free wi-fi.
It was also a complicated matter for the temples, since laws made it tricky to use a religious institution as a commercial accommodation. However, with the advent of services like Airbnb, there has been a big push to deregulate this, and it has resulted in the Residential Lodging Business Law that goes into effect on 15 June.
This law will grant temples more freedom in offering their spaces for paying guests, and to further this freedom a new service called Terahaku will also open for business this June.
