🍽 Food & Drink
💆 Wellness
Zazen at Dawn — Seated Meditation in a Working Zen Temple
📍 Kyoto, Japan
About This Experience
I have practised Zazen for 18 years at Ryōsenji, a working temple in the eastern Higashiyama district that does not appear in most guidebooks. The head monk is a friend. I arrange small-group Zazen sessions at 6am before the tourists arrive — seated meditation in the main hall where monks have sat since 1492. I explain the practice, the posture, and the philosophical framework that makes it meaningful rather than just 45 minutes sitting in silence. There is tea and rice porridge after. This changes how people think about being still.
Traveler Reviews
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Traveler
★★★★★
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Traveler
★★★★★
Guide replied: Thank you so much — this genuinely means a lot. I put everything I have into these and it's wonderful when someone comes back feeling like it was worth it. Hope our paths cross again.
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Traveler
★★★★☆
Meet Your Guide & Host
Practising Zen Buddhist for 18 years and licensed Kyoto cultural guide. Most people visit the famous temples and leave. I take you to the ones that still function — where monks actually live and practice. I teach you the etiquette, the silence, and what the architecture is trying to say about the mind.
View full profile & all experiences →Frequently Asked Questions
How long is "Zazen at Dawn — Seated Meditation in a Working Zen Temple"?
This experience lasts approximately 2.5 hours.
How much does "Zazen at Dawn — Seated Meditation in a Working Zen Temple" cost?
It's $20 per person. You book and message your guide in the Local Guide app.
What languages is it offered in?
Takeshi Mori hosts this experience in Japanese, English.
Who is my guide?
Takeshi Mori, a local guide based in Kyoto. Practising Zen Buddhist for 18 years and licensed Kyoto cultural guide. Most people visit the famous temples and leave. I take you to the ones that still function — where monks act
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