Featured Hotels Near Bodai-in Temple

Stay at Iwaki Hōin Memorial Hotel, a boutique retreat housed in a restored temple complex. Enjoy panoramic views of the 1,000-year-old sacred trees and morning light filtering through the pagoda. Each room features traditional Japanese garden windows, offering serene views of monks chanting at dawn. Just a 3-minute walk from the main temple hall, the hotel also hosts Zen meditation workshops and serves locally acclaimed shojin ryori cuisine, blending spiritual tranquility with authentic regional flavors.

Near Hōin Temple, visitors can enjoy several immersive walking experiences: just a 5-minute stroll from the hotel leads to the Bell Chanting Pavilion, where daily afternoon bell-ringing ceremonies are held. A 2-minute walk further brings you to the Ancient Well Tea Garden, offering Iwaki matcha brewed with mountain spring water, accompanied by traditional tea ceremony lessons. Additionally, every Saturday afternoon features a guided tour by monks through hidden stone Buddha sculptures and a secluded moss garden, revealing the site’s deep spiritual heritage as a sacred Buddhist center in northeastern Japan.

Iwaki Hōin Family Resort is perfect for families, featuring kid-friendly Zen rooms, children’s nature exploration trails, and complimentary rental of kimono and mini-stupa crafting kits. The resort includes an indoor hot spring pool, a family reading nook, and evening events like star-gazing lectures and folktales storytelling sessions. Families can also participate in the "One-Day Junior Monk" experience—learning basic rituals and planting a personal wishing sapling under monk supervision, creating lasting memories rooted in tradition.

Visit Unshū Sōdō, a century-old family-run eatery tucked beside the temple’s cloister. Renowned for its wood-fired tofu soup and wild mountain vegetable platter, the restaurant offers a serene dining experience framed by bamboo shadows and flowing courtyard streams. Seasonal menus feature limited-time dishes such as spring fiddlehead ferns with herring rice and autumn matsutake chicken stew, all made with freshly harvested local ingredients. Pair your meal with house-brewed ume plum wine to savor the authentic taste of Fukushima’s agrarian traditions.

From Hōin Temple, follow the moss-covered trail for about 8 minutes to reach Meisetsu Falls, where the sound of cascading water blends with birdsong. Continue eastward for 10 minutes into the Iwaki Ancient Tree Forest Trail, home to century-old beech trees and rare ferns. For a more challenging hike, ascend the stone staircase for 15 minutes to Kannon Peak Pavilion, offering panoramic views of Iwaki City and distant mountain ranges. All routes are clearly marked with rest stops and interpretive signs, making them accessible and safe for hikers of all ages.

Yes, Iwaki Hōin Memorial Hotel provides complimentary shuttle buses every hour between Iwaki Station and the Hōin Temple entrance, taking about 15 minutes. Additionally, the hotel partners with a local e-bike sharing platform, allowing guests to reserve electric bicycles for exploring surrounding trails and rice fields. For those seeking deeper immersion, the hotel offers guided half-day cycling tours led by local guides, passing through rice paddies, historic shrines, and ancient pathways, turning transportation into an integral part of the journey.