Seizan-sō

I loved my meditation-course stay (they offer waterfall course even in snowy February, but I was not up for it lol). To reserve, I downloaded the LINE app and added them as a friend (instructions on their website which you can translate with the translation app of your choice). Upon adding, I received an automatic message in Japanese, but as soon as I responded in English, the communication was in English. They asked for my name, phone number, date of visit, gender, and the course I wanted to participate in, and with that, my reservation was made.This whole area didn't seem to have many western tourists (at least not in winter), but the staff at Seizan-sō knew enough English to communicate everything that was needed to me, and to answer any of my questions. They had my name written on the gate, so I immediately knew where I was going! The room was a traditional tatami room with sliding doors. There was a tea set and a thermos of hot water that remained very hot until my check out. You lay out your own bed. There seemed to be a lock on the door but I wasn't given a key. It didn't bother me, I felt very safe and secure, and I didn't inquire about it. The toilets were shared, they had western style heated seats, but the plumbing itself was a hole in the ground, no flushing. There were no bad smells and the air freshener made it smell pleasant. Only cold tap water, but the hosts made me a huge hot bath upon my arrival, it was nice and hot to shower and then to bathe. As requested, I brought my own towel (maybe they can provide a towel if you ask, but I didn't ask).The dinner and breakfast were absolutely delicious, even though I didn't know most of the things I was eating. The food was served on low tables and we ate it sitting on the tatami mats. I was totally in a food coma after dinner lol. The priest took great care to make sure I understood the meditation instructions. He gave me instruction sheets in English before both meditations, and checked in with me during the meditation as well. He also had a small stool for me as I'm not very good at sitting cross legged for a length of time. The crystal bowl sound baths were absolutely out of this world.The house had no insulation to speak of but the room was kept very warm with a heater. There were many very warm blankets. The pillows were all Japanese-style, very small, but surprisingly the one I chose to sleep on was one of the most comfortable ones I had while visiting Japan. The light in the corridor was kept on at night, and the sliding doors let in light, so I made use of my eye mask.I paid for my stay in cash (the other option was a wallet app that is probably common to the area, but I didn't have it). The area is known for superb hikes. I went for a beautiful hike after checking out, and I was able to leave my luggage with them until I came back.Highly recommend!