I wasn't sure what to expect; my knowledge of Buddhism is limited. I *loved* it. I will definitely stay again. Thank you Mike, for being a perfect host. The sleeping setup is traditional Japanese. There are plenty of screens to separate males and females. The beds are super comfortable and you won't want to get out of bed. I slept very well every night. I didn't think it was noisy outside and I was so comfortable, I don't think I'd have noticed anyway. There are sheets, and you can ask to borrow a quilt. I had a quilt every night, and it was just right. The shower is great - hot as you like, and powerful. There are plenty of cleaning solutions for you to clean up after yourself. There are tons of crockery, a microwave, coffee and tea maker, a large fridge and so on, if you'd like to make yourself some food or keep food in the fridge. They are keen on recycling and you should expect to join with the effort by putting your recyclables in the boxes. I wasn't sure about staying myself, since I'm a sole female traveller. However, on the other nights, there were actually more women staying than men and there was only one man staying in the Temple room at the same time. I didn't see the only male guest because he left very early. I felt safe in the Temple. I think it helped having a 'quiet time' set aside. Mike knows Seattle very well so he is a goldmine of information. I enjoyed talking with him and I felt very comfortable in the Temple. He sleeps in a room nearby so you have the 'backup' of knowing that there is help if you need it. Mike is a wonderful host. He looked after us all very well. He was incredibly helpful, and even used his phone translator to help non-English speaking guests. It is an experience staying in a Temple. You don't have to be Buddhist. However, I did try to observe the rules. So, you will need to take a pair of slippers. You may be able to borrow a pair since it looked like there were plenty of spares, and I wondered if people bought them somewhere and just left them at the Temple for others. I like my own slippers but you could check with Mike. I liked the discipline of the Temple. Quiet time is 10pm onwards. People tended to get up at six, and then head out for breakfast. It means you are fresh for the day. I did spend time on the Sunday service at the Buddhist Temple. WOW - seriously, if you can, you should go. The book is in English but nobody noticed that I wasn't chanting along - I just wanted to listen. I sat with Mike and he was very helpful in pointing out page changes when I seemed to get stuck. You don't have to attend a service, but,...