The words “spiritual” and “spartan” are not often used to describe properties listed on Airbnb. They are, however, more likely to crop up following the launch of a service devoted to providing accommodation in temples across Japan.

Terahaku aims to become the Airbnb of temples when it starts operating this summer, with the goal of offering visitors the opportunity to sleep overnight in Buddhist establishments.

Until now, a small number of Japanese temples have offered accommodation known as shukubo, typically including a place to sleep and vegetarian Buddhist cuisine, mostly targeting pilgrims or adventurous tourists.

However, Japan’s 77,000 nationwide temples have been restricted by laws from marketing themselves as commercial accommodation, a situation that will change with new legislation relating to residential lodging from June 15.

Terahaku, the brainchild of an Osaka-based tourism company called Waqoo Co, will enable users to book stays in temples at the click of a button, via computers or smartphones.

The company has formed partnerships with Airbnb and Booking.com so users can research listings and make reservations in English, with nightly rates expected to range from around 10,000-20,000 yen (£70-£140).