What is Shojin Ryori?
Shojin Ryori is the traditional plant-based cuisine of Japanese Buddhist temples—a culinary discipline that transforms the mundane act of cooking into a rigorous vehicle for spiritual awakening that is immediately accessible to all beings.
A Guided Introduction
I created a four-part video series — each focusing on a single aspect of the ichiju issai meal framework: Gohan, Yasai, Tsukemono, and Shirumono. If you are new to shojin ryori, they are the perfect place to start your practice.
Sanshin: The Three Minds
The Three Minds teach us something that most modern culinary philosophies ignore: that the quality of a meal doesn’t begin with technique or ingredients, but with the mental posture and intention of the cook preparing it.
Not to waste a single grain of rice
— Master Dogen, Tenzo Kyokun (Instructions for the Cook)
is called the mind of the way.
My Mission
First I trained as a chef. Then I trained as a monk. Now I cook to serve.
Based in Hokkaido, Japan, I share the core pillars of shojin ryori, a Japanese culinary tradition refined over centuries in the temples and monasteries throughout the country.
The recipes are not just about food, but insight, healing, and connection. They offer a way of living: one where each meal is transformed through awareness into a personal practice that nourishes body, mind, and spirit.
