Shojin Ryori (Buddhist Cuisine) (1) at Tenryu-ji Temple, Arashiyama

Having local food is one of the enjoyments of travelling.

Sushi and Tempura were the only major requests from visitors I met 5 years ago. In recent years requests are much more varied, from ramen noodles to Kobe beef. Some would like to try a bento box others want Japanese curry. I feel Japanese food has become much better known overseas.

Kyoto's well-known cooking styles are;
Obanzai (the home cooking Kyoto style)
Kaiseki cuisine (both Kaiseki as course meal 会席 and meal at tea ceremony 懐石)
Shojin cuisine (Buddhist vegetarian meal).

There are many headquarters of temples in Kyoto and they all receive visitors from the parishioners of their branch temples. Some of them offer accommodation and will provide food or have catering services. I mentioned before in this blog about Okutan (a yudofu restaurant) which is one of this kind of facility at Nanzen-ji Temple. Okutan is a private restaurant, not run by the temple.

Tenryu-ji Temple

Tenryu-ji Temple, Arashiyama, Kyoto
天龍寺（京都/嵐山）

I think Tenryu-ji Temple’s attraction is the garden.


It has been known as Tenryu-ji and belonged to the Rinzai Zen sect of Buddhism since its founding in 1345 by the first Ashikaga shogun, prior to that the land had been a temple and for a time a detached palace.The temple has a long history, however it has suffered fire many times and the present day structures are mostly built within the last 200 years.


The garden around the pond has never been affected by the fires and is said to closely resemble the original.


It was designed by a priest Muso Soseki, who also designed the garden of Saiho-ji, Koke-dera or Moss Temple. It is a strolling style garden but the path around the pond is closed to the public.


Nevertheless it still has an open-spaced cheerful atmosphere with a backdrop of mountains showing seasonal colours throughout the year.

a canal runs in a temple

Lake Biwa Canal at Nanzen-ji Temple, Kyoto
南禅寺の琵琶湖疎水(京都)

Lake Biwa Canal runs in Nanzen-ji Temple.
The site is frequently used at a location of Japanese dramas.

Gardens at Nanzen-ji Hojo Abbot’s Quarters (6)

Gardens at Nanzen-ji Hojo Abbot’s Quarters, Kyoto
南禅寺方丈(京都)



"還源庭" (Kangen-tei Garden) literally means “back to origin”.

Gardens at Nanzen-ji Hojo Abbot’s Quarters (5)

Gardens at Nanzen-ji Hojo Abbot’s Quarters, Kyoto
南禅寺方丈 (京都)





Roji tea garden


“龍吟庭” (Ryugin?-tei Garden) literally means “Dragon growling”.


”涵龍池” (Kanryu-chi? Pond) literally means “Dragon soaking”.

Gardens at Nanzen-ji Hojo Abbot’s Quarters (4)

Gardens at Nanzen-ji Hojo Abbot’s Quarters, Kyoto
南禅寺方丈 (京都)

“華厳の庭” (Kegon Garden)
According to the notice board of the garden; the word “Kegon” means “flower decoration” and is the core idea of Kegon sutra.

Gardens at Nanzen-ji Hojo Abbot’s Quarters (3)

Gardens at Nanzen-ji Hojo Abbot’s Quarters, Kyoto
南禅寺方丈 (京都)

“六道庭” (Roku-do garden)
In contrast to the former garden, this represents six realms in Buddhist cosmology.

Gardens at Nanzen-ji Hojo Abbot’s Quarters (2)

Gardens at Nanzen-ji Hojo Abbot’s Quarters, Kyoto
南禅寺方丈 (京都)

“如心庭” literally means “as the mind”. The stones are laid out in the form of the letter mind and the garden represents the state of enlightenment.

Gardens at Nanzen-ji Hojo Abbot’s Quarters (1)

Gardens at Nanzen-ji Hojo Abbot’s Quarters, Kyoto
南禅寺方丈 (京都)

Hojo, the Abbot's Quarters, of Nanzen-ji temple has some gardens.

This is the oldest one and it is said to be the work of Kobori Enshu during the Edo period.

Nanzen-ji Temple

Nanzen-ji Temple, Kyoto
南禅寺(京都)

Nanzen-ji (南禅寺) temple is one of headquarters of the Nanzen-ji school of Rinzai zen sect. Originally a retired emperor's detached palace turned into a Zen temple. Like other old temples of Japan, the temple has lost original structures due to fire and war. The temple was restored by donation and the transfer of structures and many paintings from the Imperial Palace and Fushimi Castle which doesn’t exist anymore.


This is San-mon(三門) the main gate of the temple.
It is very familiar to Japanese
because of a Kabuki play about a thief.


"Hatto Hall"
where all the official rites are conducted.


"Kuri" where we enter Hojo.


Next to Kuri there is a gate
only opened for official occasions.


Go into Hojo Abbots' Quarters.


You can enjoy a bowl of green tea
in a room overlooking a pleasant garden.


This is an accompanying sweet with the temple name shown on it.
It doesn’t look good but it tastes much better than it looks.
It was yummy.

A yudofu set meal at Nanzenji Temple

Okutan Nanzenji branch, Nanzen-ji, Kyoto
奥丹 南禅寺店

When I say I come from Kyoto, some say that I am lucky to live Kyoto and they start talk of temples, gardens and YUDOFU(湯豆腐). Yudofu is a very simple dish, tofu in konbu kelp broth cooked in a large pot then dipped into sauce with chopped spring onion.

Where to eat Yudofu? Yudofu is home cooking for me. Once a couple told me they came to Kyoto all the way from Hiroshima, 500km to the west, just to have yudofu.

What?! Were they crazy?

It seems like yudofu must be something different from what I know. It must be, otherwise nobody would pay for simple tofu at a very expensive restaurant. I went with a friend, who likes tofu and had had yudofu at restaurants before, to an old restaurant which claims to be the oldest yudofu restaurant, Okutan(奥丹).





There’re many restaurants which serve yudofu around Nanzen-ji temple. We picked Okutan because the menu, actually only one set menu, seems to be more basic. –Some places serve it with sashimi and other things.



First of all sesame tofu and grated yamaimo,
similar to Japanese yam with wasabi, are served.


Then skewered baked tofu
coated with Japanese pepper, sansyo, miso.
They are lovely!


Then Shojin-age vegetable tempra.




Then yudofu boiled tofu.
Tofu test like real rich soy beans flavour,
which means I usually eat the one isn’t good quality…

Finally a bowl of rice and pickles.
Their boild rice is lovely!!
-I asked if I could have another serving,
which charged extra 200yen,
but I was so full after having the whole meal
and couldn’t ask another.


Unexpectedly the meal was filling and I had to skip dinner. The atmosphere was great and food was good. I think it was worth paying for eating out yudofu now, but not often…

-Okutan also has another restaurant at Kiyomizu-zaka near Kiyomizu temple.

Saiho-ji Temple a.k.a. Koke-dera, Moss Temple

Saiho-ji Temple(Koke-dera/Moss Temple), Katsura, Kyoto
西芳寺/苔寺(京都/桂)


A friend had applied for permission to visit Saiho-ji(西芳寺) temple and asked me to join him. Saiho-ji or Koke-dera has long been top of my wish list of places to visit. I had never taken the trouble to apply even my interest was high, because the temple only accepts visitors after a written application. It sounded a lot of bother to go through.

Of course I said I would go.


It costs 3,000yen to visit. Some think it’s outrageous, but I don’t. In fact, I like the attitude. They accept visitors as a religious occasion. The visitors have to do syakyo(写経), copying Hannyashinnkyo(般若心経) Heart Sutra, which consists of 260 or more Kanji, Chinese characters, with Indian ink and a brush. Before that we chant the sutra 3 times with monks. –Though it doesn’t have to be done perfectly. Then we are free to walk around the garden.


People mostly go there to see the garden.

But it provides a good opportunity to experience things like that. As I concentrated copying characters, I didn’t think of anything and just focused on characters, although sitting with folded legs was killing me with pins and needles.




The temple is more familiarly called Koke-dera, because the garden is covered with moss.



The moss looks like green velvet carpets.


It’s recorded that it wasn’t covered with moss when the garden was created. With passing time moss has grown and covered the ground to give a much prettier, calm atmosphere to the garden which can’t be created by hand, requiring natural help to make the site just perfect.