An hours-long, eight-course vegan lunch at the Shunko-on Zen Temple, a Zen Buddhist temple in the Myoshinji Temple complex, provided a formal introduction to the food of Kyoto.

Catered by Ajiro, the vegan restaurant at the entrance to the Temple, host, Rev. Takafumi Kawakami, explains that Zen dishes are intended to cultivate the body and the soul. Each dish is visually composed to create contrasts of color and texture.

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