april 2007

wednesday april 30

I had some problems with "Dreamweaver", the program that i use for making the website, but finally it has been solved.
The "Event" section has been updated. Recommended are the "Japan vegan Runners Club" activities.
And, in June there will be another fantastic "Vegan Japan" event !! This time it will be a vegan Picnic !

sunday  april 20

  Japan Vegan Restaurant Pocketguide

every week i find more and more Vegan restaurants in Japan. This week, i found a vegan restaurant in Himeji, another in Sendai, and several vegan Shojin Ryori in Tokyo, Yokohama and Kamakura.
While the 2007-2008 edition covered 51 restaurants (with 25 in Tokyo), the new edition will cover 137 (and going up) restaurants (with 51 in tokyo)

Shojin Ryori

Shojin Ryori is the traditional japanese buddist vegan cuisine.
Fucha Ryori is the chinese style buddist vegan cuisine, which originated in the chinese zen buddist temples.

Buddism teaches compassion for other living beings, so Buddism Cooking is alway strict vegan.

Out of compassion for other living beings Buddism forbids killing or hurting animals and so Buddist Cooking is truly vegan, both in food as in spirit.
This in contrast with modern styles of cookings that are "vegan" for only health or dietary reasons.

And both these traditional Vegan Temple Cookings can be enjoyed in various Buddist temples all over japan. The best can be found in Kyoto, with the Manpuku-ji famous for its Fucha Ryori.
This summer i will visit Kamakura and explore shojin ryori there. The results will be in the next edition of the Vegan Restaurant Pocketguide.

           Shojin Ryori Cooking Class !

Halfway between Tokyo's Shinagawa station and Yokohama station the Soji-ji Temple offers regular one-day Shojin Ryori Classes for only 5000 yen. (japanese only)

Shojin Ryori recipes

sunday  april 13

               New  Maman Terrace Branch in Tokyo !

Last friday the Aoyama branch of Maman Terrace opened!
I am now in Holland so i couldnt go. Did anybody go and take photo's ?
Maman Terrace

      Japan Vegan Restaurant Pocketguide

Winter finally ended and people are preparing for their summer holiday. And what do Vegans who are visiting Japan need ? right ! the Vegan restaurant Pocketguide !
The last week people from Scotland and England ordered Pocketguides.
The Vegan Restaurant Pocketguide is almost sold out. Now i am working hard at the next edition.

            another NEW vegan restaurant ! >_<

March 27 this year, Macrobiotic Vegan Cafe Rire opened its doors in nearby Tokyo's Yamanashi-ken.

SHOCKING  !!

Tokyo's Waseda University organised a Tour to Kamakura for its international students. The website starts with an "interested in Japanese traditional culture?Come with us to Kamakura! "  Besides a change of making new friends and experiencing zazen (..) you can enjoy "shojin ryori made of vegetables and chicken" .
Shojin Ryori is traditional food of buddist monks, who dont eat any animal product out of compassion for other living beings. To offer "shojin ryori with chicken" shows a deep misunderstanding and total disrespect for the vegetarian diet of buddists.
If you want to serve chicken soup to your students just call it "chicken soup" but don't call it "shojin ryori" just to make it sound interesting.
I am so pissed of about this arrogance that i wrote an email and suggested if there's not a real interest and respect for traditions like Shojin Ryori, its better to go to Disneyland and enjoy McNuggets in McDonalds.
                        Tour to Kamakura
(at the bottom is an email adres you can write to and expres that Shojin Ryori is traditional Vegan Cooking and it should be respected.)

  GOOD NEWS !!

Beginning of June i will be back in Japan !

sunday  april 6

I hear in Tokyo and rest of Japan its warm weather, but here in amsterdam it's still cold and rainy. >_<

Vegan Restaurants are "everywhere" in Japan, even in the smallest towns in the forest. :-)
Marin no Oyatsu