{"id":25435,"date":"2017-02-25T07:39:13","date_gmt":"2017-02-24T22:39:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=25435"},"modified":"2020-11-28T03:07:25","modified_gmt":"2020-11-27T18:07:25","slug":"hamamatsu-vegetarian-calligraphy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/hamamatsu-vegetarian-calligraphy\/","title":{"rendered":"Hamamatsu: Vegetarian Cuisine and Calligraphy at Okayama Houkouji Temple"},"content":{"rendered":"
Located in Hamamatsu (near Inasach\u014d Okuyama, Kita-ku), Okuyama Houkoujito is the head temple of the Houkouji Buddhist Zen sect. This temple offers a taste of Shoujin ryouri cuisine<\/strong> (fine vegetarian cooking of Zen Buddhism) and lessons of Shakyo<\/strong> (transcription of a sutra). While I was visiting Shizuoka Prefecture, I did not want to miss out on this experience!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In 1371, during the Kentoku era, Mumongensenzenji, son of Emperor Godaigo, ordered the construction of this Zen temple on a 60-hectare site. Numerous buildings and a three-story pagoda form the temple facility.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n When Mumongensenzenji returned from one of his many pilgrimages across China, his ship capsized and almost sank. Barely escaping with his life, he explained that the power of Hans\u014db\u014d (a protective spirit) helped him to survive and avoid disaster. Since then, the Japanese people come from all over the country to pray for protection at Okuyama Houkouji temple. In its terrestrial form, Hans\u014db\u014d is also known to offer protection against fire, and every year (in February) a large matsuri is organized for the protection of lives against fires.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n If you drive here, you can park at the foot of the pagoda and head down the stairs to reach the main entrance of the temple, where admission costs \u00a5400. Once inside, a red bridge will lead you to a sacred statue. There are more than 500 stone arhat statues spread all around the valley to welcome visitors.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n I arrived at the temple around 1pm and went directly to the refectory for lunch. Beyond the exclusion of the consumption of animal flesh, Buddhist vegetarianism has precise philosophical and historical foundations. A monk explained to me that Buddhism believes that all beings have the fundamental right to exist and not to suffer. I loved the idea. Before eating, we read the prayer below, written in Romaji and translated into English.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Even without meat and fish, the dishes are delicious and very tasty! Prepared with fresh seasonal ingredients, you will find perfectly seasoned vegetables, fried tofu skin, daikon<\/em> (between radish and turnip) boiled in soy sauce, tofu with sesame, mochi<\/em> (rice paste), rice and miso soup. But the specialty of this temple is the vegetarian unagi<\/em> (eel): a very fine imitation of grilled eel made from potato, tofu and nori<\/em> (seaweed).<\/p>\n<\/div>\nOkuyama Houkouji Temple<\/h2>\n
Shoujin ryouri<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
Prayer<\/h3>\n
Tasting<\/h3>\n