Page 150 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SUMMER 2025 THAILAND

oto’s artistic and cultural heritage. first shogun of the Edo Period. The Nino-
Tradition continued during lunch at
Shigetsu, Tenryu Temple's Zen Vegetarian
Restaurant, which served shojin ryori or
Zen temple meals. Shojin ryori originates
in Chinese Zen and was brought to Japan
with the Zen teachings during the 13th cen-
tury. The temple architecture flowed on a
well-designed grid to a series of rooms
made in traditional style, with wood and
paper sliding panels. Considering our
Western background and advanced years,
the staff in Kimonos provided small stools
we could sit on, rather than in the tradi-
tional cross-legged position on the tatami
mats.
The series of courses was served in
red lacquered bowls in the shape of a
priest's begging bowl. The bowls can be
stacked inside the other when the meal is
finished. I am more a fan of fish, meat,
pasta, and heartier dishes. I tried to nibble
through the veggie dishes and used the
trick our kids played when not pleased
with the food – spreading it around.
Our cultural adventure continued with a
private tea ceremony at Daitokuji, Kyoto's
quintessential Zen monastery, with its
stone walkways, bamboo groves, temples,
and classical rock gardens. The Japanese
tea ceremony, also called the Way of Tea,
involves the ceremonial preparation and
presentation of matcha (powdered green
tea). The bitter taste of the tea is comple-
mented with Japanese sweets. Some of the
tea drinkers in our group longed for a
good black tea (Darjeeling, Assam) and a
scone.
The Nijo Castle, near our hotel, was
built in 1603 for the warrior Tokugawa, the
150 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2025
maru Palace within the grounds is famous
for the cleverly designed "nightingale
floors" that squeak when walked upon to
warn residents of invaders. We wandered,
squeaking around the palace and checking
out rooms recreated to convey the essence
of life there more than 500 years ago.
Local Artisans
Our guide gave us a shopping break
between temples in Chawanzaka, the
quaint, old lane jam-packed with handi-
craft and pottery shops. The aromas of in-
cense wafted from some shops, and
craftsmen and women were at work in oth-
ers finishing bowls, framing water color or
other art, knitting, and practicing other lo-
cal skills.
We visited the Arashiyama Bamboo
Grove, a dense bamboo forest, to recon-
nect with nature and serenity. The tower-
ing bamboo stalks create an ethereal and
peaceful experience. A path wends its way
through the stalks, and the changing light
and shadows create imaginative photo op-
portunities for the photo buffs in our crew.
For contrast, we visited the Nishiki Mar-
ket, a vibrant and bustling covered market
known as "Kyoto's Kitchen." We mean-
dered through the narrow aisles, tasting
different samples of pickles, seafood,
sushi, sweets, fresh fruit, and other Kyoto
specialties. Locals were sampling foods,
buying fresh produce, and fish and fowl.
The cooks in our group were impressed
with the kitchenware stands, with finely
crafted pots and pans, and kitchen knives.