{"id":1561,"date":"2024-08-31T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-31T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hoteltavinos.com\/en\/?post_type=blog&#038;p=1561"},"modified":"2026-04-10T14:10:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T05:10:14","slug":"kyoto-manpukuji-temple","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/hoteltavinos.com\/en\/blog\/kyoto-manpukuji-temple\/","title":{"rendered":"Visit Manpuku-ji Temple for Sh\u014djin Ry\u014dri, a Buddhist Vegetarian Cuisine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/hoteltavinos.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/1-33.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1562\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"p-table-of-contents js-table-of-contents lazyblock-table-of-contents-tEl7O wp-block-lazyblock-table-of-contents\">\n  <p class=\"p-table-of-contents__heading\">Content<\/p>\n  <ul class=\"c-list p-table-of-contents__list js-table-of-contents__list\">\n  <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is Sh\u014djin Ry\u014dri, Buddhist Vegetarian Cuisine?<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"c-text-box lazyblock-text-box-1NsTMd aligndefault aligndefault  wp-block-lazyblock-text-box\">\n            <p>Buddhist precepts teach that one should not kill living creatures. And in order to adhere to this rule of non-violence, some Buddhist temples prepare a special type of vegetarian cuisine called Sh\u014djin Ry\u014dri. The cuisine uses no meat, fish, or other animal products.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/hoteltavinos.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/2-33.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1563\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"c-text-box lazyblock-text-box-Z18XCOC aligndefault aligndefault  wp-block-lazyblock-text-box\">\n            <p>The food is simple, yet flavorful, and relies on a wide variety of ingredients like wild vegetables, nuts, mushrooms, roots, bamboo shoots, flowers, rice, and plant-based protein sources such as grains, tofu, and miso.\u00a0<\/p>\n                <p>The style of cooking was introduced to Japan as a result of cultural exchange with China as Japanese monks traveled to the mainland to further their Buddhist training. When they returned, the monks Eisai My\u014dan (1141-1215) and D\u014dgen Eihei (1200\u20131253) were particularly influential in spreading Zen Buddhism and the Sh\u014djin Ry\u014dri culinary style. While adhering to the precepts of Buddhism, Sh\u014djin Ry\u014dri manages to strike a remarkable balance between abundance and austerity.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Experience Sh\u014djin Ry\u014dri at Manpuku-ji Temple in Kyoto<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/hoteltavinos.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/3-34.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1564\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"c-text-box lazyblock-text-box-ezph6 aligndefault aligndefault  wp-block-lazyblock-text-box\">\n            <p>Eating Sh\u014djin Ry\u014dri gives you a chance to taste the unique flavors of temple food and get a glimpse into the philosophy behind it. There are several temples and restaurants in Kyoto where you can try Sh\u014djin Ry\u014dri. And while I\u2019m sure they are all delicious, I chose to visit Manpuku-ji Temple in Uji City, a town famous for matcha and tea ceremony. Here they serve a unique style of Sh\u014djin Ry\u014dri called Fucha Ry\u014dri, which has a more distinct Chinese influence.\u00a0 Foods are served on platters rather than in individual servings as meals are intended to be eaten with company. And many of the dishes are fried in vegetable oil giving them an extra edge on standard Buddhist cuisine.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/hoteltavinos.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/4-32.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1565\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"c-text-box lazyblock-text-box-2dNQKo aligndefault aligndefault  wp-block-lazyblock-text-box\">\n            <p>Manpuku-ji is very easy to get to, located only a five minute walk from Obaku Station on the Keihan Electric Railway Uji line or the JR Nara line. To eat at the temple you must pay the admission fee of 500 yen per adult, which also allows you to explore the temple grounds and buildings.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Expertly Prepared Vegan Recipes Passed Down Generations&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"c-text-box lazyblock-text-box-Z2ojcWE aligndefault aligndefault  wp-block-lazyblock-text-box\">\n            <p>Each dish in my eight-course Fucha Ry\u014dri meal was carefully prepared and beautifully presented. The meal started with goma-dofu, a type of tofu made from sesame and kudzu. The rich sesame flavor was complimented by the unusual soft chewiness unique to this type of tofu.\u00a0<\/p>\n                <p>The next dish, a platter of simmered seasonal vegetables and preserved foods was full of variety. The green beans in the center of the plate were a clear nod to the Manpuku-ji founder, Zen-master Ingen Ry\u016bki (1592\u20131673), for whom green beans have been named ingen-mame in Japanese. The most surprising item on this platter was the fake kamaboko (a pink and white fish cake common in Japanese cooking), which was actually made from mountain yam. Imitation foods, a hallmark of Fucha Ry\u014dri, are delightful in that they look so much like the meat or fish that they are meant to resemble.\u00a0<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/hoteltavinos.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/5-33.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1566\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"c-text-box lazyblock-text-box-28MUpf aligndefault aligndefault  wp-block-lazyblock-text-box\">\n            <p>The platter of fried foods reminded me of tempura, but is sufficiently flavored to be eaten as is. It was gorgeous and included so many items that I had never tried fried before\u2014red konjac, koya dofu coated in almond slices, and the fried plum, which takes five days to prepare!\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/hoteltavinos.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/6-33.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1567\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"c-text-box lazyblock-text-box-2sEHjQ aligndefault aligndefault  wp-block-lazyblock-text-box\">\n            <p>Another stand-out dish was the unpen, which means cloud fragments and is a bed of crispy noodles topped with small bits of vegetables. Besides being delicious, the dish represents the philosophy of the kitchen to avoid waste and use every little piece of the precious foods which sustain us.\u00a0<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/hoteltavinos.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/7-30.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1568\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"c-text-box lazyblock-text-box-ZAkU1 aligndefault aligndefault  wp-block-lazyblock-text-box\">\n            <p>Of course the meal ended with a dessert assortment. Like the other courses, this was prepared using seasonal ingredients. Orange slices, served with hojicha dango (roasted green tea dumplings) and chestnut y\u014dkan (a jellied sweet made from bean paste). It was the perfect end to a relaxing lunch in the company of friends.\u00a0<\/p>\n                <p>Note, that to eat Fucha Ry\u014dri you must make a reservation at least three days in advance, either in person or by phone. Course meals are offered in three tiers, starting at 6,600 yen per person. And because this type of Sh\u014djin Ry\u014dri is meant to be eaten with company, reservations for the course meals can only be made for groups of two or more. If you are dining alone, you may reserve a bento lunch box for 3,300 yen.\u00a0<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Head Temple of the Oubaku sect Manpuku-ji Temple<\/h4>\n\n\n<div class=\"c-text-box lazyblock-text-box-bcPnQ aligndefault aligndefault  wp-block-lazyblock-text-box\">\n            <p>Address: 34 Sanbanwari, Gokasho, Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture<br>Hours: 9:00 am \u2013 5:00 pm\u00a0 (Fucha Ry\u014dri lunch 11:30 am \u2013 2:30 pm, must be seated by 1 pm)<br>Website:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.obakusan.or.jp\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.obakusan.or.jp\/en\/<\/a><br>Fucha Ryori Information:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.obakusan.or.jp\/eat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.obakusan.or.jp\/eat\/\u00a0<\/a>(Japanese only)<br>Telephone: +81 0774-32-3900<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Writer<\/h4>\n\n\n<div class=\"c-text-box lazyblock-text-box-Z2uOA0Q aligndefault aligndefault  wp-block-lazyblock-text-box\">\n            <p>Maisie McPherson<br>Originally from the United States, Maisie has called the Kansai region of Japan home for nearly two decades. She enjoys seeking out the charms of life in Japan and sharing that information with visitors from overseas. She also loves marveling at retro architecture and design from the Showa period, exploring Japanese gardens, and is always up for a night out in a lively izakaya.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1562,"template":"","format":"standard","blog_cat":[8],"class_list":["post-1561","blog","type-blog","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","blog_cat-kyoto"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Visit Manpuku-ji Temple for Sh\u014djin Ry\u014dri, a Buddhist Vegetarian Cuisine - HOTEL TAVINOS [Official Website]<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Experience shojin ryori at Manpuku-ji Temple in Kyoto, a traditional Buddhist vegetarian cuisine that uses no meat, fish, or animal products, highlighting seasonal ingredients and flavors.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hoteltavinos.com\/en\/blog\/kyoto-manpukuji-temple\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Visit Manpuku-ji Temple for Sh\u014djin Ry\u014dri, a Buddhist Vegetarian Cuisine - 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