temple lodgings – Susan Spann, Adventure, Mystery, and Mountains

Traditional Japanese Welcome Tea (and Cakes)

Susan Spann Blog February 5, 2018February 5, 2018Japan, ryokan, tea, temple lodgings, traveling, welcome tea

Tea is the most commonly-consumed drink in Japan, and a customary part of the welcome visitors receive at traditional inns (ryokan), temple lodgings (shukubo), and many guest houses (minshuku). The type and grade of tea used to welcome guests varies significantly in type and grade by region, accommodation, and/or time of year.

Breakfast at a Japanese Buddhist Temple

Admin Blog February 23, 2017November 8, 2017Buddhism, Buddhist temples, Japan, photography, shukubo, temple lodgings, travel

Many Buddhist temples in Japan offer overnight lodging and meals for visitors. In most cases, these meals follow the standards of shōjin ryōri (literally “devotional cuisine”), a vegetarian style of cooking that involves no meat — and in some cases, no “vegetables that excite the senses” like spicy peppers and garlic. Some people think that meals without meat or heavy spice sound “boring” – but shōjin ryōri is one of my favorite styles of eating in Japan, and every temple meal I’ve eaten ranks among the most delicious food I’ve sampled in Japan. Here’s what travelers can expect from a typical shōjin ryōri breakfast in Japan: –