おうちごはん！(Ouchigohan) - Shojin Ryori with Reverend Daiko Matsuyama of Taizoin

About the Event:

This month's unique Ouchigohan event features a special guest, Reverend Daiko Matsuyama, Buddhist monk from Taizo-in Buddhist Temple in Kyoto, who will teach us about Shojin Ryori. He will begin with a presentation on the history and significance of Shojin Ryori, followed by Q&A, then showcase how to cook and eat traditional temple food. Attendees can choose to cook along with Debra Samuels from Table for Two. On the menu is a vegetarian soup accompanied by rice mixed with greens, and kinpira, a side dish of simmered vegetables in Japanese seasonings.

"Shojin Ryori" refers to traditional Buddhist cooking eaten by monks. It's perfect for vegetarians and vegans, as it's made without animal products, and instead focuses on plant-based ingredients such as grains, vegetables, and soybeans. Zen philosophy and mindfulness are woven into the entire process.

About Daiko Matsuyama:

Born in 1978 in Kyoto, Matsuyama obtained his Master’s degree in Agriculture and Life Sciences from the University of Tokyo. After three and half years of training at Heirin-ji Temple, Niiza, he became the deputy priest of Taizoin Temple in 2007. Matsuyama is acclaimed for organizing intercultural activities such as Zen experience tours for foreign visitors and talks at embassies in Japan and at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club. In May 2009, he was elected as a Japan Tourism Agency’s Ambassador for its “Visit Japan” Campaign. He has been a member of Kyoto’s Ambassadors for Tourism since 2011, and was listed as one of “The Top 100 People of the New Generation 2016” in Nikkei Business. And he was appointed as a fellow of US-Japan Leadership Program from 2016. In 2018, he was invited to Israel as the delegate of Young Leaders Program. And he also became a visiting lecturer at Stanford University.

He received The Award of Commissioner for Cultural Affairs and Shigemitsu Award from the Japan Society of Boston in 2019. He is serving as an appointed member of the Kyoto City Board of Education and an Outside Director of V-cube, a tech startup, since 2021. As a young representative of the Zen Sect in Japan, Matsuyama has interacted with many religious leaders, such as having an audience with the Roman Catholic Pope and conversing with the 14th Dalai Lama. He also participated in the Davos World Economic Forum in 2014, and continues to work actively beyond national and religious borders. 

About the Instructor: 

 Debra Samuels leads the program content and curriculum development of TABLE FOR TWO USA’s Japanese inspired food education program, “Wa- Shokuiku: Learn. Cook. Eat Japanese!”.

She was a food writer and contributor to the Food Section of The Boston Globe and has authored two cookbooks: “My Japanese Table,” and “The Korean Table.” She curated the exhibit, “Obento and Built Space: Japanese Boxed Lunch and Architecture,” at the Boston Architectural College (2015) and co-curated “Objects of Use and Beauty: Design and Craft in Japanese Culinary Tools,” at the Fuller Craft Museum (2018). Debra also worked as a program coordinator and an exhibition developer at the Japanese department of the Boston Children's Museum (1992-2000).

Debra has lived in Japan, all together, for 12 years and specializes in Japanese cuisine. She travels around the country and abroad teaching hands on workshops on obento, the Japanese lunchbox. During Covid 19 she is teaching live online cooking programs to youth and adults.

The Japan Society of Boston is pleased to work with our friends at The Japan-America Society of Houston, The Japan-America Society of Georgia, The Japan-America Society of Washington DC, The Japan-America Society of Greater Philadelphia, The Japan America Society of Colorado, Japan-American Society of Indiana, and The Japan Society (New York) in this special installment of the family-friendly cooking series おうちごはん！Ouchigohan! - Japanese Home Cooking with TABLE FOR TWO USA, part of the innovative food education program, Wa-Shokuiku: Learn. Cook. Eat Japanese!, where participants make simple, healthy, homestyle Japanese food to enjoy with friends and family. This Ouchigohan event is part of #EdamameChamp, TABLE FOR TWO USA’s annual campaign to promote healthy eating through Japanese cuisine focusing on SOY.

Please note that we often take photographs at events for our records and sometimes for use in public media such as Facebook and blog posts. Registering for an event generally signifies acknowledgment that your likeness may be used in these ways. If you are not comfortable with this, please let us know and we can accommodate you.