Switzerland Newsletter Japan External Trade Organization Fd Shojin Ryori: “I find Buddha in vegetables” Lunch with Toshio Tanahashi: An introduction to the Japanese traditional Buddhist cuisine Inside this issue Toshio Tanahashi is a man with a mission: promoting Shojin Shojin Ryori: 1 Ryori, the Japanese traditional “I find Bud- + Buddhist way of cooking. These dha in vegeta- 2 bles”, Lunch + days, he says, people eat bad with Chef 3 food, which affects their health. Toshio One of the possible translations Tanahashi for “shojin ryori” could be Ceremony of 3 “spiritual food”. Mr. Tanahashi the Enthrone- ment of his believes that this type of cuisine Majesty Em- can help people feel better and peror Naruto enjoy a healthier life. In Novem- Medical Ja- 4 ber, he visited Switzerland for a pan: Innova- couple of weeks and attended tive solutions for aging soci- several events all around the eties country. We had the pleasure to meet the Chef and were lucky to Toshio Tanahashi: A colourful and healthy cuisine have him prepare delicious and nutritious food for us in the this is where Mr. Tanahashi ly a very healthy cuisine. As Mr. 会見 beautiful framework of “The started his apprenticeship at the Tanahashi explained, people feel INTERVIEW Hamlet”, in the city center of age of 27. He trained in the Ges- light and full of energy after a Geneva. We are not sure that we shinji Temple, a nunnery famous shojin ryori meal (we agree). will find Buddha in vegetables, for its cooking. He told us it was When we asked him if shojin as he poetically says, but defi- a meaningful experience. ryori is vegan, Mr. Tanahashi did nitely provided us with food for Traditionally, Shojin cooking not give a straight answer. When thought. uses the donations (mostly food) he cooks, however, it is vegan that people make to the temple. indeed. He uses no meat, fish, Origins of Shojin Ryori The essence of shojin ryori is to eggs or any other animal or ani- Shojin ryori dates back to the bring out the best of what has mal-derived products. 6th or 7th century, when Bud- been kindly given. dhism was introduced to Japan. Nevertheless, Mr. Tanahashi is However, it is during the 13th A healthy, seasonal and local not vegan himself. As part of century, when Buddhism had cuisine their religious beliefs, eventually spread all over the Since it can only use the dona- Buddhists must not kill animals country, that Shojin ryori really tions coming from the surround- and therefore do not use them in developed to become the way we ing community, shojin ryori is a their cooking. But, if he's offered know it today. Shojin ryori was local and seasonal cuisine based meat, Mr. Tanahashi will eat it. particularly popular in the Kan- on vegetables and fruits; the use sai region, around Kyoto, and of fat is limited. It is undoubted- (continued on page 2) Page 2 JETRO Switzerland Newsletter Shojin Ryori: “I find Buddha in vegetables” However, as always when it comes The capacity to understand the 会見 to cooking, the chef has a great in- products and to use them in a sim- INTERVIEW fluence on the final result. Toshio ple way that will allow them to Tanahashi clearly transcends shojin develop the best taste is certainly a ryori - his is gastronomy, more than great merit for every cook, but also cooking. The simplest products are one of the strengths of Japanese combined, prepared and cooked in gastronomy that has inspired so a perfect way. It is no surprise that many chefs from all around the so many famous chefs are willing to world. learn from him. The French chef Alain Ducasse was so impressed We asked Mr Tanahashi how he Grinding sesame: a daily routine that he convinced Mr. Tanahashi to manages to find the proper ingredi- (continued from page 2) go to Paris and to train the new ents when he travels out of Japan. Plaza Athénée team for three He answered that he is always hap- months. When we asked Mr. py to try with local ingredients. Taking time is part of the process Tanahashi what he taught to this Shojin ryori is about doing your “People often say that they have no highly qualified team he noncha- best with what you have. For our time to prepare their meals, but lantly answered that he had noth- lunch he went to a local supermar- why is that?” Mr. Tanahashi asked ing to teach. He simply helped them ket and was impressed by the us. He says that “In the past, people to reconnect with the products quantity of fresh fruits and vegeta- had to walk much more than they they were using, by showing them bles available. Plus, many Japanese do nowadays; they had to hand- how he works. “They had three typical ingredients such as soy clean their clothes. Today, we have microwaves in their kitchen, what sauce, sesame or tofu are easy to cars and washing machines that do you need three microwaves for?” find on nowadays. Almost all the help us save time.” he asked us laughing. “We started ingredients came from there except “Every morning, I grind sesame for by grinding sesame every morning”. the nori alga he brought from Ja- one hour. It's my way of meditat- pan. What if one day he travels ing. Usually, monks meditate by The man who listens to vegeta- somewhere where he can find nei- doing nothing, but if I try it myself, ther soy sauce nor sesame? too many thoughts will cross my bles It would be stimulating he an- mind. Doing something with my Every morning, Mr. Tanahashi goes swered laughing. hands, enables me to reach the ap- to the local market and “talks to the propriate state of mind.” Often- vegetables first, then to the seller”. times, when something seems It is important to treat the vegeta- (continued on page 3) quick to make, it actually isn't. For bles in a gentle manner, he said. our lunch he prepared a simple This is why he avoids processing soup with nori (alga) and mush- the products too much (no grinding rooms. It is involved, for instance). It is im- only takes 15 minutes to prepare portant to see what you are eating. the soup, he said, but the nori had When we asked him where he finds taken a year to dry. inspiration from and he simply an- swered: “From the products them- A Chef that teaches to the best selves”. He says that vegetables whisper, and we need to pay atten- In shojin ryori, it is important to tion and listen to them to under- honor the ingredients used, by Tofu salad with broccolis, kaki, apple and grapes; rice with chestnut and bringing out the best of them. stand what is the best way to pre- pare them. mushrooms; beetroot Issue 126 Page 3 Shojin Ryori: “I find Buddha in vegetables” (continued from page 2) that time he realized he was look- open a similar center in Europe. 会見 ing for something different. He told “Why not in Switzerland?”, he A man with a mission us he is no business man, and has asked. INTERVIEW As said in the introduction, Mr. no interest in being rich. Therefore, Tanahashi has a mission. He be- he closed the restaurant in 2007 lieves that shojin ryori is not only and since then he has been travel- good for human health, but also for ing around the world to reach more the planet. The Japanese chef's mis- people. In 2008 he opened the sion is to share this traditional cui- Zecoow Culinary Institute, where sine in the most effective way. He he teaches the shojin way of cook- started by opening a restaurant in ing and further develops the philos- Tokyo that soon become famous. ophy behind it. Mr. Tanahashi He kept it for 15 years, but during hopes to find the right partners to A delicious and colourful soup Ceremony of the Enthronement of his Majesty Emperor Naruto The Enthronement ceremony of his November 11 because of Typhon peror’s nephew, and Prince Hitachi Majesty Emperor Naruto took Hagibis, which hit Japan in Octo- (3) - the Emperor’s Uncle. 動向 place on October 22. ber. Emperor Naruhito’s only child, TREND The enthronement process is a Current successors to Emperor Princess Aiko, cannot succeed her highly codified ritual. The official Naruhito are Prince Akishino (1) - father without a modification of the schedule reports 24 ceremonies his brother, Prince Hisahito (2) - Imperial Household Law. and rituals to take place from the Prince Akishino's son and the Em- abdication of Emperor Emeritus Akihito on April 30, 2019 until De- cember 2019. Right after the abdication, the ac- cession ceremony took place, inau- gurating the new Reiwa era in the Japanese Shinto calendar. The enthronement itself (Sokuirei- Seiden-no-gi) is the second part of the process, and it happens in the State Hall. It is certainly one of the highlights of the whole ritual. The ceremony was attended by around 3,000 guests, including 55 heads of state and government and 32 royal- ties. Initially scheduled on the same His Majesty Emperor Naruhito in the Takamikura throne. The Emperor wears the day, the parade was postponed to “Kourozen-no-Gohou”. It’s color represents the sun. Issue 126 Page 4 Medical Japan: Innovative solutions for aging societies 革新 Aging societies are a challenge for derly Care Expo & Conference" robots, AI-powered glasses, smart most developed countries, but this took place from October 23 to 25, shoes and much more.