Shojin-Ryori Where Taste Meets Mind in Tokyo

Tokyo's food scene showcases an extraordinary variety, inclusivity, and quality. It encompasses a wide range of culinary styles, caters to people from all walks of life, and features nearly every cuisine imaginable. This kind of culinary diversity deeply resonates with the spirit of shojin-ryori, Japan’s 1,300-year-old vegetarian Buddhist cuisine. Here’s why.

“I’ve visited dozens of countries around the world, but Tokyo stands out for its diversity, inclusiveness, and exceptional quality,” says Yusuke Nomura, Executive Chef and the fourth-generation owner of DAIGO, a 77-year-old shojin-ryori restaurant.

“Tokyo’s dining scene embraces every cuisine imaginable. While French, Italian, and Chinese cuisines are common worldwide, in Tokyo you can find everything from Kazakh and Iranian to Peruvian food. Even within Japanese cuisine, the variety is astounding—shojin-ryori, sushi, tempura, soba, okonomiyaki, shabu-shabu, sukiyaki, yakiniku, yakitori, and countless others. Wherever you go, you can be confident that each dish will be delicious in its own unique way.”

Social Connections, Transportation, and Toyosu Market

When it comes to Tokyo’s culinary scene, chefs are undoubtedly one of its most vital components. According to Nomura, several aspects of Tokyo attract chefs from across Japan and around the world. He emphasizes that human connections, efficient transportation, and easy access to fresh fish markets are key reasons why many chefs aspire to build their careers in the city.  

“With a population exceeding 14 million and nearly 20 million annual visitors from overseas, Tokyo boasts strong social networks and high levels of consumption,” Nomura explains. “The city is also home to Toyosu Market, the world’s largest fish market, and features a highly developed transportation infrastructure, including Haneda Airport. This enables easy access to ingredients from around the world, such as Bulgarian wines, Mexican produce, and rare Taiwanese specialties, to name a few.”

Catering to Diverse Needs and Environmental Consciousness

Nomura identifies five qualities that cultivate an enduring brand: distinctiveness, universality, internationalism, diversity, and sustainability. Guided by these principles, chefs in Tokyo are committed to meeting an exceptionally wide range of dietary needs.

“We strive to accommodate the dietary requirements of Hindus, Muslims, and Jews, as well as those of environmentally conscious individuals, people with allergies, and those who avoid meat or fish for religious or ethical reasons,” Nomura says. “Equally important are considerations of accessibility such as ensuring wheelchair users can enter buildings without getting wet in the rain. This level of hospitality is made possible thanks to Tokyo’s thoughtful infrastructure.”

DAIGO’s “Hassun (visually aesthetic appetizers) Platter” featuring colorful, seasonal vegetables

1,300-Year-Old Shojin-ryori Represents “Five, Five, Five, and Three”

Tokyo’s focus on diversity and hospitality resonates deeply with the concept of shojin-ryori, Japan’s culinary tradition that dates back over 1,300 years. Rooted in Buddhist philosophy, shojin-ryori refines techniques to enhance the natural essence of ingredients. Nomura often receives questions about what shojin-ryori truly is, and he offers a thoughtful explanation.

“Shojin-ryori is more than just vegetable-based cuisine; it is founded on Buddhist teachings,” Nomura says. “It is a cooking method to bring out the natural flavors of ingredients through the balanced use of five tastes, five colors, and five cooking methods, all prepared with three mindful attitudes.”

The five tastes are sweet, spicy, sour, salty, and bitter. The five colors such as red, yellow, and green emphasize visual harmony and balance, an essential part of Japanese culinary aesthetics. The five cooking methods include techniques such as cutting, boiling, steaming, grilling, and stir-frying, each selected to best express an ingredient’s character. 

Then, the three mindful attitudes, daishin (大心／magnanimous mind), kishin (喜心／joyful mind), and roushin (老心／nurturing mind), form the spiritual foundation of shojin-ryori. 

Nomura elaborates on each:

“Daishin” represents a great compassion that involves letting go of fixed beliefs and judgments. Buddhist teachings are meant to help guide people in their life journeys. They are not intended solely for those who can strictly follow certain rules, such as abstaining from meat, fish, or alcohol. Nomura explains, “For instance, children who have limited access to food also deserve the opportunity to find happiness through Buddhist teachings. Therefore, exercising great compassion means not judging someone as non-Buddhist simply because they choose to eat meat or fish.” 

This spirit of flexibility and openness is reflected in Nomura’s cuisine, in which he incorporates ingredients such as artichokes and edible flowers that were not traditionally used in shojin-ryori, but make the dish colorful and delicious.

"Kishin" represents a positive mindset. “Even when limited to cooking only with vegetables, instead of viewing it as difficult or troublesome, you can approach it positively. For instance, think, ‘If I spend three days making marron glacé, it will melt in my mouth the moment I taste it!’” 

This spirit also comes through in the preparation of DAIGO’s signature dish, sesame tofu. “Making sesame tofu is hard work,” Nomura admits. “Even in the peak of summer, we stand over the stove for a long time, stirring nonstop with a wooden spatula to keep it from burning and to draw out its rich flavor as it thickens. But when we imagine someone smiling and saying, ‘This sesame tofu is incredible,’ the whole process becomes something we genuinely enjoy.”

“Roushin” embodies a nurturing mindset. “For instance, it involves considering that foreigners may not be accustomed to eating natto (fermented soybeans) and offering them crispier foods instead. It also means avoiding hot foods for someone who has just undergone tongue surgery.”

DAIGO’s “Fried Sesame Tofu”

Several Stages of Quest for Food Experience

Nomura's restaurant, DAIGO, has been incorporating these shojin-ryori mindsets for over 75 years and continues to evolve by blending tradition with innovation. Nomura began his career as a bartender, then gained experience as a sommelier and in French cuisine before taking over his family's restaurant. 

Beloved by celebrities both in Japan and abroad, DAIGO attracts diners seeking more than just exquisite flavor. Nomura shares his thoughts on the psychology behind their fascination with shojin-ryori.

“I believe there are several stages in the quest for food. First, everyone seeks deliciousness. Next, many pursue healthiness. Then, some aim for mindfulness. Beyond these stages lies an ‘ism’—a philosophy that underpins the act of cooking. At this point, diners begin asking questions such as, ‘What is your thought process while preparing this dish?’ or ‘What do you hope to achieve beyond earning three stars?’ Shojin-ryori deeply resonates with this pursuit of meaning.”

A garden where you can enjoy the beauty of the four seasons

Hope for the Future with “Meat? Fish? Or Veggies?”

Nomura's goal for the future is to create a world where vegetables are regarded as a viable choice alongside meat and fish. He aims to change the perception of vegetable dishes through initiatives like donut shops and vegan restaurants equipped with saunas, all while promoting a fun, colorful, and appealing perception.

He also developed a vegan retort pouch curry for disaster situations and for people with special dietary restrictions. "The Great East Japan —a devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami— motivated me to create retort pouch curry,” Nomura recalls. With homes washed away and families missing, the act of eating became one of the few joys left. However, when vegans and individuals with allergies couldn't eat the curry served at disaster relief kitchens, telling them to ‘just eat an apple’ would leave them feeling hopeless. By leveraging my experience in vegan cuisine, I wanted to offer a delicious vegan curry. It contains no animal extracts or wheat flour, making it suitable for people with allergies. Hospital inpatients can also consume it safely."

While this flavorful vegan curry was initially developed with a specific vision in mind, it has since evolved in various directions. “It’s now served elegantly in first-class airline cabins and as late-night room service in hotels,” Nomura notes. “Because it’s made entirely from plant-based ingredients, it’s also easy to export internationally. Travelers from countries like India often purchase it as a souvenir to take home.”

All dishes are prepared with care and crafted to highlight the freshest ingredients

Customized Hospitality and Groundbreaking Service

When talking about Tokyo’s food scene, hospitality is one of its defining charms. Looking ahead, Mr. Nomura believes that "personalized hospitality" will be essential to elevating Tokyo’s dining experience even further. 

“After mastering the fundamentals of hospitality, it’s essential to know when to move beyond them,” he explains. “If someone without a solid foundation act arbitrarily, their approach becomes ‘formless.’ But when someone with a strong foundation expresses their originality, the result can be ‘groundbreaking.’ The same principle applies to service: first, establish your own fundamentals, then adapt them thoughtfully to each unique situation.”

Private room with tatami mat and a beautiful view of the Japanese garden

Distinction Between Movement and Culture to be Determined by History

Nomura also highlights knowledge as an essential quality for any chef. Since one can never predict what a guest may inquire about, he believes in cultivating a broad base of experiences through study, travel, and curiosity.

“The information you find on your smartphone or online is very different from what you gain through real-life service,” he says. “True hospitality involves sharing everything you’ve learned, even things that may seem trivial or simply personal interests.”

In Tokyo, where diners come from all over the world, a wide range of curiosity is indispensable. “If you focus only on cooking, your ability to provide a holistic experience becomes limited,” Nomura notes. “In the art world, for instance, we have seen the rise of artists such as Olafur Eliasson from Denmark and James Turrell from America, along with Japanese art collectives like teamLab. There is also a growing interest in natural, organic styles. Nordic aesthetics seem to be becoming a global mainstream, but who knows what sensibilities will emerge next? African music is incredible, and I also love genres like 1950s rockabilly. Keeping your antenna tuned to these shifts is crucial.”

Nomura believes that the line between a movement and a culture will ultimately be drawn by history itself. “Preserving tradition is important,” he reflects, “but relying solely on it can limit our ability to thrive in Tokyo. Our goal shouldn’t be to chase trends, but to expand our knowledge, stay alert, and remain one step ahead.”

This philosophy encapsulates Nomura’s approach and that of many chefs striving to serve an increasingly diverse and dynamic clientele in Tokyo.

DAIGO is nestled in nature, yet just a short walk from Ginza and Roppongi