After a long time, we took a leisurely visit to the temple, and now, what's next? Since my Mr. has never been to Chishakuin Temple, we took a bus to Higashiyama Shichijo. It seems to be a popular spot for school trips. A new treasure hall has been built, and the wall paintings by Hasegawa Tōhaku have been moved there, with an additional fee to see the garden. The reception hall was also renovated in September 2020 and looks very beautiful. Oh? The previous reviews seem to have disappeared. Let's have lunch here before relaxing in the garden. Oh, they serve vegetarian cuisine here. The interior is quite stylish. Quite a few people are coming in. There are also desserts available. I had the Yuba rice bowl, and he had the tempura rice bowl set. The tempura rice bowl was around 1650 yen, I think? The Yuba rice bowl was slightly cheaper, but well, we shouldn't compare it to before. The food was served fairly quickly. Hot tea was nice. The bowls have become more elegant. The rice bowl had chopped pickles, topped with silky Yuba, and poured with a separate container of sauce. It was so delicious. The side dish was simmered hijiki seaweed. Oh, my teacup. The miso soup had fried tofu and seaweed. He seemed to enjoy his tempura as well. The front desk at the reception hall kindly stored our belongings, so we could enjoy the tranquil garden, said to be favored by Sen no Rikyū. At this time of year, the garden was being pruned, and the sound of water mixed with the clippers was soothing.

I was very hungry at Chisen-in, so I had a set of tempura bowl and mini kitsune soba. The simmered hijiki seaweed side dish had a Kyoto-like flavor with a rich dashi broth. The tempura was crispy and the shrimp was cooked perfectly. The soba broth was also very delicious. For those who visit Chisen-in, I highly recommend it! Thank you for the meal.

On the first day of Golden Week around 11 a.m., after getting a Goshuin at Myoho-in, I felt like having lunch and wandered around. I decided to try lunch at a restaurant located on the grounds of Chisan-in called "Chisan-in Charyo Kikyo." The place was very quiet and I was able to enjoy a leisurely meal. I ordered the Yuba Ankake Set and the Tempura Gozen. The ankake udon had a comforting taste with a flavorful broth and plenty of yuba. The Tempura Gozen included various types of tempura, with crispy shrimp tempura that was a luxurious treat. Both dishes were satisfying and filling for two women. We arrived around 11:30 a.m. and there were hardly any customers, which made us happy. However, by 12 p.m., the restaurant started to get busier and soon became full. There was a bit of a wait as well. There were also terrace seats available, which were still empty. The terrace seats might be nice during cooler seasons. The staff were kind and the service was quick, making it a great restaurant. The prices were a bit high, but if you are visiting Myoho-in, Chisan-in, or other nearby places, I recommend trying this restaurant.

I don't have many opportunities to eat Shojin cuisine. When I was in my 20s, I would have thought that dishes without meat lacked flavor, but now I appreciate these kinds of dishes. Especially the broth in the hot pot had a strong dashi flavor from kombu that was deeply satisfying. However, personally, I felt that even though it was Shojin cuisine, the salt content was high. Still, it was a valuable experience.

I stayed at the shukubo of Chisenin in Kyoto and had breakfast there. The shukubo is a new facility with rooms similar to a newly built business hotel, but what's different is the morning service. The morning service starts at 6 am, with an announcement at 5:30 and a gathering near the front desk at 5:40. In winter, it starts 30 minutes later. First, there is a chanting by many monks in the main hall, followed by another chanting in the Myoo Hall while burning a sacred firewood, lasting about an hour. Then, for those interested, there is a guided tour of the temple grounds by a monk, showing the national treasure wall paintings and gardens. After the morning service, the breakfast is served either at 7 am for those who attended the service, or at 8 am for those who went on the temple grounds tour. You can choose between a regular meal and a vegetarian meal for breakfast. The regular meal includes salmon and rolled omelette.

This is a tea house on the 1st floor of the Chisokuin temple grounds. They serve vegetarian meals as well as sweets. Before the moon viewing event, I had cream anmitsu for 750 yen and coffee for 500 yen. The interior is new and clean, and the counter seats are equipped with outlets and USB ports.

This is a dining place at the Shisokuin Kaikan, which is a lodging facility at Shisokuin Temple. In the evening, you can enjoy Kyoto-style dishes like yuba (tofu skin) along with sake. In the morning, you can have Shojin Ryori (Buddhist vegetarian cuisine) after your morning prayers. The building is new and clean, and the dining area is also a nice place to enjoy delicious food. It may not fit the typical image of a temple lodging, but the atmosphere is very pleasant. They also offer lunch, cafe, and sweets, making it a convenient spot for a break during your sightseeing in Kyoto.

After visiting the Chisan Temple, I had lunch at the Shukubo Chisanin Kaikan restaurant. I ordered the Kikyo set meal, which included small dishes, a main dish, a hot dish, fresh yuba, rice, pickles, soup, and dessert. I also tried the Shojin set meal, which included seasonal salads, a variety of dishes, tempura, rice, pickles, vegetable soup, and dessert. It was delicious!

We stayed at the main temple, Chizanin Kaikan, and had a special viewing of the famous garden and national treasure wall paintings by Hasegawa Tōhaku and his disciples. We dispersed at 8 in the morning and headed straight to the first-floor dining hall at Chizanin Kaikan called "Chizanin Saryo Kikyo." The "Kikyo" crest is the emblem of the Chisanin Chisan School. It is unrelated to the family crest of Akechi Mitsuhide, which is also the "Kikyo" crest. The breakfast menu was called "Shojin" for 1320 yen (including tax). Chizanin originated in the Ashikaga period in Wakayama, Nenno, then moved to Koyasan and eventually to Kyoto. The history of several hundred years is reflected in the meal. The refined Shojin dishes served in a vermilion-lacquered bowl were refreshing for both body and soul. The "Nenno Soup" was served later, a comforting bowl with azuki beans burnt with incense wood at the Myo-o Hall. The Koyadofu was also delicious with its flavorful broth. The meal ended with a Wakanama specialty, umeboshi. Everything was excellent. After finishing the meal, the dishes were neatly nested together, compactly stored like Russian nesting dolls. The main temple of Chizanin, one of the 3000 head temples in the country, elects a chief priest (general manager) every four years through an election, requiring a large number of dishes to serve many people. This nesting design makes it convenient for storage without taking up much space. It's another example of the wisdom of the Buddha. Oh, and I don't have to clean up after myself, so it's all good. I'm just taking photos for my own enjoyment. Amen... I mean, Namaste.

I had a kaiseki meal. It was delicious with gentle flavors.

Do you know about Chisan-in Temple in Kyoto? Despite being a frequent visitor to Kyoto, I hadn't heard much about it as a tourist spot. However, upon further inquiry, I found out that it is the head temple of the Chizan School of Shingon Buddhism, with affiliated temples like Naritasan Shinshoji, Kawasaki Daishi Heigenji, and Takaozan Yakuo-in. It seems to be quite a prestigious temple, although it was not well-known to the general public because it was primarily a training facility for monks. In recent years, they have been promoting it more, especially showcasing their national treasure wall paintings. Additionally, as the founding temple of Kobo Daishi Kukai, they are planning a nationwide event in two years to attract visitors from all over, and are currently undergoing renovation work in various areas. I recently stayed at a hotel nearby and discovered that they offer a special early morning visit once a month on Sundays to view a national treasure screen painting by artist Hasegawa. I signed up for this visit and joined a group of around 10 participants. We were guided through areas not usually open to the public, with monks providing explanations about the paintings. It was a fascinating experience, especially for my partner who is a fan of art programs like "Burari Bijutsukan." After the tour, we returned to the lodging facility and were guided to the tea room called Kikyo. They have implemented thorough COVID-19 measures, so we felt safe having our breakfast there. We were served breakfast in a bento box format, but since we had already eaten a hearty breakfast at the neighboring hotel, we politely declined and only had some sweets and matcha tea. The shop at the lodging also offered souvenir manju, which was delicious. I got a glimpse of the breakfast offered by the neighboring hotel, which included grilled fish, simmered vegetables, rolled omelet with side dishes, miso soup, rice, and pickles. While it wasn't a vegetarian meal, it was reasonably priced at 1,320 yen including tax. Although they also offer vegetarian options, the special visit to Chisan-in Temple was so enjoyable that I highly recommend it. Thank you for the meal, Namaste. ^^ For more information on the early morning special visit at Chisan-in Temple, visit: https://chisan.or.jp/news/%E6%99%BA%E7%A9%8D%E9%99%A2%E6%97%A9%E6%9C%9D%E7%89%B9%E5%88%A5%E6%8B%9D%E8%A6%B3%E3%81%AE%E3%81%94%E6%A1%88%E5%86%85

I think I can have such a wonderful experience only now. We gathered at 5:40 in the morning for the morning service. We were guided through the temple and only one other person joined us to see the national treasure. It was a very luxurious time. After that, we had breakfast here from 8 o'clock. The food was delicious. I don't feel guilty even though it's vegetarian cuisine. The rice was cooked perfectly. I'm in a good mood since the morning. The room and the public bath were also very clean. I wonder if it will be crowded next year. I would love to visit again if possible.

The dining hall at the lodge is also open to the public, and they offer cafe time as well. The food is delicious and satisfying!

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