Photo/Illutration Koyasan Buddhist cuisine curry served at Cafe Shizuku in Koya, Wakayama Prefecture, on Feb. 10 (Hiroshi Ohno)

KOYA, Wakayama Prefecture—A cafe near Kongobuji Temple at the heart of Mount Koyasan has embraced Buddhist food prohibitions to develop its signature curry dish.

Cafe Shizuku, which serves “Koyasan shojin kare” (Buddhist cuisine curry), opened its doors in the summer of 2022.

Animal-based ingredients such as meat and fish are not used in “shojin ryori” (Buddhist cuisine), since eating animals goes against the teachings of Buddhism.

The use of five vegetables known as “gokun” which usually means garlic, onion, green onion, Chinese chives and Chinese scallions, are also prohibited.

These ingredients have a strong smell and are thought to “increase excitement,” hampering Buddhist ascetic training. Spices such as curry powder are often regarded in the same manner.

Although the main ingredients in Japanese curry are usually curry powder, onion and meat, shojin curry must be made without any of these three.

How could anyone strike a balance between “shojin” principles and the taste of curry, which seem completely incompatible?

A bite of the Koyasan shojin curry shows that it has captured the essential flavor of curry to an amazing degree.

Instead of curry powder, “sansho” (Japanese pepper) picked at the foot of the surrounding mountains is used to add spiciness. Instead of onion, Fuyu persimmon grown in Kudoyama, a town also located at the foot of the mountains, is used generously.

Soy meat nicely offers a texture resembling minced meat.

Why was shojin curry chosen as the signature dish to begin with?

Risa Kubo, 41, who oversees the Koyasan Digital Museum facility where Cafe Shizuku is located, had the answer.

The cafe is run by DMC Koyasan, which stands for “Destination Management Company.”

“Our company’s foremost mission is to serve as the gateway to Koyasan and to steer the visitors to various shops in the area,” says Kubo.

There are many establishments in the area that serve traditional Buddhist cuisine. Although the cafe wanted to present the shojin concept reflecting the spirit of Koyasan, it did not wish to compete with surrounding restaurants by offering the same dishes.

Instead, curry was chosen precisely because it is usually not associated with Buddhist cuisine.

“Some visitors only realize that it was vegetarian after finishing the dish,” Kubo says.

Despite its unusual origin, shojin curry is becoming one of the most popular dishes on Koyasan.

Even in the winter, people line up before the cafe opens on the weekend.

During the peak season in the summer and fall, it draws a crowd that Kubo, who commutes in from the center of Osaka city, likens to crowds in Nanba or Umeda.

Cafe Shizuku is located at 360 Koyasan in Koya.

Besides Koyasan shojin curry, priced at 1,180 yen ($7.60), it also offers “shojin dashi chazuke” (a dish of dashi stock poured over cooked rice) served with various pickles for 1,180 yen, and “Koya-kun monaka” (a Japanese sweet of azuki bean paste sandwiched between wafers) for 680 yen.

All prices include tax.

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