Dining with Geisha

A very special intimate evening of tradition, refined plant-based elegance, and the most fun game in Kyoto’s geisha district

2024, Kyoto Japan

We take our first dinners seriously on these trips—they set the tone, and we aim to impress. Since our Japan journey begins in Kyoto, we have the perfect opportunity to do just that. Our opening dinner takes place at a Michelin-starred restaurant that, while not exclusively vegan, is remarkably vegan-friendly—and creates a fully plant-based experience just for us.

We begin with a truly traditional and culturally significant meal: kaiseki, Japan’s most refined and culturally significant form of dining. Rooted in the 16th-century Japanese tea ceremony and influenced by shojin ryori (the plant-based cuisine of Buddhist monks), kaiseki originated as a simple, seasonal meal meant to prepare the body and spirit for tea.

All of the articles in this series can be found here: Vegan Travel.