osake
At Sankouin, osake(alcohol) is considered entirely appropriate.
"Is it really okay to drink alcohol with shojin ryori (Buddhist vegetarian cuisine)?"
"I was surprised to find out alcohol is served."
We sometimes receive reactions like these when we offer osake(alcohol) at Sankouin. Some guests even express disapproval.
It is certainly true that at some other temples, alcohol is consumed under euphemisms like "Hannya-tou” (般若湯Wisdom hot water) or "Yakutou” (薬湯Medicinal hot water)—pretexts used to claim it is medicine rather than alcohol.
The Precept against Killing—do not take the life of living beings
The Precept against Stealing—do not steal
The Precept against Sexual Misconduct—do not engage in improper sexual acts
The Precept against Lying—do not tell lies
The Precept against Intoxication—avoid becoming heedless or unrestrained due to alcohol
The above constitute the Five Precepts of Buddhism; they admonish against the consumption of alcohol.
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However, Sankōu-in preserves the culture of the bikuni gosho (imperial convents).
By their very nature, these convents uphold a tradition of equally venerating the Buddha, the gods, and the Imperial Family.
This represents a lineage distinct from the syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism (神仏習合*shinbutsu-shūgō*).
Tsūgen-ji—the source of the culture now carried on by Sankōu-in—was founded by Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, with his grandmother serving as its founding abbess. Although his daughters also entered imperial convents, it was essential that the founding abbess be his grandmother; the reason for this lies in the male imperial bloodline.
In the context of these imperial convents, the gods are also regarded as ancestors.
※To put it somewhat simply, the descendants of Amaterasu Omikami—Japan's primordial deity—form the lineage of the current Imperial Family.
Naturally, the custom of goshinshu (sacred sake) exists here. Every morning, Ms. Kousyun Nishii offers osake to the deities; however, sake is not offered to the Buddhas.
oSake offered to the deities is referred to as goshinshu御神酒. When it is partaken of—a process known as osuberi (meaning "to descend" or "to receive from above")—it is then called omiki御神酒, though the written characters remain the same.
Therefore, at Sankōu-in, we both consume the sake and use it in our cooking; this practice is regarded as entirely proper and authentic.
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On the other hand, we do not use mirin（味醂）. Many people still find this surprising when I tell them.
It is not the case that just any alcohol is acceptable to use.
You wouldn't offer mirin to the gods, would you? Therefore, we do not use it either.
At the bikuni-gosho (imperial convents presided over by nuns), only six items are offered to the deities:
Rice, water, sake, salt, sakaki（Sacred Tree Leaf） , and fruit.
The sake used is strictly Japanese sake.
Consequently, other alcoholic beverages—such as mirin, shochu, brandy, or wine—are neither used in cooking nor consumed. Sake is permitted and welcomed solely because it is an offering that is subsequently shared with the deities (partaken of after being offered).
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In the world of shojin ryori (Buddhist vegetarian cuisine)—often perceived as understated or plain—Sankouin’s dishes are acclaimed for their robust flavor despite their emphasis on subtlety; this distinction is undoubtedly linked to the unique characteristics of the cuisine, including its compatibility with alcohol.
Indeed, many of the dishes pair exceptionally well with alcoholic beverages.
All references to alcohol here refer to Japanese osake.
Osake is the polite form of sake.
If you enjoy a drink, please feel free to indulge to your heart's content. (For this reason, we recommend that you do not arrive by car.)
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⚠️Supplementary notes on associated cultural practices—and a bit of digression
"Bikuni Gosho" (convents for noblewomen) have a tradition of awase—cultural competitions or matching games—such as kai-awase (shell matching), takimono-awase (incense blending contests), e-awase (picture contests), hana-awase (flower arrangement contests), and uta-awase (poetry contests). In fact, sake-awase (sake tasting and comparison gatherings) are also part of this tradition.
At the present-day Sankōu-in, this practice has lapsed, as hardly anyone—including Ms. Kousyun Nishii（西井香春）—has a habit of drinking alcohol. However, as a recreational activity (which also serves as a form of learning), the event involves participants bringing sake based on a chosen theme and sharing their individual impressions. It is not a matter of comparing brands to determine superiority or inferiority, nor is it a blind tasting challenge.
Historically, this was a highly refined cultural practice that required a degree of erudition, as participants were expected to compose tanka poetry. Bamboo-leaf boats would be set afloat on a stream within the grounds; participants had to compose a poem before the boat drifted past, all while enjoying sake that was also floated down the same stream.
Sankouin Temple, however, had no stream. When Ms. Kousyun Nishii first visited the temple, she remarked, "It is a pity that Sankoin lacks a stream." Upon hearing this, the Head Priestess, Koei Hoshino(星野香栄), spent several months constructing a stream on the temple grounds to host a one-day "stream-side gathering"—only to have the entire stream completely removed the very next day. It is a remarkable anecdote (and a section of the stream created at that time still remains on the grounds today). Details of this story are reserved for another time.
Before coming to Sankouin, Ms. Nishii had presided over "Pot-au-feuポ・ト・フー," one of Japan's premier wine clubs, which boasted the sponsorship of numerous major corporations.
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The spelling of 三光院 is Sankōuin, not Sankōin.
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List of Sankoiun's Japanese official websites
sankouin sns linklist
List of Booking Platforms
VELTRA (includes a copy of the book signed by Ms. Kousyun Nishii)
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