Yakuzen (medicinal cooking) Experience at Soyuan
expert: Fumi Harada
Why Yakuzen cuisine?
Yakuzen, or medicinal cuisine, is a way of eating that makes meals medicinal. It improves the condition of the body and remedies illnesses by taking advantage of the medicinal properties inherent in foods. There is a well-known phrase “yakuzen dogen,” which means, “medicine and food have the same source.” The basis of yakuzen cuisine is knowing your constitution, understanding the medicinal properties of food, and selecting ingredients that align with the season and your constitution. Yakuzen is an incredibly easy and important way of eating that takes advantage of the natural properties found in our food to improve our well-being.
Why Yakuzen in Kyoto by the Sea?
Kyoto by the Sea has become synonymous with wellness. Home to the highest concentration of people over 100 in the world, the people here know the secrets to living a long healthy life. A lot of this comes down to diet, the ingredients we choose to eat, and how we prepare them. This yakuzen experience takes advantage of locally sourced ingredients, using them as the basis for the culinary portion of the experience. These are the same healthy ingredients that the oldest, healthiest people in the world are eating, and the simplicity is eye-opening.
Starting your yakuzen journey in Kyoto by the Sea is the perfect introduction to a new way of eating. You will learn about your constitution, how to adjust your habits seasonally, about the properties of foods, what types of foods are best for you, and plenty of time to ask questions to further tailor your food needs. This experience includes a welcome drink, interactive cooking experience with lunch tailored to the guests’ constitution, and a matcha session. This is an experience that guests take home with them. Implementing this way of cooking into home life is easy, even without access to the worlds best ingredients, and Harada-san, the registered yakuzen expert, makes it easy to understand and fun. And what better location to try yakuzen then a beautifully renovated 160-year-old farmhouse that has been in Harada-san’s family for generations.
About our yakuzen specialist
Fumi Harada is a locally born certified yakuzen instructor and former occupational therapist. She has clinical experience in the fields of physical disability, mental disability, and aging disability. Having a desire to work in the local community, and worked at an employment support office before finding her way to medicinal herbs. She believes that one way to positively impact public health is through healthy eating. She is a certified Kyoto Food Health Instructor along with her yakuzen instructor certification. She was also part of a delgation that went to the Netherlands to reserach Human Resource Development, is an official attendant coordinator for the Japan Health Tourism Organization, and was the winner of the 5th National Chairman’s Award for wild game recipes. She is passionate about the ingredients we put in our bodies and makes both the learning process and eating process fun!
Where is this experience?