When you enter a tea room, a single flower waits in the tokonoma alcove. The spirit of Rikyu's teaching to "arrange flowers as they are in the wild" has shaped Japanese aesthetic sensibility for five hundred years. From seasonal leading flowers to the forbidden flower list and types of flower containers, this guide includes a pilgrimage guide to experience chabana culture at Kyoto's famous temples.

"Kissa ko" — just drink some tea — this Zen phrase embodies the unity of tea and meditation. From Murata Juko and Sen no Rikyu deepening cha-zen ichimi at Daitokuji, to zazen and matcha experiences at Kenninji, Engakuji, and Kenchoji, this guide explains how to touch the depth of a bowl of tea at Zen temples.

The linear arrangement of Sanmon gate, Butsuden, and Hatto in Zen temple architecture spatializes the path to enlightenment. This article compares the Five Mountains temples — Kenchoji, Engakuji (Kamakura) and Nanzenji, Tofukuji (Kyoto) — to explain the relationship between Zen thought and architectural design.