On Wednesday, 5th March, De Liefde Club held its last event of the fiscal year 2024.
We took a guided tour at Sojiji, the head monastery of the Soto sect in Tsurumi, and were served Shojin Ryori for lunch. Even though the previous day’s snow threatened to affect our transportation, the weather cooperated with us and our 21 participants all enjoyed the event. The tour was conducted by a German monk, Mr. Geppert, in both English and Japanese, and we spent about an hour touring the spacious interior of Sojiji. We had a great time on the tour where we heard stories about the daily lives of the monks. After the tour, we learned not only how to eat Shojin Ryori, but also about the traditions and meanings of this important meal. Mrs. Louise Wesseling, Ambassador’s wife, attended and engaged with the tour along with everyone in the club. All in all, it was an amazing day, and we were privileged to enjoy such a wonderful experience.