Vegetable is Genius : Shojin Ryori purifies the body and spirit. Shojin is a Buddhist term that refers to devotion, purification, asceticism or diligence in pursuit of enlightenment and perfection and Shojin Ryori, a type of vegetarian cuisine, was brought into Japan via China and Korea with the introduction of Buddhism in the sixth century.   Toshio Tanahashi, a prominent fixture in Japan's contemporary culinary scene in Tokyo, explores the potential of vegetable as an remarkably versatile culinary ingredient, and pursues the history and meaning of this strictly vegetarian cuisine that aims to establish the dietary habits of avegetarian lifestyle as a means of purifying the body and training the mind. He also says, "It is nesecarry to be familiar with traditional culture to create something new.","Shojin Ryori conveys the preciousness of life through the hands of the person prepares it."