In January 2008, Kakuho Aoe, a Buddhist monk at Ryokusenji Temple in Asakusa, Tokyo, began holding monthly "dark dinner" events, for which participants were blindfolded before being served their meals. Following the success of those events, he is now adding something a little different to the menu of his culinary experiment — "Kurayami no Tabiji" ("Journey in the Dark").
Open to the public during the Shinagawa Shukuba Festival this weekend (Sept. 25 and 26), participants of "Journey in the Dark" will be blindfolded before being served, just like at the dark dinner events. This time, however, they will not only be asked to rely on an enhanced sense of taste to further enjoy the process of eating, but they will also be taken on a journey to the scenic, seaside city of Minami-Satsuma in Kagoshima Prefecture in the southern Kyushu region.
How is that possible?