Japanese film ‘The Zen Diary’, which depicts Buddhist vegetarian cuisine and the sustainable lifestyle in
Nagano, will be screening in Toronto in May 2024! Director Yuji Nakae will be attending all the screenings
below.
• Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre: May 23 (https://jccc.on.ca/film/zen-diary-2024-encore )
• Revue Cinema: May 24 & 25 (https://revuecinema.ca/films/the-zen-diary/)
Synopsis
Tsutomu lives alone in the mountains, writing essays and cooking food with vegetables he grows and
mushrooms he picks in the hills. His routine is happily disturbed when Machiko, his editor/love interest,
occasionally visits. She loves to eat, and he loves to cook for her. Tsutomu seems content with his daily life.
On the other hand, he still hasn’t let go of his wife’s ashes, although she died 13 years ago. A close brush
with death will now force him to decide what he values most in life and what he must choose going
forward.
