Koyu Iinuma is the deputy chief priest of Fukushoji, a Tendai Buddhist temple in Yokohama, Japan. He was ordained as a monk at the famous Enryakuji monastery in Kyoto when only 19 years old. While studying at Taisho University in Tokyo, he decided to spread the word of Buddhism through food. After graduating, he trained at several restaurants in Tokyo and obtained a professional chef's license. He currently conducts shojin ryori (vegetarian Buddhist) cooking workshops at various temples in the Kanagawa area to people of all ages, pursuing his mission to teach an understanding of Buddhism through mindful and ethically responsible eating.