Kishin means a joyful mind. Kishin Kitchen is based on a belief that preparing and having meals are all part of training, and therefore should all be regarded as a precious and joyful act in a daily life. The service and execution of this meal embodied this belief; fresh, local ingredients prepared in the traditional Kyoto style. 

She is obsessed with polka dots. She gained public attention when in the late 1960s she organized a series of happenings in which naked participants were painted with brightly colored polka dots. Yayoi Kusama was born in Kyoto, Japan in 1929. While her training was traditional she was inspired by American Abstract Impressionism and moved to New York City to become a part of the avant-garde scene, especially in the pop-art movement. The Forever Museum of Contemporary Art in Gion is a 100 year old traditional Japanese wooden building housing over 350 pieces of Kusama’s art.