ASA Ritual × Droog: Letting Go

*limited capacity, ticket sale will end on Sept 3rd*

ASA Ritual is honoured to host a special edition in collaboration with the cultural program manager Alya from Droog.

ASA Ritual and Droog have long shared an appreciation for creating intimate, community-rooted experiences. This edition grew from a simple conversation.

When Asako from ASA Ritual asked Alya about her recent journey through Japan, she spoke about one place that had particularly stayed with her: the Adachi Museum of Art in Shimane, renowned for its extraordinary Japanese garden. Although every element appears meticulously maintained, the philosophy behind the garden is not to impose perfection on nature, but to thoroughly observe it with great respect and allow it to reveal its own beauty. The diligent care of the garden is ultimately an act of respectfor both nature itself and the visitors who come to experience it.

That conversation resonated deeply with the philosophy behind ASA Ritual.

In ASA Ritual, Japanese calligraphy is not approached as a discipline of mastering beautiful characters. Instead, it becomes an invitation to let go of control and allow the brush, the ink and your own inner state to guide each brushstroke. Rather than striving to write the “correct” or “perfect” character, guests are invited to embrace whatever naturally emerges. In this sense, your calligraphy becomes a reflection of the self.

Throughout this tranquil afternoon, we will explore Japanese philosophy through calligraphy, dialogue and a tasting of a few pieces of ASA’s signature plant-based sushi. Together, we will reflect on living in awe of nature, embracing impermanence, and discovering the beauty of letting go.

Programme (approximately 2 hours)

* Welcome and introduction

* Japanese calligraphy experience

* Guided dialogue moderated by Asako

* Tasting of ASA’s signature plant-based sushi

 Asako Kato is an artist who designs and hosts this ritual. After seven years of dedicated practice in plant-based sushi, she began shaping ASA Ritual an experience informed by Japanese ways of being, family-rooted calligraphy traditions, artisanal vegetable sushi, and a focus on how people come into calmness, open up, and engage in more honest dialogue

Photo credit: Shahrnaz Javid

Souls of Zen: A Shared Ritual

Droog presents an immersive afternoon bringing together ritual food experience and ethnographic cinema.

At the center of the gathering is a screening of Souls of Zen, accompanied by a live sushi-making ritual and shared tasting experience by ASA Vegan Sushi.

Guests are invited not only to watch and eat, but to observe allowing food, gesture, sound, and image to unfold together in time. This event is a joint project by culinary artist Asako Kato (ASA Vegan Sushi) and film curator Alya Yumrukçal (Droog).

The ritual of making and eating
The sushi is prepared live as part of the shared experience. Guests are invited to enter the world of the film slowly and to engage with the food attentively during the screening.

Each guest receives four pieces of vegan sushi:
• Three pieces of Asako’s signature sushi
• One mini onigiri

These are enjoyed during the screening, creating a shared moment that reflects Zen not as a formal religious practice, but as a lived philosophy present in everyday gestures, intention, and attention.

About ASA Vegan Sushi
Through ASA Vegan Sushi, Asako Kato explores sushi not only as food, but as an embodiment of Japanese philosophy — living in harmony with nature and seeking the intrinsic beauty of each element.

The film: Souls of Zen
Souls of Zen (2011) Buddhism, Ancestors, and the 2011 Tsunami in Japan is a documentary based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in the aftermath of the 3/11 disasters. Filmed by Tim Graf and Jakob Montrasio, the film follows Buddhist clergy and communities as they navigate ritual, mourning, and collective recovery in the wake of catastrophe.

 

Information
Date: 21 March
Time: 3:00 PM

Ticket price includes four pieces of vegan sushi.
Drinks will be available for purchase, including tea and low-alcohol pairing options.

‼️Tickets close Wednesday at 00:00 midnight, so make sure to reserve on time‼️

Capacity is limited to preserve the intimacy of the experience.

Photo credits: Elmer Driessen, An De Smedt