Zen Monk Toryo Ito is the Vice-Abbot of Ryosokuin Temple in Kyoto’s historic Gion district. Raised in a family deeply rooted in Zen tradition, he was ordained by his grandfather, the temple’s 22nd abbot. Since becoming vice-abbot in 2007, Ito has led Zazen sessions for over 200,000 individuals around the world. He blends the temple’s 600-year heritage with contemporary art exhibitions and has led Zen sessions at Meta’s U.S. headquarters and worldwide. He co-developed the meditation app “InTrip” and launched “XEXE” to modernize the tea ceremony. In 2023, Newsweek honored him among its “100 Japanese People the World Respects.”
