The invisible and intangible Japanese culture.
Soen is in-housed at Courier Coffee in Downtown Portland OR.
The Kakigori, Japanese shaved ice is back for the season 2024 →＊!
Bringing everyday Japanese comfort food and sweets with the freshly brewed coffee/tea.
923 SW Oak st Portland OR Thursdays - Mondays 10:30am[Kakigori 11:30-]-3pm
Within the broader scope of Japanese food and culture,
we approach the subtle, the invisible, and the intangible as something comforting, harmonious, and creative.
J O U R N A L
“Dependent Co-Arising”
The etymology of the word “草縁-Kusa-no-Yukari[So-en] “ goes back to the 10th century anthology of Japanese poetry.
The word “SO[草]” means “grass”, and "EN[縁]" is translated as "karma" or "fate" in English. However, we believe that the word is more accurately interpreted as “Dependent Co-Arising,” a theory by a Japanese monk.
We live and are sustained by our connections with others, nature, and all things beyond our individual consciousness. Soen aspires to be a part of an infinite chain of relationships through our intersectional stories.