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茶会プログラム体験の報告

Report on the Tea Ceremony Program Experience

 

1/21(火)、名勝大乗院庭園の文化館にある茶室にて、春日龍神を趣向とした濃茶席と薄茶席を楽しんでいただくプログラムが催行された。

On Tuesday, January 21st, a tea ceremony program was held at the tea room in the Cultural Hall of the Daijoin Garden, a designated scenic spot. Participants enjoyed sessions of thick tea (koicha) and thin tea (usucha) themed around Kasuga Ryujin.

 

濃茶席は、ふすまを開けて中に進むと先ず床の間の一刀彫の春日龍神が目に入る。能の舞台で見られる赤い髪をした龍神様である。

明かりは自然光のみで、庭園を望む円く縁どられた窓からの光が畳に座る参加者様の横顔を軟らかく包む。とても厳粛な雰囲気の中、茶会はスタートした。

はじめに椿をかたどった紅白の茶菓子が出され、一人ずつ順に濃茶がふるまわれた。

 

When entering the koicha (thick tea ceremony) room through the fusuma, guests first see the carving of the Kasuga-Ryuji in the tokonoma. It is the red-haired Ryuji god seen on a Noh stage performance.

The only natural light was from the circular window overlooking the garden, which softly enveloped the faces of the participants sitting on the tatami mats. The tea ceremony began in a very solemn atmosphere.

At first, red and white sweets in the shape of camellia were served, and then thick tea was served to each person in turn.

 

 

 

インドのカシミールから来られた女性は、日本に来て茶会に参加されてすっかりお茶の世界に魅了されたという。今回、来日中であったご家族と一緒に、このプログラムに参加された。

席主は、手本を示しながらも、足も崩していいし、細かい作法は気にしないようにと彼らに言った。まずは、今回の茶会の趣向である明恵上人が体験した霊験、すなわち日本という国が大陸から伝えられた仏の世界を受け入れて、順調に仏の国になっていることを春日龍神から教えられた世界観を体感してもらうことが大事なのだと説明した。この和室の中のお道具は、春日龍神や、大陸から伝わったとされるゆかりのものを使っていると説明があった。逐次通訳を介して、どのようにして茶碗が日本に伝わってきたか、最初は神や仏に水を捧げるために茶碗を使っていたが、だんだんお茶を飲むためのものとして、形も変遷されてきたという話や、どのようにして茶碗が作られたのか等、茶道具一つ一つの説明をしながら、参加者様からの質問にも答え、席主と参加者との交流がはかられた。

 

A woman from Kashmir, India, who came to Japan and attended the tea ceremony, said she had been completely fascinated by the world of tea. This time, she participated in this program with her family, who was in Japan. The master of the tea ceremony told them that they were allowed to sit at ease and not to worry about the details of etiquette while showing an example. First, he explained that it was important for them to feel the spiritual spirit that Shonin Myoe experienced. This experience is the worldview taught by the Kasuga Ryujin that Japan has accepted the world of the Buddha introduced from the continent and has been adopted widely. He explained that the utensils in this Japanese-style room used by the participants were derived from the Kasuga Ryujin and continent. Through an interpreter, the host and the participants interacted with each other, explaining each tea utensil and answering questions from the participants. The questions included, for example, how tea bowls were introduced to Japan and how they were made, and although tea bowls were initially used to offer water to gods and Buddha, their shape gradually changed to tea-drinking utensils.

 

二席目は、大乗院庭園を俯瞰で見ることができる二階席で、立礼式といわれるカジュアルな形式での薄茶席であった。

能楽全般を趣向に、大乗院庭園の景色を楽しんでいただきたいという席主の思いにあわせて、しつらえられた薄茶席は、温かい雰囲気が感じられるものであった。

お菓子は色とりどりの干菓子であった。

 

The second round was a casual style of usucha (thin tea ceremony) called ryurei-shiki on the second floor where the entire Daijyo-in Garden could be seen. There was a warm atmosphere at the usucha seating, which was arranged in accordance with the host’s wish for the audience to enjoy the view of the Daijyo-in Garden with Noh drama in general as the theme. The sweets were colourful dried confections.

 

懐紙の上にとって次の方に回していく。茶碗は赤膚焼の白梅が描かれているものであった。茶杓は興福寺の古材で作られたもので、昔の人はこのようにして、寺にある素材を無駄にすることなく、日常使う道具に変えていたのだという席主からの紹介もあった。

 

The participants took sweets on a piece of kaishi paper and passed them      to the next person. The tea bowl was an Akahada-yaki bowl with white plum blossoms painted on it. The tea scoop was made from an old piece of wood from Kofukuji Temple. The master of the tea ceremony explained that people in the past did not waste materials from the temple, but transformed them into tools for daily life.

 

茶会の最後は、茶懐石であった。筆者は、茶懐石のルールというものがまるで分かっていなかった。お椀や小皿の乗ったお盆が各自に配されるが、中には何も入っていない。お食事の順に、お汁ものや大鉢をまわしながら取り分けていくというものであった。大鉢などの器は、お客様をもてなすために最高のものを使われる。大鉢に入った煮物をまわしながら、各自の小皿にとりわけ、最後に残った汁などは懐紙でふき取る。各自に配されたお椀やおさらに残った汁気や食べ残しも自身の懐紙でふき取る。

 

The final part of the tea ceremony was chakaiseki. I had no idea what the rules of chakaiseki were. Each person was given a tray with bowls and small plates on it, but there was nothing in them. The meal order was to be shared by passing around the soup and large bowls in turn. The bowls and other utensils were the best ones to entertain the guests. The bowls of stew were passed around, and each person would serve a small plate and wipe off the remaining soup and other ingredients with a piece of kaishi. Any remaining soup or leftovers in the bowls and plates placed in front of each person were wiped off with their piece of kaishi paper.

 

 

器とお食事のマリアージュを楽しみながら、会話が進んでいった。

とても興味深いものであった。

総評として、参加者の方からは、茶会も茶懐石も席主の趣向があらわれた素晴らしいものであったという感想があった。

また、特にお道具に関して、大陸から伝わったということで、もしかしたらシルクロードなどを通じて参加者様の故郷でも同じような使われかたや、作り方をしたものがあるのかもしれないという席主の言葉に深くうなずく参加者様の姿が印象的であった。

 

Everyone enjoyed the marriage of the dishes and the meal, and the conversation was lively. It was fascinating. In summary, the participants commented that both the tea ceremony and the chakaiseki were excellent, showing the sense of the master of the tea ceremony. In addition, it was impressive to see the participants nodding their heads in agreement when the host mentioned that some of the utensils, especially those introduced from the continent, may have been used or made in similar ways in the participants’ hometowns via the Silk Road and other routes.

 

 

 

*This tour program was conducted as the second phase of the “Project for Building and
Promoting the International Brand of Nara Park, a Sacred Site Combining the Highest Tangible
and Intangible Cultural Heritage,” a project commissioned by the FY 2024 Japan Cultural Expo
2.0 Project (by commission) .

 

 

 

英訳全文

 

Report on the Tea Ceremony Program Experience

On Tuesday, January 21st, a tea ceremony program was held at the tea room in the Cultural Hall of the Daijoin Garden, a designated scenic spot. Participants enjoyed sessions of thick tea (koicha) and thin tea (usucha) themed around Kasuga Ryujin.

 

When entering the koicha (thick tea ceremony) room through the fusuma, guests first see the carving of the Kasuga-Ryuji in the tokonoma. It is the red-haired Ryuji god seen on a Noh stage performance. The only natural light was from the circular window overlooking the garden, which softly enveloped the faces of the participants sitting on the tatami mats. The tea ceremony began in a very solemn atmosphere.

 

At first, red and white sweets in the shape of camellia were served, and then think tea was served to each person in turn.

 

A woman from Kashmir, India, who came to Japan and attended the tea ceremony, said she had been completely fascinated by the world of tea. This time, she participated in this program with her family, who was in Japan. The master of the tea ceremony told them that they were allowed to sit at ease and not to worry about the details of etiquette while showing an example. First, he explained that it was important for them to feel the spiritual spirit that Shonin Myoe experienced. This experience is the worldview taught by the Kasuga Ryujin that Japan has accepted the world of the Buddha introduced from the continent and has been adopted widely. He explained that the utensils in this Japanese-style room used by the participants were derived from the Kasuga Ryujin and continent. Through an interpreter, the host and the participants interacted with each other, explaining each tea utensil and answering questions from the participants. The questions included, for example, how tea bowls were introduced to Japan and how they were made, and although tea bowls were initially used to offer water to gods and Buddha, their shape gradually changed to tea-drinking utensils.

 

The second round was a casual style of usucha (thin tea ceremony) called ryurei-shiki on the second floor where the entire Daijyo-in Garden could be seen. There was a warm atmosphere at the usucha seating, which was arranged in accordance with the host’s wish for the audience to enjoy the view of the Daijyo-in Garden with Noh drama in general as the theme. The sweets were colourful dried confections.

 

The participants took sweets on a piece of kaishi paper and passed them      to the next person. The tea bowl was an Akahada-yaki bowl with white plum blossoms painted on it. The tea scoop was made from an old piece of wood from Kofukuji Temple. The master of the tea ceremony explained that people in the past did not waste materials from the temple, but transformed them into tools for daily life.     .

 

The final part of the tea ceremony was chakaiseki. I had no idea what the rules of chakaiseki were. Each person was given a tray with bowls and small plates on it, but there was nothing in them. The meal order was to be shared by passing around the soup and large bowls in turn. The bowls and other utensils were the best ones to entertain the guests. The bowls of stew were passed around, and each person would serve a small plate and wipe off the remaining soup and other ingredients with a piece of kaishi. Any remaining soup or leftovers in the bowls and plates placed in front of each person were wiped off with their piece of kaishi paper.

 

Everyone enjoyed the marriage of the dishes and the meal, and the conversation was lively. It was fascinating. In summary, the participants commented that both the tea ceremony and the chakaiseki were excellent, showing the sense of the master of the tea ceremony. In addition, it was impressive to see the participants nodding their heads in agreement when the host mentioned that some of the utensils, especially those introduced from the continent, may have been used or made in similar ways in the participants’ hometowns via the Silk Road and other routes.