Osaka and tea ceremony, an interpretation of hospitality

tama — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 04:16:08 +0000

Osaka castle was built by Hidayoshi Toyotomi who started life as a farmer but became very successful and ended-up dominating the whole country. The castle tower was burned down in the war of Osaka Natsu-no-jin (the summer campaign of Osaka). While its stone walls and castle tower were rebuilt by Tokugawa’s order, the keep was burned down by a strike of lightening. Many buildings were burned down during the unquiet days of the Meiji Restoration. Later, the castle tower was reconstructed in 1931 as a result of the enthusiasm of the citizens. It has now become a history museum.

An impregnable castle symbolizes wealth and power. A huge scale tea ceremony. A knocked-down golden tea house that represents the absolutely gorgeous era of Hideyoshi.

Rikyu Sen has a very prominent presence when we look back at the Culture of Osaka and tea ceremony. Rikyu had been highly valued by Nobunaga Oda and Hideyoshi Toyotomi, the powers that be, who wanted to use tea ceremony politically and show off their power and wealth. After the construction of the Osaka castle, Rikyu had his Osaka residence in the castle town and built a tea house of “Fuka- sanjo Daime (a three and three-quarters tatami mats)” which is known as the original point of Wabi-cha (tea ceremony emphasizes simplicity). “Being cool in summer and warm in winter…” Return to nature, a new front using dramatic effects, respects guests and entertains them with the atmosphere.

Western culture fused with oriental culture “The Westin Osaka”

The tea house “Seishun-an” in the hotel.

The Westin Osaka

1-1-20,Oyodonaka, Kita-ku, Osaka City

TEL:06-6440-1111

FAX:06-6440-1100

http://www.westin-osaka.co.jp

Japanese restaurant “Hanano”. Visitors can enjoy kaiseki in season meals.

HANANO

In The Westin Osaka

Tel：06-6440-1066

Experience tea ceremony in Osaka!

In Osaka, there are many places where you can experience the tea ceremony, from serious schools to casual occasions for tourists. A reservation is required.

Hoshoan is a teahouse located in the northeast of Nishinomaru Garden. It commands a great view of the castle tower; it is a wooden bungalow with a Hiwadabuki (Cypress bark) roof, built in the style of the tea ceremony house. It has Hiroma (a room over 4.5 tatami mats), Koma (a room under 4.5 tatami mats) and Ryurei-seki (room with seats), service is available to the public.

HOSHOAN (TEAHOUSE)
Open hours: 9:30 – 16:30 (9:30 – 16:30 during Nov. – Feb.)

Closed on Monday

Rent reservation: 06-6941-1717

“Choun-an” a restored tea house from Rikyu’s Osaka residence

The birth place of Rikyu Sen is Sakai, Osaka. The tea house was restored based on the floor plan which was drawn by a disciple of Rikyu and other information and materials such as minutes from the tea ceremonies of that time.

“Koukyu-an”, a sweet shop attached to the tea house offers a sweet, which is a reproduction of a phantasmal sponge cake that was said to have been used in Japan for the first time by Rikyu during tea ceremony.

CHOUN-AN

1-2-36, Kita-Mikunigaokacho, Sakai-ku, Sakai City

TEL:072-222-2411(Reception desk of the tea house)

http://www.kokyuan.jp

Let hearts play and enjoy oneself
Sencha (medium grade tea) for cultured people “Issa-an”

From the olden times, Renka (linked verse), flower arrangement and tea ceremony have been handed down in the Tsukuda’s. The family have established a new school of “Bunjin taste” tea ceremony based on sencha.

Bunjin for cultured people, such as painters and scholars, who mainly consist of ordinary townspeople. “To make tea, and create one’s own taste, that is an art by itself,” said Ikki Tsukuda, the soke (the head of the school).

Originally, Bunjin sencha was for enjoying tea by oneself in his study. “The finest tea is a pleasure of one’s own. It is not for hospitality but a sprit to enjoy and please oneself.” Many scholars were gathered in Issa-an and the place became a salon for them. They created poems and pictures while enjoying sencha. As a result new art culture and works have been born again.

Issa-an
Tel：06-6941-8001
http://www.human-n.co.jp/issa-an/

Bunraku (Japanese traditional puppet play) – Osaka

tama — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:00:36 +0000

All-time story of Men and women…
Let’s go to “Bugraku (Japanese traditional puppet play)”!

“Bugrake” is a traditional Japanese performing art with more than 300 years of tradition and it　has also been designated as a masterpiece of oral and intangible heritage of humanity by UNESCO…
You may think the performance will be difficult to understand and may be too high (both in formality and price) to enjoy?
Well, you would better to watch it once.
It is amazing entertainment that brushes off your worries in an instant burst.
Listen to the emotional and unique narration of Tayu (the narrator) and the playful tunes of the Shamisen (a three-stringed musical instrument) that sounds powerful and gentle depending on the narration.
Enjoy watching the breathtaking feminine charms of a female puppet that is manipulated by puppeteers.
Puppets are alchemized! disappear! And they also fly away!?
It is pretty, graceful, delicate, gorgeous, dynamic and funny.
All of these adjectives and more describe the performance…

Let’s go to “Bunraku”!

Bunraku performances consist of three operating roles these are Tayu, the narrator, Shamisen, and the puppeteers. As for puppeteers, three people operate one puppet; one puppeteer manipulates the puppet’s head and right hand, one the left hand, and one the feet. From the day that a program is decided to the actual performance, backstage is very busy.

When a script and casts are set, Kashira (The heads) are assigned. Each Kashira will be operated by a chief puppeteer. At the “Kashira-beya (room for the heads), kashira-garari (staff in charge of the heads) repair, repaint the heads and put make up on every head. A full-scale repair treatment that takes all the aleurone off the heads, puts wood patches in them, and repaint the heads as well as new heads. This is repeated every 20 years, so there are some dolls that are 100-years old! Kanjuro Kiritake who finds the head that he will operate in the next performance. It is impressive that he carefully and thoroughly watches the head from right to left, from top to bottom, from side with angle and vis-à-vis. Then Kazura (the Wigs) and Tokoyama (hair stylists) create wigs and put the hair up, including putting in hair accessories. Copper and aluminium are used for the base of the wig, then, plaited hair is sewn onto the base. It seems that every hair style and hair accessory reflects the interpretation and style to suit the age of the doll.

The costume room is crammed with a lot of piled-up costumes. There are only two differences in the costumes for the dolls compared to human’s costumes. They have openings in the back so that the puppeteer can insert his hands, and they are also smaller than life-size costumes. Isho-gakari (costumer) creates the costumes right from the dyeing to the sewing; every stitch is made by hand. Up to 70-80 dolls appear on stage in one performance. Isho-gakari makes some alterations to the costumes such as putting some cotton into the costume for more volume. They also prepare a serious of vanity items such as Obi (sash) and Obijime (obi band).

From the scenery to the art of the costume, they devote a great deal of time and care to the performance. Everything involves special art and technique!

Osaka / National Bunraku Theater

1-12-10, Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka
Tel.: 06-6212-2531
Total number of seats: 753
http://www.ntj.jac.go.jp/english/index.html (English)
http://www.ntj.jac.go.jp (Japanese)

Photo by Yuji Tozawa

Adventure Japan English » Osaka