日本語は英語の後に続きます。Japanese follows.
On a rainy day in November, when it was finally
getting cold, I went to the Gotoh Museum to
help about 30 guests from overseas for tea
ceremony experience.
Everyone seemed to have never drunk authentic
matcha. After drinking a bowl of matcha, the
guests themselves had the experience of making
matcha using tea whisk and served to the person
sitting next to them. There were many guests
who had a hard time using tea whisk, but it was
good that everyone seemed to enjoy it.
The name of the Japanese wagashi sweet is
“kimamori”. It is a charm to leave a persimmon
fruit on the top of the tree for good harvest next
year. And for the wild birds that survive the
winter. It is a traditional Japanese custome of
trying to coexist with nature.
ようやく寒くなってきた11月の雨の日
海外からのお客様30名程の呈茶のお手伝いで
五島美術館へ。
皆さん、初めての本格的な抹茶体験。呈茶の
後は、お客様自らもお隣の方に抹茶をたてる
体験をしていただいた。茶筅をふるのに苦労
している方が多かったが、皆さん楽しまれて
いたようで何より。
主菓子は「木守」。来年もよく実るようにと
木のてっぺんに柿の実をひとつ残しておく
おまじない。そして、冬を乗り切る野山の
鳥たちのためにも。自然と共存しようとする
昔からの日本の風習。