To learn awareness

We are now approaching the end of April.
There's a lot of scenery to see this month.

We visited Ichikawa Takashi's workshop in Shiga Prefecture to coincide with his exhibition, which begins at the end of this month at Utsushiki.
I had been there for an interview two years ago, so this was my second visit.

Ichikawa has two faces: a potter and a tea master.

In the previous interview, we focused on Ichikawa as a ceramic artist, so in this interview we will focus on Ichikawa as a tea master.

It is no exaggeration to say that when it comes to "tea carts," Ichikawa is the first to come to mind; he actively holds tea ceremonies all over the country, pulling the tea cart along the way.

Two years ago, I visited him for my first interview. I still remember the experience of drinking the Taiwanese tea that Ichikawa brewed for me. The sight of the tea carriage driving into the forest, making a rattling sound. The shape and texture of the tea carriage stirs the masculine heart. And the sound of the tea droplets splashing in the silence. Combined with the chirping of the birds and the sound of the wind, it was a luxurious time like I had never felt before.

I visited again for an interview in early April, when the magnolias were in full bloom.

During this interview, Ichikawa brewed various kinds of tea. The tea that left the biggest impression on me was the "magnolia" tea, which was in full bloom right in front of me. "Come to think of it, I don't know what magnolia smells or tastes like," or "Do magnolias even have a taste?" I had these thoughts, but they were instantly overturned. I was surprised at how delicious it was, and I was addicted to it. Just by steeping magnolia flowers in hot water, you can make a beautiful pale yellow tea. If I had known earlier, I wonder how many cups of tea I could have made with the magnolias that bloom every year in the Utsushiki... I really think it's a waste not to know about it. After enjoying the magnolia, I added cherry blossoms to change the flavor, and I was already full of the taste of spring, which made for another luxurious time.

As I mentioned earlier, Ichikawa-san pulls a tea carriage and holds tea ceremonies.
Ichikawa makes the chaguruma himself, but they aren't particularly advanced in terms of mobility or convenience.

But more than that, it is extremely compatible and harmonizes well with the natural scenery, and you are reminded that the unique atmosphere and feeling you get from Ichikawa's tea ceremonies is only possible because of the tea cart.

It is possible to make it as convenient as possible, but Ichikawa chooses not to do so.
In this day and age, we tend to run after convenience and efficiency. But perhaps there are important things hidden in the process.

It's just tea, but it's still tea.
Every time I have a tea ceremony in the scenery created by Ichikawa, I am inspired by something new.

However, just noticing something won't change anything. It's up to you to make use of your awareness or let it die. The important thing is to deepen your awareness within yourself, so try making your own tea, making tea with wild herbs, or searching for a formula that suits your taste. That's what learning is all about, and I think that time is precious in life.

On the first day of the Takashi Ichikawa exhibition, which begins on Friday, April 29th, a tea ceremony will be held by Ichikawa himself.
More details will be released soon, so why not take this opportunity to enjoy Ichikawa's world?

Please look forward to it.

Yudai Oda