Located in a forest overlooking the Itajiki River, nestled between the Ure River and the JR Iida Line near Yutani Onsen in Shinshiro City, Aichi Prefecture, is the artist's residence.Shintaro AjiokaI went to a tea ceremony held in a "mud-dyed tea room," which was part of the artwork!
The JR East Iida Line, which runs 195.7km from Toyohashi Station (Aichi Prefecture) to Tatsuno Station (Nagano Prefecture), has 94 stations, with an average distance between stations of only 2.1km. After passing Yutani Onsen Station, one of the intermediate stations on the Iida Line, you walk along a peaceful path towards Iida for about 5 minutes, pass the Tanoshima level crossing, and cross the tracks. There is no other way to get to the house in Yutani than to cross these tracks.
A small house with a red roof comes into view across the railway tracks. This is the second home of artist Shintaro Ajioka, known as "Yutani House."
Mr. Ajioka is busy setting up the "mud-dyed tea room" on the premises and preparing for the event.
Since the tea ceremony will be held after the meal, let's start by getting something to eat!
The food served at the tea ceremony that day was prepared by Goethe Takahashi, a familiar face at the "Wild Grass Society," and Haruo Natsume of the Toyohashi wine cafe "Natsume."
Haruo Natsume is the owner, chef, and certified Senior Sommelier of the Japan Sommelier Association at the wine cafe "Natsume" in Toyohashi. He also runs a restaurant that accepts only one group per day and operates on a reservation-only basis.
Mr. Ajioka and Ms. Natsume have known each other for a long time, and Ms. Natsume's restaurant itself was built from the ground up together with Mr. Ajioka.
On this day, they use a large 3-liter rice cooker to cook rice over a brick stove in the garden, using firewood!
Since the rice pot didn't have a lid, Mr. Ajioka apparently made one himself to fit the size of the pot.
She's a truly skilled person who makes everything by hand!
The Yutani House, which Mr. Ajioka himself has been renovating for about 10 years, has an atmosphere like an art gallery, and not only the interior but the entire building is a work of art!
The artist's own artworks are regularly changed, and vases are selected to display seasonal wildflowers, creating a seasonal atmosphere.
This is such a luxury.
Even something as simple as wallpaper is entirely done by hand, involving the cutting and pasting of washi paper, showcasing a sense of balance within meticulous work.
This is a 2008 work by haiku poet Masahiko Hoshino, featuring the haiku "Kagome Kagome, the children are muffled, and so is emptiness."
This Buddha statue caught Mr. Ajioka's eye at an antique market at Omae Shrine in Tochigi Prefecture, and he acquired it.
It is an ancient artifact with a small amount of gold leaf remaining, and the halo is made of an old hoe coated with gold powder, giving it a brilliant shine.
To complement the Buddha statue, the pedestal was made from carefully selected wood from among the firewood, painted black, and then placed on top.
"Hanashosho (A Collection of Poems on Flowers) - Arranging Wildflowers -"
This is a catalog that compiles the images and poems that Ms. Ajioka took over a period of 14 months, picking and arranging wildflowers, photographing them with her daughter, Akari Miyata, and writing haiku about them.
The character 頌 means "to admire" or "to cherish," and 抄 means "a part of it." In other words, it is a record of a year spent admiring flowers.
This book features many common wildflowers and serves as a comprehensive guide to wildflowers throughout the seasons, allowing you to enjoy the changing colors of the flowers as time goes by. It's a truly magnificent work!
A tranquil land surrounded by lush green forests and mountains as far as the eye can see, where the refreshing sound of a clear stream can be heard.
The Japanese-style room, with its covered hearth and a single-slab wooden table, feels wonderful to walk on barefoot.
The dazzling fresh greenery visible from the open veranda and the chirping of birds create a truly extraordinary moment.
The gentle murmur of the Uregawa River provides a soothing background music, creating a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere at Yutani House.
Goethe Takahashi, a master of wild plants, will be preparing wild plant dishes using herbs he has picked from the mountains and fields!
This is one of the wild plants planted by the Yonezawa domain to stave off famine. The Yonezawa domain is said to have thoroughly studied "Katemono," a book that listed over 140 types of famine-relieving plants, and used it to overcome the dire situation of famine. There is a food culture of obtaining mountain vegetables, a gift from nature, and this culture is still passed down today, allowing us to come into contact with and eat wild plants.
"Tempura made with wild plants"
Freshly picked tea leaves, bamboo shoots, fiddlehead ferns, goldenrod, water dropwort, snapdragons, rose petals, and more.
Tempura made with freshly picked tea leaves has a wonderful aroma and a rich, flavorful taste that evokes the bounty of the fields and mountains.
Having participated in several "Wild Herb Gatherings" held here in the past, I've truly become a fan of wild herb cuisine.
"Taguchi Salted Chicken"
This dish, made with seasoned chicken thighs popular in Okumikawa, requires no preparation—just grill it!
The meat is tenderized with salt koji, and the broth is made with scallop stock, resulting in a rich and flavorful salty taste!
"Rice balls cooked in a traditional iron pot"
These rice balls, made with fragrant and flavorful white rice cooked in a traditional iron pot, are filled with pickled plums, wrapped in seaweed, and shaped into cute, small, round balls that are easy to eat.
"Hand-picked tea"
Hand-picked tea leaves are roasted by hand and then brewed vigorously in a pot.
Although it wasn't a sunny day, the weather was pleasant with temperatures around 20 degrees Celsius, and the rustling of leaves in the trees and the breeze made for a very comfortable veranda.
I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with all of our guests.
Mr. Ajioka visits once or twice a week to primarily mow the grass, but also to take care of the plants and maintain the house.
It seems that several pine trees have withered, but in their place, new pine buds have begun to emerge and are growing rapidly, making me feel the power of the earth.
Families with young children can go down to the river and play in the water.
The boy's shoes were completely soaked, but isn't this also a charming scene that is unique to early summer?
Due to the ongoing pandemic, this tea ceremony was attended by people gathering in small groups.
Guests wait their turn to enter the mud-dyed tea room in front of it.
This mud-dyed tea room was used in the 2017 event "Aichi Prefectural Ceramic MuseumThis tea room was created with children during the workshop "Discovering the Colors of Clay, Making Raku Ware, and Experiencing a Tea Ceremony: Clay, Color, and Tea Ceremony."
The grand event involved having elementary school children experience everything from hand-picking tea leaves to having them processed into matcha in Nishio, making tea bowls out of clay, decorating them with paintings, firing them in a raku ware kiln, and even experiencing mud dyeing to create a part of the tea room. The event culminated in a tea ceremony using the matcha they picked themselves, their handmade tea bowls, and the mud-dyed tea room. The entire production process took approximately four months.
It was a wonderful event that allowed children to experience the joy of manual work and the fun of making things, and Ms. Ajioka told us that although it was challenging at the time, it was also very enjoyable!
It's our turn now, so we'll enter the tea room.
Mr. Ajioka is the husband of the house.
And the person who will be preparing the matcha tea for us this time is Osamu Inayoshi, a ceramic artist based in Toyohashi.
Tea sweets: "Acorns, bitter melon, small eggplants, young figs, and summer orange peel"
The tea sweets were prepared by ceramic artist Osamu Inayoshi, and the bowls and chopsticks were made by Ajioka.
The chopsticks used for this occasion were made from branches of Lindera umbellata, which Mr. Ajioka obtained after a nine-and-a-half-hour climb up a mountain in Haruno Town.
I enjoyed the woody, transparent, elegant, and refreshing scent, and was soothed by the fragrance of Kuromoji, which is also used in the materials for high-quality toothpicks and essential oils. And then, at the end, they even gave me some to take home as a souvenir! (Thank you!)
After serving the wild plant dishes, I snapped a photo of Mr. Goethe Takahashi, who was leaving first, peeking into the tea room and calling out to me.
Thank you as always for the delicious wild plant dishes!
Tea bowl "Inayoshi Osamu"
Matcha tea has been prepared for each of us.
Tea bowl "Inayoshi Osamu"
The tea bowls used in this tea ceremony are works by ceramic artist Shintaro Ajioka and ceramic artist Osamu Inayoshi.
I will now receive the tea ceremony.
When we hear the word "tea ceremony," we tend to imagine something extraordinary and formal, but the tea ceremonies hosted by Ms. Ajioka are sometimes held in a relaxed and informal manner, making them a wonderful opportunity to experience Japanese culture and the warm hospitality of Japanese people.
Mr. Ajioka himself said, "I would like to hold these tea ceremonies regularly," and he plans to eventually set up a permanent tea room at his home in Yutani, and is considering building a tea room that overlooks the Ure River.
The artwork displayed in the tea room is, of course, by Mr. Ajioka.
This piece is made by cutting a log into quarters and turning it upside down, and is titled "One-Quarter Square of Enchu."
A solo exhibition featuring only these works will be held at Hirano Art Gallery from June 26th (Saturday) to July 18th (Sunday) next month!
The mud-dyed tea room, illuminated by sunlight, exudes an indescribably soft texture with its warm, earthy hues.
A mud-dyed tea room stands amidst the lush green trees.
I had seen it before in an indoor exhibition, but I still feel that things that are close to nature belong in nature.
Just then, a train on the JR Iida Line came along!
Although it's a line with only about one train per hour, I'd love to take a leisurely trip on this slow train sometime!
The dishes, having served their purpose for the day and been given a thorough cleaning, seem to have a somewhat proud expression on their faces.
Dismantling work on a mud-dyed tea room whose framework is constructed by tying branches together with string.
We'll have to say goodbye for now until we see the light of day again.
Mr. Ajioka, it was so nice to see you again after so long, and thank you for the wonderful time!
We look forward to your next wonderful project!
A tea ceremony in a mud-dyed tea room.
Venue: Tanoshima 39
Mud dyed tea room: Shintaro Ajioka
Tea bowls: Shintaro Ajioka / Osamu Inayoshi
Wild plant cuisine: Goethe Takahashi
Cook: Haruo Natsume, Wine Cafe Natsume
http://www.ajioka3.com/
