Yamazaki DistilleryWe visited Yamazaki Distillery which has 90 years of history and boasts the latest technology and facility. After we took about one hour tour, we enjoyed tasting. 19 guests from various countries and 9 members joined.
We visited the oldest kuge residence in Kyoto. Shigure-tei library of Reizei family was created both to store and protect the cultural treasures, including old manuscripts,architectural items and reports of annual events that have been passed down in the Reizei family. 31 people including 14 from overseas joined us.
We visited Otsu-e Gallery founded in the first year of the Meiji era. We appreciated Otsu-e paintings in the shop, while receiving an explanation of Mr. Shozan Takahashi, the 5th – generation. He also actually showed us how to draw and explained about the colors and the brushwork in his studio. We really enjoyed it. 30 people including 9 from overseas joined us in spite of the rain.
This month, we visited the craft-strap shop Sanada Himoshi Enami, which has been making straps for about five centuries. The wooden weaving equipment sat directly on the tatami-mat floor while, in the shop, the shelves were tightly packed with straps of a wide variety of colors and designs. Time seemed to slow down. The owner, Mr. Wada the 15th, talked about the history of sanada himo, and explained how the strap is extraordinary in strength due to its intricate weaving method. Some of us even tried our hand at the complimented weaving technique. In all, 31 people including 8 from overseas joined.
We held a tea party celebrating 300th program at the Event Hall in Umekoji Park. We welcomed 52 participants from 12 countries, and enjoyed the chorus of songs and the mandolin and guitar duo, and played bingo as well, having a light meal. Some of the participants told us their hopes about our future program, responding to our request. It was a really good chance to make a fresh start in our activity.
As the 300th tour since our foundation, 39 participants including 12 foreigners visited Komaruya which was famous for one of the oldest producers of fans. After watching a video of making uchiwa (a non-folding kind of fan), the president Keiko Sumii made a speech about Komaruya's history, uchiwa and so on. They exhibited beautiful and gorgeous fans and props in the first floor showroom. We really appreciated contemporary and refined items made with traditional sensibility.
We visited Nomura Art Museum for the special exhibition, "Calligraphy in the Tea Ceremony" on the opening day in this season. We had precious time to see fine calligraphies, noh masks and costumes. 38 people including 14 from overseas joined us.
34 participants including 13 foreigners visited Miyai Co., Ltd (Karakusaya), a store specializing in furoshiki and fukusa established in 1901. We learned the differences between furoshiki and fukusa and took a look at exhibits of them which were made in the Taisho period, listening to the explanation. At the end of the visit, we enjoyed the workshop of use of furoshiki and realized again how wonderful it is.
We held a shodo, Japanese calligraphy workshop inviting Mr. Yasushi Ueda as an instructor, who has been teaching for a long time as a volunteer. After we were given a lecture about the history of shodo and how to use utensils, we practiced several kanjis, such as 和,夢,寿,福,富士, and we made fair copies of them on shikishi, square fancy cardboard. Seeing the 8 foreign and 1 Japanese participants practicing happily reminded us of calligraphy class in elementary school.
