2010年03月04日
Ritsurin Garden Highlights -2
The Luxury of Simplicity II
The walk through the garden to reach the teahouse is an integral part of the tea ceremony experience and Ritsurin Garden is certainly incredible to walk through. The nobility must have felt refreshed and restored by the time they reached any of its teahouses.
On the way to the Kikugetsu-tei pavilion, there is a smaller teahouse nestled unobtrusively among the trees. This is Higurashi-tei, which was built in 1898. It is much easier to take a close look at the construction techniques used in this building and they are quite amazing. The heavy thatched roof and clay-tiled eaves are reminiscent of a rustic woodcutter’s cottage. But a close inspection of the roof tiles reveals that they fit perfectly, one over the other, without a crack in between. This type of roofing is called ichimonji-buki and it is very rare and expensive to make. The thatched roof, known as kayabuki, is also a dying art in Japan.
Higurashi-tei
Like the roof, the unadorned mud walls appear simple. Instead of being built in a straight line above the foundation, however, the bottom of the walls follows the contours of every stone on the ground beneath, like water flowing over pebbles. Inside, once again everything looks very spare and plain. Some windows are merely untrimmed holes that expose the delicate pattern of the inner latticework, yet they are perfectly placed to provide soft, natural lighting while offering a glimpse of the outside world. On one side where the door slides back, the wattle and daub wall has been painstakingly made half the thickness of the other walls so that the door sits flush with the inside surface. Instead of metal door handles, indentations have been made in the flat surfaces. Thus nothing whatsoever is allowed to distract the eyes from the perfectly framed view through the opening.
Although Higurashi-tei was built two centuries after Kikugetsu-tei, its design is also the essence of simplicity to allow full contemplation of the garden. Paradoxically, both buildings represent the height of luxury. Construction costs for buildings like these are extremely high because of the difficult construction techniques and rare materials used.
*Higurashi-tei serves powdered green tea for 500 yen from 9:00 to 4:30 on weekends and national holidays.
Ritsurin Garden Highlights – The Luxury of Simplicity 1
Ritsurin Garden–Another World
The walk through the garden to reach the teahouse is an integral part of the tea ceremony experience and Ritsurin Garden is certainly incredible to walk through. The nobility must have felt refreshed and restored by the time they reached any of its teahouses.
On the way to the Kikugetsu-tei pavilion, there is a smaller teahouse nestled unobtrusively among the trees. This is Higurashi-tei, which was built in 1898. It is much easier to take a close look at the construction techniques used in this building and they are quite amazing. The heavy thatched roof and clay-tiled eaves are reminiscent of a rustic woodcutter’s cottage. But a close inspection of the roof tiles reveals that they fit perfectly, one over the other, without a crack in between. This type of roofing is called ichimonji-buki and it is very rare and expensive to make. The thatched roof, known as kayabuki, is also a dying art in Japan.
Higurashi-tei
Like the roof, the unadorned mud walls appear simple. Instead of being built in a straight line above the foundation, however, the bottom of the walls follows the contours of every stone on the ground beneath, like water flowing over pebbles. Inside, once again everything looks very spare and plain. Some windows are merely untrimmed holes that expose the delicate pattern of the inner latticework, yet they are perfectly placed to provide soft, natural lighting while offering a glimpse of the outside world. On one side where the door slides back, the wattle and daub wall has been painstakingly made half the thickness of the other walls so that the door sits flush with the inside surface. Instead of metal door handles, indentations have been made in the flat surfaces. Thus nothing whatsoever is allowed to distract the eyes from the perfectly framed view through the opening.
Although Higurashi-tei was built two centuries after Kikugetsu-tei, its design is also the essence of simplicity to allow full contemplation of the garden. Paradoxically, both buildings represent the height of luxury. Construction costs for buildings like these are extremely high because of the difficult construction techniques and rare materials used.
*Higurashi-tei serves powdered green tea for 500 yen from 9:00 to 4:30 on weekends and national holidays.
Ritsurin Garden Highlights – The Luxury of Simplicity 1
Ritsurin Garden–Another World
My Profile
Cathy Hirano キャシー ヒラノ
I've lived in Japan since 1978. After graduating from a Japanese university with a BA in cultural anthropology in 1983, I worked as a translator in a Japanese consulting engineering firm in Tokyo for several years. My Japanese husband and I moved to Takamatsu in 1987 to raise our two children in a slower-paced environment away from the big city pressures. We've never regretted it. I work as a freelance translator and interpreter and am involved in a lot of community work, including volunteering for Second Hand, a local NGO that supports educational and vocational training initiatives in Cambodia, and for the Takamatsu International Association. I love living in Takamatsu.
Cathy Hirano キャシー ヒラノ
I've lived in Japan since 1978. After graduating from a Japanese university with a BA in cultural anthropology in 1983, I worked as a translator in a Japanese consulting engineering firm in Tokyo for several years. My Japanese husband and I moved to Takamatsu in 1987 to raise our two children in a slower-paced environment away from the big city pressures. We've never regretted it. I work as a freelance translator and interpreter and am involved in a lot of community work, including volunteering for Second Hand, a local NGO that supports educational and vocational training initiatives in Cambodia, and for the Takamatsu International Association. I love living in Takamatsu.
Posted by cathy at 09:00│Comments(2)
この記事へのコメント
Hi Cathy-
My husband and I will be visiting Japan from August 28th until September 13th. He is attending a medical conference in Kyoto and has been invited to lecture in Okayama and Tokyo by former mentees (Japanese physician/scientists) who have worked in his laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania.
I have been assigned the job of planning our trip for the days he is not involved with professional commitments. We have three nights between Okayama and Tokyo on our own. Based on my reading, I decided we should visit Takamatsu (for the same reason you decided to move there) and Nara.
I had planned for us to spend one night in Takamatsu and two in Nara, but I would welcome your opinion as to whether we should stay in Takamatsu for two nights and Nara for one.
For our day in Takamatsu, starting with an early train from Okayama on Sunday, September 5th, I thought we try to visit Ritsurin Park and the Shikoku Mura Village. One concern I have is whether there are enough materials in English available at the Village for us to have a decent understanding of what we are looking at.
Another option would be to hire a knowledgeable, enthusiastic English speaker to accompany us. I would appreciate your advice and your recommendation if you think we should try to hire a guide.
Thank you.
Regards,
Suzanne Fluhr
PS: I am glad I found your blog!
My husband and I will be visiting Japan from August 28th until September 13th. He is attending a medical conference in Kyoto and has been invited to lecture in Okayama and Tokyo by former mentees (Japanese physician/scientists) who have worked in his laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania.
I have been assigned the job of planning our trip for the days he is not involved with professional commitments. We have three nights between Okayama and Tokyo on our own. Based on my reading, I decided we should visit Takamatsu (for the same reason you decided to move there) and Nara.
I had planned for us to spend one night in Takamatsu and two in Nara, but I would welcome your opinion as to whether we should stay in Takamatsu for two nights and Nara for one.
For our day in Takamatsu, starting with an early train from Okayama on Sunday, September 5th, I thought we try to visit Ritsurin Park and the Shikoku Mura Village. One concern I have is whether there are enough materials in English available at the Village for us to have a decent understanding of what we are looking at.
Another option would be to hire a knowledgeable, enthusiastic English speaker to accompany us. I would appreciate your advice and your recommendation if you think we should try to hire a guide.
Thank you.
Regards,
Suzanne Fluhr
PS: I am glad I found your blog!
Posted by Suzanne Fluhr at 2010年07月25日 03:16
Thanks so much for the comment. Yes, Shikoku Mura Village has English explanations and an English outline of the contents of the park. Also, the exhibits are set in context so in each building you will see implements and objects that were part of daily life. Some you'll be able to see what they were used for quite easily and others will have you guessing but that's fun,too. Consider it a really nice hike in a beautiful setting that transports you back to Shikoku a century or more ago.
Ritsurin Garden has English materials, too, plus volunteer guides as well and I do recommend the guides there if you want to know more. They are enthusiastic and quite knowledgeable. As for how long to stay where, it really depends on you. Nara was the center of Japanese culture and politics from about the 4th to 8th century AD so there are many historical sites, temples, ancient art, etc.
If, however, you enjoy contemporary art or prefer something less touristy and a quieter pace, I would recommend spending two nights in Takamatsu and going to one of the nearby islands to experience the Setouchi International Art Festival. You'll also get a glimpse of the transition rural Japan is now experiencing.
If you decide to do that and the extra day is on the weekend and if you don't like crowds, you might want to avoid Naoshima because, as the best known of the islands, it will likely be the most crowded. I hope you have a great trip!
Ritsurin Garden has English materials, too, plus volunteer guides as well and I do recommend the guides there if you want to know more. They are enthusiastic and quite knowledgeable. As for how long to stay where, it really depends on you. Nara was the center of Japanese culture and politics from about the 4th to 8th century AD so there are many historical sites, temples, ancient art, etc.
If, however, you enjoy contemporary art or prefer something less touristy and a quieter pace, I would recommend spending two nights in Takamatsu and going to one of the nearby islands to experience the Setouchi International Art Festival. You'll also get a glimpse of the transition rural Japan is now experiencing.
If you decide to do that and the extra day is on the weekend and if you don't like crowds, you might want to avoid Naoshima because, as the best known of the islands, it will likely be the most crowded. I hope you have a great trip!
Posted by cathy hirano at 2010年07月25日 23:06
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