Interview with Onozomi.com

And somehow I forgot to mention this online article. I was interviewed by Onozomi, the company who does Iori’s internet support and specializes in other forms of publicity as well. The series of interviews includes various Kyoto personalities, such as Murata Yoshihiro of Kikunoi (the most internationally known kaiseki chef), Randy Channell (a Canadian who is an elite tea master of the Urasenke school of tea ceremony), the owner of Francoise (a popular cafe), a Kyoto University professor, a Doshisha professor, company presidents, etc. To say the least, I am stunned and honored to be listed among such an elite group of people.

On German Radio!

In February, I was interviewed along with Alex Kerr by a wonderful woman, Uta Kodaira, who works for NHK World Radio Germany. She puts together a weekly radio program that’s aired on Sundays about various facets of Japanese culture. Last week was the first program starring Alex Kerr, and this week is the first program in which I speak about the Origin Arts program at work. This radio clip was broadcast over shortwave radio in Germany.

http://www.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/german/index.html

To listen, go to the link above, click on “Wochenübersicht” and then on “So.” The clip should pop up in Realplayer.

Frau Kodaira’s program will be shut down in September, as NHK focuses more on television instead of radio.

Noh Maskmaking

My mask (on the right) and the model. To the left side of my work space are my tools and to the right are the templates.

I started Noh mask making class in the beginning of February. The mask I’m working on is based on a design by Tatsuemon, a famous mask maker of the Edo period. This was one of his three koomote, or young woman, masks, this one entitled, appropriately enough for me, “Yuki” (Snow).

On the first day, after work and grabbing an extra sweater at home, because I was tippling on the edge of catching a cold, I raced to northern Kyoto to make sure I would have enough time to accomplish something. First, Sensei showed me to a cushion placed before a small Buddhist altar at the edge of his stage and had me meditate to relax in preparation for handling the sharp tools and to prepare myself for working with the mask’s spirit hidden within the wood.

Hagoromo

My second Noh performance

On February 4, I had my second Noh performance. Sensei had rented the Noh stage at Iori, where I work, for a day of private recitals by his professional students – a sort of master’s class, in which Sensei gave feedback following each performance. I was invited to perform the kuse shimai of Hagoromo although I am far from being a professional.

Hatsugama

My performance of “Yuki” as the host of the thin tea ceremony (usuchaseki)

I’m a little behind in my posting. On January 14, 2007, I had my first major performance as host in a tea ceremony for hatsugama. Hatsugama is the first tea ceremony of the year, with much pomp and circumstance, at least with my teacher, Matsumoto Soei. To effectively pomp myself up for the performance, much effort went into my outrageous hair and trailing sleeve “furisode” kimono.

Usually, hatsugama tea ceremonies take place at a teacher’s home or in a traditional Japanese setting. However, my teacher and her older sister have continued a tradition established by their mother by holding their hatsugama at hotels in a effort to adjust to the times and to accommodate the many students and their guests efficiently. In this version, guests usually sit at tables and the host will perform on a small stage. Afterwards, a full course meal of French cuisine is served and the students do skits, perform a sort of talent show, and have party games in a banquet hall to top off the occasion.