2025.05.29
伝検通信（メルマガ）週刊メールマガジン「伝検通信」 第59号
週刊メールマガジン「伝検通信」第59号をお届けします。
今週のトップ記事は、白洲信哉さん「多様なるジャパン」第７回、万国博覧会で紹介されてきた日本の美にまつわる話題です。
「クイズで肩慣らし」は、前回クイズの答え・解説と、伝統色・文様分野の問題です。
第２回伝検は６月１日から実施します。現在、申し込みを受け付け
伝検公式教材・参考書・サイト https://denken-test.jp/
目次
・ 「多様なるジャパン」 第７回 万国博覧会と浮世絵
・ 「クイズで肩慣らし」 第58回＝「伝統色・文様」
・ 伝検協会だより
「多様なるジャパン」第７回 万国博覧会と浮世絵
白洲信哉＝文筆家、日本伝統文化検定協会副会長
勝川春好の大首絵「五代目市川團十郎」
世界各国が参加し、技術や芸術の粋を公開する国際的な博覧会、万博が先月大阪で始まった。１８５１年ロンドン・ハイドパークにて最初の万国博が行われたというから、賛否はさておき近代オリンピック（１８９６年）より歴史ある国際的イベントなのだ。わが国初参加は１８６７年パリ博。漆器に陶器など伝統工芸品が展示され、世に知られた「ジャポニスム」は万博を介し広まったのだ。中でも浮世絵は、１９世紀中頃から増加した外交官らが持ち帰り、例えば英国公使が収集したそれが、これに先立つロンドン万博（１８６２年）に出品されるなど、浮世絵ブームは最高潮を迎える。モネにルノワールやドガ、かのファン・ゴッホは浮世絵５００枚を所有し、印象派を中心とした近代絵画に影響を与えていく。
芸術の都パリでは、鎖国していた日本は「大いなる神秘」であった。日本館では檜（ひのき）造りの日本家屋で、髪を結い振り袖姿でお茶を振る舞い、「動く浮世絵」と大人気だったというが、単に異国情緒の珍しいモチーフだけが画家たちに称賛されたのではない。非対称や多様な色使いに一部を切り取ったデザイン性あふれた遊び心に惹（ひ）かれたのだ。この連載第３回の「唐物と高麗茶碗」で書いた不完全なモノへの美意識や、台子茶から四畳半そして二畳台目まで引き算を重ね洗練されたのと同様、大胆に役者の顔だけに焦点を当てた「大首絵」に北斎の「浪」など浮世絵は切り捨ての美学満載だ。
その今風でいうインフルエンサーとして登場したのが、１８７８年同じくパリ博に渡仏した林忠正だった。時に２６歳、流ちょうなフランス語で浮世絵や日本史を解説しジャポニザン（日本美術愛好家）のよき相談相手となり、大量の浮世絵版画を輸出、たちまち大商人として成功を収めた。だが、忠正は単なる商人ではなく１９００年５回目のパリ博事務官長に就任すると、国宝級の美術品にとどまらず、帰国して明治天皇に御物の出品を懇願、約８００点の古美術を展示する。
「万博は国家間の競争であり、一国の文明度を競う平和な戦いだ」。林の言葉だが、一昨年オークションでレコードを更新（２７６万ドル）しパスポートや新札にも刷られた北斎「神奈川沖浪裏」が変わらずの人気だが、僕らの伝統文化を俯瞰（ふかん）し海外に説明できる今忠正の登場に期待したい。古美術の役割は文化大使の側面もあるのだ。会場は法隆寺金堂をモデルに、展示を見た当時フランスの外務大臣は「人々にぜひ日本古美術館を観覧されるように勧めたい。１０００年前、ヨーロッパがまだほとんど原始の時代に、日本はすでに独特の美術をつくりあげ、その力量も優秀であった」と新聞記者に語った。
「クイズで肩慣らし」 第58回＝「伝統色・文様」
～伝検公式テキスト（好評発売中）の分野ごとに出題します～
京都で見かける都をどりのちょうちん
第58回
問題：京都の街中では、さまざまな文様を見かけます。写真のちょうちんに描かれた白い部分の文様を何というでしょうか。（答えと解説は次号で）
土用の丑（うし）の日といえば、鰻（うなぎ）
【前回の問題と答え・解説】
問題：今夏の土用の丑（うし）の日は７月１９日と７月３１日です。この日に鰻（うなぎ）を食べることを広めたという説がある江戸時代の学者・発明家は誰でしょう。
答え：平賀源内
解説：夏は人気がなく売り上げが落ちていたうなぎ屋に頼まれた平賀源内が広めたという説があります。定番の蒲（かば）焼きは、武士が多かった江戸では、腹開きは切腹を連想させると嫌われたために背開きになり、商人が多かった関西では腹を割ってゆっくりと商談をするのが良いとされたことから腹開きして時間をかけてじか火焼きになったという説があります。蒲焼きが流行するまではぶつ切りにして焼いて毒消しのために山椒（さんしょう）みそをつけて食べていたそうです。
伝検協会だより
▼５月１８日までに新規にメルマガ登録された方の中から「
なお、
▼伝検の学習分野で、ユネスコの無形文化遺産である人形浄瑠璃文楽の東京公演が５月９日から同２７日まで、東京・北千住のシアター１０１０で開かれ、上演作の一つで名作「平家女護島（へいけにょごのしま）」を観賞しました。客席には欧米の外国人も多く、盛況でした。上演前に物語の内容を解説、上演中は舞台上部に太夫のせりふの字幕が流れ、初めての観劇でも分かりやすく、観客は浄瑠璃、三味線、人形が一体となった舞台を楽しんでいました。人間国宝・桐竹勘十郎さんの人形遣いはさすがにひと味違い、弱った俊寛の痛みまで感じさせるような子細な動きに息をのみました。公益財団法人文楽協会は大阪が拠点ですが、全国を回る地方巡業もありますので、機会があれば足を運んでみてはいかがでしょう。
【編集後記】
伝検通信第59号をお届けしました。食文化の話題ばかりで恐縮ですが、「クイズで肩慣らし」の、うなぎのかば焼きおいしそうです。わたしはふわふわの関東風蒸し焼きも、カリカリに焦げたところも香ばしい関西風のじか火焼きも両方好きで、一緒に食べられる店はないものかと探しています。もしご存じでしたらぜひお教えください。
【English version】
Weekly e-newsletter Denken Tsushin, No. 59.
We are pleased to present the 59th edition of our weekly e-newsletter, Denken Tsushin.
This week's top article is the seventh edition of Shinya Shirasu's “Diverse Japan”, a topic related to the Japanese beauty that has been introduced at the World Expo.
In the “Let's Practice with Quizzes” section, there are answers and explanations to the previous quiz, as well as questions in the field of traditional colours and patterns.
The second Denken will be held from 1 June. Applications are now being accepted. Please use the following official textbooks and online courses to prepare yourself.
Official Denken teaching materials, reference books and website https://denken-test.jp/official_text/
Table of Contents
- Diverse Japan - Vol. 7: World Expositions and Ukiyo-e
- “Let's Practice with Quizzes” - Vol. 58: Traditional colours and patterns
- From Denken Association
Diverse Japan, Vol. 7: World Expositions and Ukiyo-e
Shinya Shirasu = writer, vice-president of the Japanese Traditional Culture Certification Association
Katsukawa shunko's large head painting “Ichikawa Danjuro V”.
The first World Expo was held in London's Hyde Park in 1851, so whether you agree or not, it is an international event with a longer history than the modern Olympics (1896). Japan's first participation was at the Paris Exposition of 1867. Traditional crafts such as lacquerware and ceramics were exhibited, and “Japonisme”, as it became known to the public, spread through the Expo. Ukiyo-e, in particular, were brought back by the growing number of diplomats from the mid-19th century, and the ukiyo-e boom reached its peak when, for example, a British minister's collection was exhibited at the preceding Expo in London (1862). Monet, Renoir, Degas and van Gogh owned 500 ukiyo-e prints, which influenced modern painting, particularly Impressionism.
In Paris, the capital of art, Japan, which had been closed off from the rest of the world, was a “great mystery”. The Japanese pavilion in the Japanese-style house made of hinoki cypress, where the artists tied their hair and served tea in furisode sleeves, was very popular as a “moving Ukiyo-e”, but it was not just the unusual exotic motifs that were admired by the painters. They were attracted by the asymmetry, the diverse use of colour and the playful sense of design in which parts of the work were cut out. In the same way that the aesthetic sense for imperfect objects, which I wrote about in the third article in this series, “Karamono and Korai Tea Bowls”, was refined through repeated subtraction, from the Daiko tea ceremony to the four-tatami mats and the two-tatami mats dais, Ukiyo-e is full of aesthetic truncation, including “Okushi-e”, which boldly focuses on actors' faces only, and Hokusai's “Nani”.
One of the influencers of this style was Hayashi Tadamasa, who also went to France for the Paris Exposition in 1878. Aged 26 at the time, he explained Ukiyo-e and Japanese history in fluent French, became a good adviser to Japonaissants (lovers of Japanese art), exported large quantities of Ukiyo-e prints, and quickly became a successful merchant. However, Tadamasa was more than just a merchant: in 1900, when he was appointed Secretary-General of the fifth Paris Exposition, he not only exhibited national treasures, but also returned to Japan and begged the Meiji Emperor to allow him to exhibit some 800 antique works of art.
The Expo is a competition between nations, a peaceful battle for a country's degree of civilisation," Hayashi said. In Hayashi's words, Hokusai's Kanagawa Okinamiura, which set a new record (US$2.76 million) at auction the year before last and was printed on passports and new notes, remains popular, but we look forward to the arrival of Tadamasa Kon, who can explain our traditional culture to overseas audiences from a bird's eye view. The role of antiquities is also that of cultural ambassadors. The exhibition was modelled on the Golden Hall of Houryuu-ji Temple, and the then French Foreign Minister, who saw the exhibition, told a newspaper reporter: "I would like to encourage people to visit the Japanese antiquities museum: a thousand years ago, when Europe was still almost primitive, Japan had already created a unique art form and was highly competent at it.
“Let's Practice with Quizzes” No. 58 = “Traditional colours and patterns”
- Questions will be asked in each area of the official Denken textbook (now on sale).
Chochin of the Miyako Odori festival seen in Kyoto.
Part 58
Question: in the streets of Kyoto, you can see many different patterns. What is the name of the pattern on the white part of the lantern in the photograph? (Answers and explanations will appear in the next issue.)
The day of the Ox is also known as the day of the Eel.
[Previous question, answer and explanation]
question: This summer, the days of the Ox are 19 July and 31 July. Which Edo period scholar and inventor is credited with popularising the eating of eels on these days?
Answer: Hiraga Gennai.
Explanation: There is a theory that Hiraga Gennai spread the idea after being asked to do so by eel shops, which were not popular during the summer and sales were declining. The standard kabayaki (broiled eel) is said to have been made backwards in Edo, where there were many samurai, because it was frowned upon to open the belly as it reminded people of seppuku (ritual suicide), while in Kansai, where there were many merchants, it was considered better to open the belly and have business talks slowly, so it became jikahi-yaki (broiled over a fire) after spending time on it. Until kabayaki became popular, the fish was cut into chunks and grilled, then dipped in sansho (a type of Japanese pepper) miso to remove poison.
From the Denken Association
▼ The second round of the campaign to give away 50 copies of the Denken Official Textbook to new subscribers to the newsletter by 18 May was drawn and the winners were notified by email with the subject line ‘Notice of winning the Denken Official Textbook’ from the address ‘denken-test.jp’. . At that time, we asked for the address to which the prize should be sent using the form in the email, but please be aware that if no answer is received by the deadline, we will assume that the winner has declined the prize and we will take steps to move the alternate winner forward.
The winners will be announced by individual notification emails. The prizes will be sent out at the beginning of June. The right to win is only valid for the reader of Denken Tsushin and is non-transferable. Please note that we cannot answer questions about the results of the prize competition by phone or email.
▼The Tokyo performance of Ningyo Joruri Bunraku, which is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in the study area of Denken, was held from 9 to 27 May at Theatre 1010 in Kitasenju, Tokyo, where the audience saw one of the works performed, the masterpiece Heike Nyogojima (The Heike Woman's Island). The performance was a great success, with many Western foreigners in the audience. Before the performance, an explanation of the story was given, and during the performance subtitles of the tayu's lines were played above the stage, making it easy to understand, even for first-time audiences. The puppeteering by the living national treasure Kiritake Kanjuro was truly exceptional, and his detailed movements, as if he could even feel the pain of the weakened Toshihiro, took my breath away. The Bunraku Foundation is based in Osaka, but also organises regional tours around the country, so if you have the chance, why not visit?
[Editor's postscript]
Denken Tsushin No. 59 has just been delivered. I am sorry to say that it is all about food culture, but the grilled eel kabayaki in the ‘Quiz to familiarise your shoulders’ section looks delicious. I like both the fluffy Kanto style steamed eel and the crunchy, burnt and fragrant Kansai style kabayaki, and am looking for a place where I can eat them together. If you know of any, please let us know.
カテゴリー: 伝検通信（メルマガ）