Saicho

According to the “Hiyoshisha Shinto Himitsu-ki" (Hiyoshi Shrine Shinto Secret Record), which is kept at Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine (Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture), Saicho, who studied Buddhism and continental culture in China as a Japanese envoy, brought back tea seeds from China in 805 and planted and cultivated them at the foot of Mt. Hiei (present-day Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture). It still exists today as Japan's oldest tea garden, “Hiyoshi Tea Garden," and every year on the 88th night, the “Tea Picking Festival" is held, where new tea is offered to Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine and Enryakuji Temple.

Queen Elizabeth

Ryoanji is a Zen temple founded in 1450 by Hosokawa Katsumoto, a powerful figure in the Muromachi Shogunate. Karesansui is a garden style that uses stones, sand, plants and topography to express the flow of water without using water, and rock gardens that give the impression of infinite expanse in a limited space were particularly popular in Zen temples during the Muromachi period. In 1975, Queen Elizabeth II of England praised the rock garden during her official visit to Ryoanji, which helped boost the Zen boom of the time and made it world famous. In 1994, it was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the “Cultural Monuments of Ancient Kyoto".

Hemp Leaf Pattern

The Asanoha pattern is featured on the kimono of Nezuko, a character in the anime series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. It is a layout pattern based on regular hexagons, and has been used as decoration for Buddhist statues since the Heian period. It later came to be called the Asanoha pattern because of its resemblance to the hemp leaf. It became hugely popular in the Edo period when Kabuki actor Arashi Rikan used it in his daughter's role. As hemp is strong and grows quickly, it was often used for baby clothes and children's kimonos in hopes of healthy growth for children.

Kinma (Kinma Paste)

One of the decorative techniques for lacquer art. A pattern is carved into the lacquer base with a special kinma knife, and the carved grooves are filled with colored lacquer and ground flat to create the pattern. It is characterized by its intricate lines and beautiful colors. Tamakaji Zokoku, a lacquer craftsman in the late Edo period, studied lacquerware techniques introduced from Thailand and China and developed it further. It is now a representative technique of Kagawa lacquerware, and has produced many Living National Treasures of Kinma.

Isamu Noguchi

American sculptor Isamu Noguchi became interested in Gifu Lanterns in 1951 when he stopped by Gifu Prefecture to see cormorant fishing on the Nagara River. The day after visiting the lantern factory of Ozeki Jushichi Shoten (now Ozeki), he designed two lanterns. The washi paper lamp "AKARI" is the culmination of Isamu Noguchi's philosophy of expressing the infinite world in simple objects and Japanese aesthetics. Currently, it is exhibited in many museums and galleries, and its artistic quality is highly regarded around the world.

Hidasuki (Fire Sash / Scarlet Sash)

Hidasuki is one of the patterns of Bizen ware firing. Bizen ware has a history of 1000 years and is the oldest of the "Six Ancient Kilns of Japan". It is characterized by putting the shaped body into the kiln without applying glaze and firing it for a long time using split pine wood. Hidasuki is made by wrapping rice straw around the shaped and dried piece and firing it, which turns the burnt straw scarlet, which looks like a red sash, hence the name Hidasuki. The harmony of earth, fire and human skill creates the simple yet profound charm unique to Bizen ware.

Back Issues of DENKEN-TEST Quizzes

These are quizzes related to Japanese traditional  culture that have been asked so far. It may be used in the exam questions for DENKEN-TEST. Please give it a try !

  • Who was the monk who brought tea seeds from China in 805 and cultivated them?

  • Who was the British royal who made Ryoanji Temple,famous for its dry landscape rock garden, world famous?

  • What is the name of this auspicious pattern that is known worldwide?

  • What is the unique technique used in Kagawa lacquerware to fill the recesses of patterns with colored lacquer?

  • Who designed the famous lighting fixture “AKARI," which was born from an encounter with Gifu Lanterns?

  • Do you know what the pattern on this tea bowl is called?

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