“Event”
The Dutch Tea Ceremony
Hirado, Japan’s Island of Sweets
Hirado is an island located at the westernmost tip of Kyushu. Through it’s strategic location and its connection with the sea it became Japan’s gateway to foreign lands. In the 12th century it was the first place where Zen monk Eisai first introduced both Zen and tea culture to Japan. In the 16th century, Europeans started to trade in Hirado and called it Firando. Soon many western cultural influences were introduced to Japan through Hirado. By trade with the west it flourished and became known as ‘the Capital of the West’. One of the many things that the Europeans brought with them was sugar.
Shigenobu Matsura, the 29th head of the ruling Matsura family, founded his own samurai style tea ceremony called Chinshin-ryu. Together with the tea ceremony, the culture of sweet making flourished in Hirado, making it Japan’s first island of sweets.
When people arrived from foreign lands, tea was surely part of the welcome they received. At the same time, sugar was a most lavish luxury, and the banquets that were held by the overseas visitors certainly brought inspiration that gave birth to new unique sweets.
Today, 400 years later, the cultures of tea and sweets are combined in ‘Sweet Hirado’, a project in which Dutch creators were invited to Hirado to work with the craftsmen of local sweetshops. Together they created a new chapter to the unique Hirado sweet culture which will be presented to the world. Just as western sweet culture was introduced to the east, Hirado sweet culture will be introduced to the west.
2017 will see the birth of 24 new sweets. All of them have been inspired by intercultural crossovers and each hides a secret story waiting to be discovered, like a shining hidden gem. These are not just typical Japanese wagashi sweets, these are Hirado sweets.
At the Kanuntei Teahouse of the Matsura Historical Museum you can enjoy a selection of these sweets during two tea ceremonies with thick tea and light tea as well as a special tea lunch.
”オランダ茶会”
日本のお菓子の島、平戸
九州の西の端、平戸は海に囲まれその立地から異国の文化の到着地でした。12世紀 栄西禅師により茶、禅も初めてここ平戸に到着します。その後16 世紀、ヨーロッパではフィランドという名で知られ、西洋の文化が次々と上陸、平戸は繁栄し西の都と呼ばれるに至りました。ヨーロッパからもたらされた様々な物の中に、砂糖がありました。
平戸を治めた松浦家29代当主、松浦鎮信のうち立てた、武家茶『鎮信流』と共に平戸の菓子文化は豊かに発達します。平戸は日本で初めてのお菓子の島なのです。
かつて異国の人々がここ平戸へ到着した時、歓迎の場には「茶」があったに違いありません。 砂糖を使う菓子は最高の贅沢であり、異国文化の饗宴は様々な物語を生み出し、その物語から生まれた菓子もあったに違いないのです。
それから約400年後、この茶・菓子文化は再び、”Sweet Hirado”として長いお付き合いのオランダから招いたクリエーターと平戸の菓子職人とともに、新しい平戸菓子文化を創造し世界へと発信します。かつて西から東へと平戸に届いた文化は、東から西へと帆を揚げます。
2017年は24個のお菓子が誕生。異文化が共鳴し出来上がった菓子たちはそれぞれに秘めた物語を纏いひとつひとつが宝石のように輝いています。それは和菓子を超えた平戸菓子。
これらの菓子を季節ごとに松浦史料博物館内茶室、閑雲亭にて” オランダ茶会“として点心、濃茶、薄茶とともにお楽しみ頂けます。
The Dutch Tea Ceremony @ Kanuntei Teahouse
- Period: 15 February – 21 May 2017 (Excl. Monday)
- Reservations required at least 10 days in advance.
- Only groups between 3-10 people. Duration is 3 hours.
- JPY 10.000 per person.
- You can choose 2 seasonal sweets for each session (thick tea and thin tea).
- The special tea lunch is Hirado style with a Dutch twist and is served on porcelain specifically made for the Matsura family.
Information: Tel: 0950-22-2236 / Email: matsuhaku@matsura.or.jp /
Address: Matsura Historical Museum, Kagamigawa-cho 12, Hirado, Nagasaki 859-5152
オランダ茶会＠閑雲亭
・期間限定：2017年2月15日（水）〜5月21日（日）［月曜日 休会］
・予約制 *予約は10日前までの受付となります。
・１席3名より10名まで。１席約３時間程
・お一人様￥10,000
・濃茶・薄茶ともにSweet Hiradoから季節の菓子を２個ずつお選び頂きます。
・点心はオランダのエッセンスを加えた平戸の味を松浦家御用の食器、設えにてご用意しております。
閑雲亭（松浦史料博物館内）〒859-5152 長崎県平戸市鏡川町12
お問い合わせ先：TEL: 0950-22-2236 E-mail adderss: matsuhaku@matsura.or.jp
