One Family Made Tea Tools for an Emperor. They Still Do.

This is the wooden mold and design sketch for a Hagoide, a battle door, supplied to the Omiya Imperial Palace. Furthermore, this is a wooden mold for a cypress helmet, Hinoki Kabuto, displayed in the Imperial Palace for the Boys Day Festival. Commissioned by the Konoe family, the highest ranking court nobles in bentwood craftsmanship, it was presented to Emperor Komei. Here is a young man carrying on the craft that once captivated the Imperial Court. The ancient capital where court culture still breathes, Kyoto, a quiet alley in Konigyo Ward. This is the sacred ground of the tea ceremony. Two grand master families, Yamoto, stand side by side, passing down the spirit of Sen no Rikyu to the present day. In this corner lies a workshop protecting a thousand-year-old craft. Do you know of the Kigushi, masters of wooden tea utensils? What they create are wooden utensils, or Kigu, crafted from lustrous plain wood and straight grain wood where the growth rings run in parallel lines. They are made using Magamono, the technique of bending wood into shape, a water pitcher, Mizusashi, that adds a dignified grace to the tea room. On the pristine plain wood, there's a raised relief technique called Okiage, applying multiple layers of Gofun, seashell pigment, and Nikawa, animal glue, to build up three-dimensional patterns. It is a precious technique rarely seen today. The creator is the workshop, Bansho Hashimura. Since ancient times, various cultures centered around wood have flourished. It is said that bentwood items were produced as far back as the Kofun period. Until buckets and barrels appeared in the Muromachi period, virtually all vessels were bentwood. The Hashimura family's history spans over a thousand years. It began by supplying sacred wooden utensils, Shingu, to Ice Grand Shrine, and when the capital moved to Kyoto, they relocated to Kyoto and provided many wooden items to the imperial court and court nobility. Precious historical records from those days still remain. This is the wooden mold and design sketch for a Hagoita, a battle door, supplied to the Omiya Imperial Palace. Furthermore, this is a wooden mold for a cypress helmet, Hinoki Kabuto, displayed in the Imperial Palace for the Boys' Day Festival. Commissioned by the Konoe family, the highest-ranking court nobles in bentwood craftsmanship, it was presented to Emperor Komei. Since the Meiji era, they have crafted custom utensils for tea ceremony grandmasters. Today, these pieces are prized treasures among tea connoisseurs. What is the significance of wooden utensils in the tearoom? Here is a young man carrying on the craft that once captivated the imperial court, Kigushi master Shintaro Hashimura. Admiring his father's work from a young age, he became his father's apprentice right after high school, while also learning techniques from his uncle, Yoshiaki. Yoshiaki faithfully restored the ancient cypress helmet, splendidly reviving its original historic form. Located near the stands the last remaining court noble residence, or Kugayashiki, the Reizei family manor. Once, many noble estates surrounded the palace grounds. However, in the Meiji period, most departed Kyoto alongside the emperor. But the Reizei family stayed behind as guardians of the Imperial Palace. Their ancestor was Fujiwara no Teika, compiler of the Ogura Hayakunin issue poetry anthology. For roughly 800 years since the Kamakura period, they have preserved imperial court culture. This is the Kikaten ceremony, held on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, known as the historical precursor to Tanabata. The Hashimura family has supplied numerous wooden utensils to the Reizei family over generations. They showed us one of these historical pieces. This is a Bandai writing table used in poetry gatherings, or Utakai. Decorated with gold lacquered crane motifs, Makie, it was crafted by the Hashimura family in the late Edo period. Even today, its beauty remains unfaded. Here, Master Bancho presents an original artifact, an order commissioning document from the Reizei family. It specifies exact dimensions and records that the piece was crafted using wood gifted by retired Emperor Gotoba. Sakurai City, Nara Prefecture. Tanzen Shrine. On this day, the two artisans visited Tanzen Shrine, which was founded in 678. This was the historic stage that triggered the Taika reforms of the Asuka period, reshaping Japanese history. The shrine's symbol is a 13-story wooden pagoda. Furthermore, its main sanctuary served as the architectural model for Nikko Toshogu Shrine. Its landscape was even featured on historical Japanese banknotes. There's a special heirloom here, linked to Master Bancho. Preserved inside the treasure house, we were given special permission to view it. This is an incense container, a Kogo, crafted by Master Bancho using timber from the shrine's sacred tree. The shrine crest is rendered in raised relief using the okiage technique. It's a very special memory for me, and I'm very grateful that I was able to hold it for so long. It's not just the fact that it was made using the sacred tree. I think it's very meaningful and valuable to have such a long-standing connection. It's not just about this object, but it's also about the connection to it, and people's feelings. I think it's something that will eventually disappear, but by leaving people behind, we can create more of that kind of connection. I think that's how I was able to connect with my ancestors. I hope that I can continue my work with that kind of feeling. What is the door to tomorrow that Shintaro opens with his own hands? The beauty of growth rings sculpted across eternal time. To pass this legacy a thousand years into the future, the young craftsman listens to the wood and pours his sweat, opening the door to tomorrow. He takes another step closer to his dream.