Gourmet
2017.10.13

Enjoy sipping Japanese tea with a little thrill and a surprise!

この記事を書いた人

Photographs by Shinohara Hiroaki.

“I love giving guests that little thrill of having fun at a tea ceremony.”

—Kazumi Aso, Proprietor, Aso Bijutsu Gallery

DMA-170116 0621_matcha_tatami

The Aso Bijutsu Gallery in Tokyo’s Ginza district has a lovely Japanese tea room, where the proprietor will make tea on occasion. Today, the tea room’s tokonoma alcove is graced by a calligraphy inscription by philosopher Muneyoshi Yanagi: One taste, and you’ll forget about the tea”—Forget about the tea?

“Forget about all the rules of tea ceremony etiquette and just enjoy sipping the tea. That’s what I take it to mean.”

Kazumi Aso has been close to the tea ceremony ever since he was a young boy, with very tasteful results. On the tatami mats he’s placed a solid wooden board about 80 centimeters long.

“When I have an unexpected guest, I can put this board down on the mats, lay out what I need, and make tea.”

DMA-170116-0475-02-1-620x461

After placing charcoal in the old Shigaraki-style brazier and boiling the water in an ancient kettle, Aso has a Khmer bronze bowl ready for collecting the rinse water. “And now,” he says with a perfectly serious expression, “for today’s tea”—and he brings out a small, artistically done toy bicycle! It’s really a dining table spice rack he found in an antique store in Cape Town, South Africa, but each of the four containers holds just enough matcha powdered green tea for one serving.

The tea cup is a Karatsu-style bowl bearing an adorable illustration by an old friend of his, cartoonist Chikako Mitsuhashi. “I like to surprise people. When you’re surprised, you get a little thrill. Even if you don’t know much about the tea ceremony, if you get that little thrill, you might come to like it, right?”

DMA-170116 0469_aso_matchaKazumi Aso / Proprietor of the Aso Bijutsu Gallery, specializing in ancient and modern art and antiques. The gallery also houses a tea room that Aso built himself, where he conducts tea ceremonies and tea lessons.

Whenever Aso is out and about, whether walking through his neighborhood or on a trip overseas, he’s always on the lookout for items that might come in handy for the tea ceremony.

“If I can get a guest to smile, I pat myself on the back. I just see this as me being mischievous.”

My Tea Ceremony: New Dimensions in Everyday Enjoyment

Take a closer look at three “treasures” Aso uses to make tea
Three beautiful items inside an elegant Japanese tea ceremony

Discover different styles of Chanoyu and way of enjoying tea:
My Chanoyu: Creativity in the practice of Japanese tea
The way to enjoy Japanese green tea and saké with a small tea cup!
Add a little luxe to your morning – Start off the day with Japanese matcha