Fumi Kimura’s Utsuwa Talk

Fumi Kimura's Utsuwa Talk

Fumi Kimura's Utsuwa Talk

Chapter 12: The spirit of hospitality (Omotenashi)

The news that Japan’s food culture has been inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity caused quite a stir throughout Japan this year. An important component of Japan’s food culture is the concept of omotenashi—hospitality, or the wholehearted entertainment of guests. The original idea of omotenashi has its roots in the hospitality that was offered to the gods. The Japanese offered omotenashi to various gods, be they gods of nature...

Fumi Kimura's Utsuwa Talk
Fumi Kimura's Utsuwa Talk

Fumi Kimura's Utsuwa Talk

Chapter 11: Earthenware

When the cold winter season arrives, we come to see slightly thicker Shigaraki-, Oribe-, and Shino-yaki, more so than fine porcelain tableware. A little closer to home are donabe (clay pots) and tonsui (lit. “drink water”), which could be considered standard winter tableware items. It is said that if you want to avoid having cracks or leaks in a new donabe, you should first fill it with rice bran and water that has been used...

Fumi Kimura's Utsuwa Talk
Fumi Kimura's Utsuwa Talk

Fumi Kimura's Utsuwa Talk

Chapter 10: The conventions of Christmas

Once December comes around, the streets fill up with the colors of Christmas. Christmas trees, Santas, and lit-up fairy lights appear all over town, creating a gay and cheerful atmosphere. Essentially, Christmas is a religious event, although its origins lie in the Celts, a people who were native to northern Europe. It is thought that the nature-worship and various associated customs that developed in Celtic life later became connected with the Christian faith. Six conventions...

Fumi Kimura's Utsuwa Talk
Fumi Kimura's Utsuwa Talk

Fumi Kimura's Utsuwa Talk

Chapter 9: Rice Bowls

In Japan, November 23rd is the day for observing Niiname-sai, otherwise pronounced as Shijo-sai. In post-war times, this day is marked as Labor Thanksgiving Day, although originally it was celebrated as a day to give thanks for the harvest. “Niiname” refers to the fresh harvest of that year’s grain crop. During Niiname-sai (lit. Celebration of First Taste), the gods are thanked for the harvest with offerings of grain, some of which is also eaten. Japanese...

Fumi Kimura's Utsuwa Talk
Fumi Kimura's Utsuwa Talk

Fumi Kimura's Utsuwa Talk

Chapter 8: Sake vessels

When November comes around, we are finally in the season of delicious freshly brewed sake, which we can enjoy drinking in the slightly chillier autumn air. In pre-modern times in Japan, October was known as Kannazuki or Kaminashizuki, both of which originate from the practice of brewing sake from the new rice harvest during this month. This is the time when sugidama*, large balls created from fresh, green sprigs of Japanese cedar are hung under...

Fumi Kimura's Utsuwa Talk
Fumi Kimura's Utsuwa Talk

Fumi Kimura's Utsuwa Talk

Chapter 7: Bowls that go well with kabocha

From September through November, as the weather starts to cool down then gets steadily more chilly, we come to enjoy eating root vegetables more and more. Beginning around the time of imomeigetsu (lit. “potato harvest moon”) in September, root vegetables with increasingly umami flavors come into season—first sweet potato then lotus root, followed by burdock root, for example. These vegetables appear on Japan’s dinner tables in stewed dishes or are simmered separately then combined with...

Fumi Kimura's Utsuwa Talk
Fumi Kimura's Utsuwa Talk

Fumi Kimura's Utsuwa Talk

Chapter 5: Moon-viewing (Nochi-no-tsuki, or Jusanya)

The Japanese custom of Otsukimi (moon viewing) includes jugoya,* which falls in September, and jusanya,* which follows in October. These two moons are also known as Chushu no meigetsu (the harvest moon) and Nochi-no-tsuki (the waxing moon), respectively. In celebrating moon-viewing, the Japanese followed the Mid-Autumn Festival that was introduced from China and started to enjoy moon-viewing parties during the Heian period (794-1185). The September full moon celebrations are also known as Imomeigetsu (potato harvest...

Fumi Kimura's Utsuwa Talk
Fumi Kimura's Utsuwa Talk

Fumi Kimura's Utsuwa Talk

Chapter 4: Talking about tea

The original tea plant is believed to be a native of the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau in China, from where it traveled through various lands and historical eras to become the beverage that we know today. The Cantonese word “cha” took an overland route to the West, where it came to be known as “chai.” This word became established in Persian and then made its way on to Europe. In the East, the word traveled across the...

Fumi Kimura's Utsuwa Talk
Fumi Kimura's Utsuwa Talk

Fumi Kimura's Utsuwa Talk

Chapter 3: Kiku no sekku

Kiku no Sekku—Chrysanthemum Day—is one of Japan’s five ancient sacred festivals (sekku). Alternatively known as Choyo or Chokyu, it is celebrated on September 9th—the 9th day of the 9th month. “Chokyu” refers to this doubling of the number 9, and as it is a homonym for “chokyu” (permanence), it is no surprise that the festival is celebrated in the wish for long life. Chrysanthemum Day is observed by drinking chrysanthemum sake sprinkled with chrysanthemum petals...

Fumi Kimura's Utsuwa Talk
Fumi Kimura's Utsuwa Talk

Fumi Kimura's Utsuwa Talk

Chapter 2: Talking about patterns

Japanese ceramics are decorated with a large variety of patterns. While these include everything from floral and plant motifs, images of fish or dragons, to contemporary geometric patterns, all such patterns have a meaning. The Japanese people were good at incorporating these meanings into their lives in the wish for longevity, the health of their children, or other festive things. For example, mesh patterns are said to sift out bad things or prevent us from...

Fumi Kimura's Utsuwa Talk