- Event: A Bridge Connecting Japan's Traditional Techniques and Us - CROSSLINKING Japanese Creators -
- Dates: Wednesday, October 28 to Tuesday, November 3 (national holiday)
- Venue: Hankyu Umeda Main Store, 1st floor Promotion Space 11
- Pre-event experience: How to Enjoy Sencha on Saturday, October 24 at the 13th floor Diamond Hall
From Wednesday, October 21 to Tuesday, November 3, Hankyu Umeda Main Store is holding "Japan and me." across the whole building, an event that rediscovers the appeal of Japanese traditions and skills that have been handed down. As part of it, "A Bridge Connecting Japan's Traditional Techniques and Us - CROSSLINKING Japanese Creators -" takes place from October 28 (Wed) to November 3 (Tue, holiday) at Promotion Space 11 on the 1st floor.
The event brings Japan's "traditional techniques" together with a "contemporary sensibility." It presents HERMNANT, Nishijin hikihaku bags created by a sencha tea ceremony instructor, tea utensils from Bunshogama (文祥窯), which carries on the techniques of early Imari ware, and Awahino (あはひの), a traditional kettle-roasted tea from Ureshino, Saga. Ahead of the event, a pre-event experience featuring all three brands is held on Saturday, October 24, offering a look at a new Japanese sense of beauty that adds color to everyday life.
Creators and Brands That Carry On and Evolve Traditional Techniques
HERMNANT: Bags and Accessories That Bring Nishijin Hikihaku Into Everyday Wear
HERMNANT is a Kyoto-born bag brand that uses materials drawing on the traditional techniques of 西捷, a company that has long worked with kimono in Kyoto, and captures the past, present, and future with a fresh sensibility. Director Ayana Sanemitsu (實光彩水), a sencha tea ceremony instructor, expresses the "quiet beauty" that shows in one's presence and gestures.
HERMNANT bag (W42 x H18 x D18 cm) – ¥166,100
Bunshogama (文祥窯): Tableware That Draws on the Techniques and Character of Ko-Imari From 400 Years Ago
Third-generation potter 馬場光二郎 has a workshop deep in the mountains of Imari, Saga. He handles every step himself, from quarrying the raw materials and preparing the clay to throwing on the wheel, painting, and firing. Glaze drips, black specks, and uneven color are treated as part of each piece's character, and the tableware is designed to fit comfortably on today's dining tables.
Bunshogama white porcelain shinogi cup – ¥8,800 each
Awahino (あはひの): Traditional Kettle-Roasted Tea From Ureshino, Connected to Nature
The tea is made by tea master 松尾俊一, who was born into a tea-farming family in Ureshino and has experience in brain science and as a speech-language pathologist. Pursuing his own set of values, he carries on traditional kettle-roasted tea, the origin of Ureshino tea.
Special Experience: "How to Enjoy Sencha" With Designer and Sencha Tea Ceremony Instructor Ayana Sanemitsu
On Saturday, October 24, a special experience event featuring the three brands in this event is held. In this workshop, participants explore the world of sencha tea ceremony with Ayana Sanemitsu, designer of HERMNANT. With 小笠原秀邦 as guide, the session uses tea utensils by 馬場光二郎 of Bunshogama and Ureshino tea from Awahino. Through a tea gathering demonstration and a lesson on brewing delicious tea, participants can experience the depth of sencha tea ceremony and the sense of beauty that the brands value.
- Date and time: Saturday, October 24, 12:40 PM – 1:55 PM / 4:20 PM – 5:35 PM
- Venue: Hankyu Umeda Main Store, 13th floor Diamond Hall
- Price: ¥14,300 (includes a tea cup and a tea caddy (drawstring pouch))
- Capacity: 5 guests per session
- Instructor: Ayana Sanemitsu (guide: 小笠原秀邦)
- Eligibility: Limited to members of the Hankyu Hanshin Otokuisama Card PREMIUM and Persona STACIA Card
Guests who do not have a card can also take part by applying for the Persona STACIA Card and presenting the "temporary card" on the day.
