Nara was born into a family that produced Ohi-yaki, a prestigious pottery manufacturer in Kanazawa. He aspired to be a potter, but eventually decided to pursue the path of tea. As someone who inherits the spirit of tea ceremony into the modern age, he devotes himself to his studies every day, traveling around Japan and overseas to teach. What is the journey of the path of tea that this busy tea master, who only has private time when he is traveling, walks through his life?
Interview and text: Chiaki Sakaguchi Interview photography: Takuya Nagamine
The culture of "tea" has spread to over 100 regions around the world. The sense of caring for, respecting and connecting with one another is universal
OnTrip JAL Editorial Department (hereinafter referred to as JAL): What kind of work is Gyotai?
Nara Sokyu (hereinafter referred to as Nara): I am someone who conveys the tea ceremony instruction of the head of the Urasenke school both domestically and internationally. Gyotai means "to master the art with one's body and convey it." My job is to train alongside the head of the school in the tea ceremony techniques and ideas handed down in the Urasenke school and to convey them to people around the world.
Nara Munehisa
JAL: So you learn with your body and communicate with your body.
Nara: That's right. It's not something written on paper, but the way of tea ceremony that has been passed down by our ancestors for hundreds of years, which we learn with our own bodies and pass on. As a Gyotai, I accompany the head of the school to various events. At Urasenke events, I am often invited to give lectures and tea ceremonies at the request of embassies and universities. Two years ago, I went to Dubai. The locals dressed in local formal attire and served Japanese tea.
JAL: People of different ethnicities dressed up and drinking tea together. It seems like a very peaceful scene.
Nara: I've been to about 20 countries so far. There are branches of Urasenke all over Japan, but there are also over 100 branches overseas.
JAL: There are so many people who drink tea overseas.
Nara: There are many Japanese embassies abroad that have tea houses. In addition to local people, many Japanese people living in the area also start tea houses. It is only when you live abroad that you realize that you need to learn about Japanese culture.
JAL: When you perform tea ceremony overseas, what kind of reactions do you get from foreigners?
Nara: The simple, calm gesture of drinking tea seems to be beautiful to the eye. I tell them the importance of taking the time and effort to be grateful for the opportunity to drink tea here and now.
JAL: It's amazing that the spirit of tea can be conveyed to people overseas.
The fukusa that Nara-san always uses
Nara: There is a word called "Wa Kei Sei Jaku (Wa Kei Sei Jaku)." Holding the ladle, pouring hot water, running the tea whisk, and purifying the utensils with a cloth - all of these actions have meaning. By doing it in front of others, you purify your own feelings as you purify the utensils, and at the same time, purify the hearts of your guests. I think the feeling of connecting people by sharing the same time while caring for and respecting each other is something that is common to all countries.
"The house in Kanazawa where my grandfather retired in his later years was a place connected to Sen no Rikyu's great-grandson."
JAL: What made you decide to take up the path of tea?
Nara: I studied art at university and aimed to become a potter, but since Japanese pottery is deeply connected to the tea ceremony, I decided to first learn tea thoroughly. So I enrolled in the Urasenke Gakuen Tea Ceremony College in Kyoto and spent three years in a boarding school. After that, I lived in the head of the school and stayed there for another six years.
JAL: So it takes a long period of training.
Nara: I would wake up at 3am, clean the tea room, arrange flowers, and wait until everything was ready for the head of the family to perform his duties. I did this every morning, 365 days a year, in winter and summer. I would also sleep in the tea room at night. The room was separated from the outside by a single shoji screen, and it was so cold in winter that I would sometimes wake up with frozen hair.
JAL: That's tough...
Nara: I was not used to it and at times got sick, but I continued for about five years, determined to erase myself.
JAL: What was the trigger that made you decide to seriously pursue the path of tea?
Nara: It was about one or two years after I entered the hermitage. I learned that Kokoan, where I am currently practicing in Kanazawa, is the house where my grandfather retired in his later years, and that it was also the residence of Senso Soshitsu Koji, the great-grandson of Sen no Rikyu Koji, the founder of the Urasenke school of tea ceremony. Also, when I was young, I often drank matcha with my grandfather, sitting on a throne under a 500-year-old pine tree in the garden of my parents' house, where my father (Ohi Toyasai) currently lives. Because of these things, I began to think that perhaps I was being guided by a mysterious connection that I could not change.
The solemn "Kencha" ceremony is held at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Thailand, churches in Europe, and on Iwo Jima.
JAL: So your path was already set before you even realized it.
Nara: I think so. When I was in college, I looked at design and art in America and Europe, but I ended up returning to Japan.
JAL: What was the first place you went to after becoming a karma-tai?
Nara: The first time I went to teach alone was in Sakai, Osaka. Sakai is the birthplace of Sen no Rikyu, and is a city with deep ties to the tea ceremony. I was very nervous because it was my first time teaching alone in front of hundreds of people, and I remember that I first visited Rikyu's grave.
JAL: Are there any cities or stories that left an impression on you?
Nara: The previous head of the school (the 15th head of Urasenke, Sen Genshitsu) traveled around the world with the Urasenke philosophy of "Peacefulness from a single bowl," which says that the spirit of drinking tea with mutual respect brings about peace. There is an ancient ceremony called the "Gokenchashiki" in which tea is offered to gods, Buddhas, and spirits, and this is a solemn ceremony that is difficult to convey in words.
The tea offering ceremony involves many steps, and the Grand Master and Head of the family wear masks to prevent their breath from touching the tea. It's very nerve-wracking to be there, but it also cleanses the soul and gives a sense of solemnity. Tea ceremonies between people are wonderful, but the act of offering tea to something that cannot be seen conveys a message of peace. At tea offering ceremonies held on ships at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Thailand, churches in Europe, Guam, Saipan, Iwo Jima and other places, the tea was let out to sea as a tribute to the war dead. It was a very moving and truly gratifying experience.
JAL Tohoku/Hokuriku Tour
The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.
