桃源郷ガーデン オープニングセレモニー
#6 Special Edition
An exciting new special report! I was honored to be invited by our September guest, Mr. Shiozawa to the opening ceremony of TOGENKYO (Shangri-la) Garden, which is adjacent to Gekko Astronomical Observatory in Kannami Town, Mishima. There is a newly established café in the garden and Mr. Shiozawa painted the amazing mural on the café wall. I would like to convey through this report Mr. Shiozawa’s expressive thoughts contained in his gorgeous mural painting!
Address:
1308-222 Kuwabara, Kannami-cho, Takata-gun, Shizuoka 419-0101
オープニングセレモニー(Movie)
撮影 : 柴田 かおる （Kaoru K. Shibata）
その後、セレモニーがミネハハさんの桃源郷ガーデンのオープニング宣言、“天と地の間をつなぐのが人の役目”とともに始まりました。
人間国宝、大鼓奏者、大倉流15代 大倉正之助さんの演奏、ミネハハさんの歌、塩澤さんも巻き込んだフルセッションにダンサーが飛び入りでパフォーマンスをするという。
興奮冷めやらぬ中時間が過ぎていきました。
After the sacred ceremony, the opening declaration of Minnehaha’s Taoyuan Township Garden began. Minnehaha announced the official opening of the garden by saying, “It is the Human Role of the people to connect the heavens and the earth.” It is said that dancers will jump into a full session involving a living national treasure, a large drum player, Shonosuke Okura, a 15th generation Okura style, a song by Minnehaha and Shiozawa. The Human national treasure, 15th of OKURA school, Mr. Shonosuke, and Okura performed in the ceremony, which was really solemn.
After that, Minnehaha sang songs and continued the collaboration session between 4 people, Minnehaha, Mr. Okura, Mr. Shiozawa and Dancer. It was quite an exciting performance.
さて、第4回目のゲストで紹介した塩澤さんが描かれた壁画はこちらです。こちらのカフェの名はロータスカフェです。
この中に込めた思いをご本人に聞いてみます。
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塩澤）月が13個あるのね。これは13夜で月の満ち欠けを描いています。 百蓮華は宗教（仏教）の象徴なんだけれど。
蓮の花というのは泥の中にまみれても泥にけがされずに眞白い花を咲かせるというのでお釈迦様の生まれ変わりと言われていて、蓮の花というのはすでに花ができた段階で種があるわけ。次の世代を作っているから、そういう植物は非常にめずらしい。この白蓮の花のなかにある金色の花びらはお釈迦様の象徴。お釈迦様が生まれたときの色。
実際にはこんな色はないのだけれど、おしゃれにスタイリッシュに入れました。
―（蓮の花の中にある丸い模様なものを指さして）、これも何か意味があるんですか？
塩澤）これは蓮の花が朽ちるときに丸く染みができるんですよ。
―これは11個ありますけど何か意味があるんですか？
塩澤）関係なく、これを一つの宇宙船とみたてているんで。月光天文台だからさ。宇宙船とみたてて、この宇宙船に乗ってみんなで黄泉の国に行こうよ。なんかそのような仏教的な要素を取り入れて描いているんです。
―この青色は、蓮の色にはありませんよね。
塩澤）ないです。だけどね。ああいうコバルトブルーの色は、月の夜は、満月の夜にはこんな色になったり（見えたり）するの。 夜は基本蓮の花は閉じてしまうんだけど。両方、昼と夜を兼ね備えて、この花びらの内側、月も光るように描いています。電球に照らされて月がぼーっと浮かぶように照らされるんです。
―この絵はどのようなメッセージを込められていますか？
塩澤）あちらに神社があるじゃない？ こちらには仏の世界じゃない。もともとは日本は神仏集合だったのね。で、原型に戻そうと思って、こっちは蓮にしてあちらをお宮にしたわけね。だから、昔のお寺の形式というのはこういう形式でできていたから。そこに戻そうと。俺が勝手に思ってるんだけどね。だから、一見神党と関係のない蓮とお宮と合体させてミックスな感じにしたいと思って作ったわけね。
―ではここにある天の浮石というのは何ですか？
塩澤）これ？ これは化石。化石をわざと下に石をひいて浮石にしているわけね。
ここはもともと神道に関係する宗教があった場所で、星の動きと人間の運命が呼応しているのではないか、響きあっているのではないかということで天文台をたてたんですよ。この民間の天文台はナント144個の小惑星を見つけたという素晴らしい天文台です。
Photos: Presenting the amazing artistic mural paintings by Mr. Shiozawa.
Presenting: The New Lotus Café.
Artist Mural Interpretation by Mr. Shiozawa: There are 13 moons. It depicts the ebb and flow of the moon at 13 nights. Hyakurenka is a symbol of Buddhism religion.
I wrote 13 moons to show the waxing and waning of the moon.
The lotus flower is said to be a rebirth of Buddha because it makes white flowers bloom without being injured by the mud – – even if it is covered with mud. The white lotus flower is the symbol of Buddhism. The Lotus flower comes up from the mud pool to let blossom out unsullied. When it blossoms, it has the seeds already to make the next generation. This type of flower is quite rare. You see the golden petal of white lotus, which is the symbol of Budda. The gold color was the new born Budda. Actually, there is no gold color of the lotus, but I put it there in a fashionable and stylish way.
(Pointing to the round pattern inside the lotus flower), does this also have any meaning?
This is a round stain when the lotus flower decays.
-There are 11 of these. Is there also a special meaning?
No, there is not a relation. But, I paint and see this as space ship because it’s near astronomic Gekko Observatory. Think of it as a spaceship, and let’s all go together to the underworld on this spaceship. I am drawing with Buddhist elements. I input the Buddhism factor into my painting.
-The blue color is not actually in the lotus, isn’t it?
No. But, that kind of cobalt blue color looks like this on a moonlit night and on a full moon night. The lotus flower closes at night… but, both day and night are combined–the inside of the petal, the moon, is also drawn to shine. The inside of the flower and also the moon shall be illuminated (glow) as if it were floating, which shows the ethereal beauty.
-What message did you portray in your painting?
There is the shrine and here is the world of Buddha. Japan was a group of gods and Buddha. Originally, the shrine and temple are built at the same place. So, I wanted to restore it to its original shape, so I made it a lotus and made it a palace. That is why we put the lotus near the shrine. (Smile) That is what I just wanted to do. That’s why the old temple style was made in this way. I just mixed with the shrine (god) and Lotus (Buddha) and wanted to make it united.
-Well, what is AMA NO UKIISHI(Floating stone)? What is the heavenly pumice stone here?
This? This is the fossil remains. The fossil is intentionally placed to make it a floating stone.
This is the place where there was a religion related to the Shinto party, and the observatory was set up because the movement of the stars and the fate of human beings might be in harmony with each other. This place is originally related to Shinto, and they built the Astronomical Observatory to study if the movement of stars and destiny of humans may be contacted and vibrated with each other harmoniously. This private observatory is a wonderful observatory that has found 144 asteroids in Nantes.
さて、この天地神社の話に戻りましょう。
こちらのご神体を作られたのは東京芸術大学 名誉教授である三田村氏によって作られました。こちらがそのご神体です。
この勾玉のような形は赤い実が実る場所、そしてその場所は天に浮かんでいる。（蒔絵されたもの）が安座されており、神のよりどころとなっている。 その下には富士山がそびえたっている。
ここは天地をつなぐという社。感謝の言葉を表すことによって神とつながる。 だから、ここは大変なパワースポットとも言えます。
このご神体は30年間封印されます。30年後までこのご神体をみることはできません。
確かに、ミネハハさんの歌が流れている時に富士山の方向、雲が多くて見えなかったのだけれどもそこには雲の架け橋のようなものが見え、幻想的な雰囲気がありました。
その昔、日本の人々は自然という神を身近に感じて暮らし
ていたのだなと感じたひと時でした。
Now, let’s return to the story of this Tenchi Shrine.
This Shintai was made by Mr. Mitamura, PhD. an emeritus professor at Tokyo University of the Arts. This is the Shintai.
The person who made the sacred object to be put into the shrine was PhD. Mitamura. Here is the sacred object. This magatama-like shape is the place where red fruits grow, and that place is floating in the heavens. According to PｈD. Mitamura, The comma-shaped object shows the place the red berries are born and floating in the heavens. (Maki-e) is enshrined and is the basis of God. Mt. Fuji rises below it. This is a company that connects the top and bottom. Connect with God by expressing gratitude. Therefore, it can be said that this is a great power spot. This Shintai sacred object will be sealed for 30 years. You will not be able to see this god until 30 years later. That object is decorated by lacquer ware and it is god’s home.
Here, the shrine connects the heaven and the earth. By expressing appreciation, you can connect with god. It is not possible to open the door until 30 years passed.
Certainly, when Minnehaha’s song was playing, I couldn’t see the direction of Mt. Fuji because there were a lot of clouds, but I could see something like a bridge between clouds, and there was a fantastic atmosphere. A long time ago, Japanese people lived close to the god of nature. It was a moment when I felt that I was there!
I felt very sacred and solemn in this atmosphere.
Long ago, Japanese people lived by feeling the nature god…It was at this time that I felt it deeply.
これからもいろいろな分野での第一人者の方、新進気鋭の芸術家の方、ファッション、いろいろな分野の方たちのインタビューを配信させていただきます。
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