素敵な考え方

スーッと閉まる感じがよくて、毎朝、珈琲缶を開け閉めするのが楽しくて、使いたくなる、触りたくなる茶筒。外蓋が載せただけで、精巧なつくりゆえに、自然にスーッとゆっくり落ちて、ピッタリと寸分狂わずに閉まる。その感じがたまらなくよいのである。

京都の開化堂の茶筒を使いはじめて1年が過ぎた頃、京都に行く用事があり、Kaikado Caféに立ち寄った。三十三間堂に行った帰り、夕方の新幹線に乗るまでの間、コーヒーが飲みたくて。

少し疲れていたので、コーヒー1杯で長居をしてしまい、そろそろお店を出ようかと、その前にトイレでも、と思い帰ってきたら、

「今からTVの取材が入りますが、いいですか？」と店主に言われ、あまりに突然でいいも悪いもなく「は、はい」と答えたら、すぐにどばどばと人やカメラが入ってきて、目の前で取材がはじまった。

あまりにも目の前で、映るのは構わないが、顔を上げて取材の様子を見ていたら、もろに映りそうだったので、さすがにうつむき加減で、耳だけで取材の様子を伺っていた。

タレントの方が茶筒について質問をしているらしく、何を質問したかは聞き取れなかったが、店主の答えだけが聞こえてきて、

「音を大事にしているんです、開けた時の音。この開けた時の音が良ければ、中に大切な物を入れてくれるんじゃないかと思って」

ちょっと意外だった。音を意識することが無かったから。確かに、茶筒を開けた時の感触は、毎朝のことだから覚えていて、とても気持ちのいいものだとわかるが、音は、まあ、音も感触のうちのような。

と同時に、この店主の答えを聞いて、自分の中ではハッとするものがあった。音が良ければ大切な物を入れてくれるかもしれない、なんて、なんて素敵なんだと。確かにそうだな、感触がいいとそれを大事にしなくてはと思うよな。

てっきり開化堂の茶筒は、外蓋が載せただけ自然にスーッと閉まるのを売りにしているのかと思っていた。その精巧さは海外でも有名らしく、私がお店に行った時も中国の方が1人で買いに来ていて「中国でも有名だ」と店員と英語で話していた。

だから、私が購入したもの中に外蓋が自然に閉まらないものがあり、手直ししてもらったこともあった。後で考えてみれば、茶筒は金属だから、冬と夏で伸び縮みするだろう。冬に製作したら、夏には、例え0.1ミリでも伸びたら、閉まらなくなるはず、製作時にどうしているのだろう、とききたくなった。

取材中、もう帰ろうかと思っていたので、コーヒーも無く、水も無く、30分くらい、あまりにも目の前なので席を立つ訳にもいかず、どうしたものかと思っていたけれど、店主の

「音を大事にしているんです、開けた時の音。この開けた時の音が良ければ、中に大切な物を入れてくれるんじゃないかと思って」

という話が聞けて、京都に来た甲斐があったと思った。大切な物を入れてもらうために茶筒をつくる、そのために音、すなわち感触を良くするために自分たちの技術と知識を使う。

音が良ければ大切な物を入れてくれるだろう、なんて本当に素敵な考え方だ、素晴らしい。

建築に例えるとどうなるのだろう、帰りの新幹線でずっと考えていた。

"Lovely way of thinking"

It feels good to close with Su, and every morning, it is fun to open and close the coffee can, and you want to use it, you want to touch it. Just by placing the outer lid, because it is elaborate making, it falls naturally and suddenly, it closes perfectly and not crazy. That feeling is unbearably good.

I used a tea ceremony in Kyoto's Kaidokudo for the first time after a year, I had something to go to Kyoto, stopped by Kaikado Café. I went to Sanjusangendo on the way home and wanted to drink coffee until I got on the Shinkansen in the evening.

Because I was a bit tired, I made a long cookie with a cup of coffee, so I decided to leave the shop soon, I thought of going to the restroom before that,

The shopkeeper told me that "TV interviews are coming in from now," but the shopkeeper told me that, if it is too sudden and there is neither good nor bad, and answering "Yes, yes", people and cameras will soon I came in and interview started in front of my eyes.

I do not mind seeing it in front of my eyes, but as I looked at the state of the interview with raising my face, it seemed to be revealed as well, so I was asking about the state of the interview with just my ears .

The talent seemed to be asking questions about the tea ceremony, I could not catch what you asked, but I heard only the shopkeeper's answer,

"I treasure the sound, the sound when I opened it, thinking that if the sound of this opening is good, I will put some important things inside."

It was a bit surprising. Because I was not conscious of the sound. Certainly, as I remember the feeling when I opened the tea chestnut, as I remember it every morning, I remember it is a very pleasant feeling, but the sound, well, the sound is like a feeling.

At the same time, there was something that made me feel relieved in listening to this shopkeeper's answer. It is wonderful how wonderful it might be to put important things if sound is good. Sure it is, I think that you must take care of it if the feel is nice.

I definitely thought that the tea ceremony of the Kanjido is selling that it closes naturally only with the outer lid on it. Its elaborateness is famous abroad, and when I went to a shop, the Chinese came to buy alone and was talking to a clerk in English with a clerk, "It is famous in China."

So, there were things that I did not close naturally in what I bought, and there were things I had to rework. After considering it, the tea ceremony is metal, so it will expand and shrink in winter and summer. If I make it in winter, in the summer, if it grows even by 0.1 mm, it will not close, I want to hear what you are doing in the making.

Because I thought that I would go home already, I did not have any coffee, there was no water, about 30 minutes or so, because I was in front of my eyes so I could not translate into a seat and I thought what was wrong,

"I treasure the sound, the sound when I opened it, thinking that if the sound of this opening is good, I will put some important things inside."

I thought that it was worth to come to Kyoto to hear the story. To make precious things to be put in, make a tea ceremony pipe, therefore use their skills and knowledge to improve the sound, that is, feel.

If sound is good it will put important things, what a really wonderful way of thinking is wonderful.

I wonder what happens if you compare it to architecture, I have been thinking about it on the returning Shinkansen.