Shizuoka's food cultureKnow

The "Knife Ceremony" that has been passed down since the Heian period(Method)Have you heard of the "Itadakimasu" ceremony? Just as we say "itadakimasu" (thank you for the meal) and "gochisousama" (thank you for the meal) before and after eating, Japan has had a long-standing culture of expressing gratitude to the ingredients and people involved in the preparation of food. The knife ceremony is also a traditional cultural expression of gratitude for food.1200This knife ceremony was held as a special event at the "Wagashi Exhibition Shizuoka" held at the Shimizu Marine Building in Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka Prefecture.

The "Knife Ceremony" has been passed down as an imperial court event since the Heian period, and involves the use of knives and chopsticks.(Manabashi)This is a ritual in which food is cooked without touching it with one's hands, using chopsticks called . It is a way of giving thanks to the food and praying for peace and bountiful harvests. There are various theories, but it is believed that the 1st 58It is said that Emperor Daikoko started this custom to appease the spirits of the creatures that were used as food.

The knife ceremony began in a solemn atmosphere with gagaku music playing. There are several schools of knife ceremony, but the one conducting this ceremony was the Shijo Shinryu, a school known for its elegant movements.

Large chopping board(I don't know)On the stage where(Eboshi)Ya Hitatare(Hitatare)TheA guardian will enter dressed in formal attire.

The guardian was Noriyasu Inome, chairman of the Zuishokai Association of Professional Chefs. The guardian is responsible for carrying out the ceremony on behalf of the head priest in case something happens to him, and is usually someone senior to the head priest.

After the attendants enter, the sword master will come on stage and explain the procedure of the ceremony. The master will be Mr. Noritaka Kishimoto, head chef of the Elecom Atami Club in Atami City.

The title of the ceremony was "Large Kabuto Tuna."

Tuna was chosen as the main ingredient in the dish, named after Shimizu Port, which boasts the largest tuna catch in Japan.did.

The attendant removes the cloth covering the cutting board, and the "cutting board opening" ceremony begins.

In the Sojo Shinryu style, the four corners of the cutting board are named, from the top right corner clockwise as seen by the sword owner, as follows: "Morning Worship," "Four Virtues," "Five Elements," and "Ensemble Drunkenness," and the center is called "Kirin."

After purifying the salt, the cutting board is wiped clean with purified water from a bamboo container called a jusui dake, starting with the "morning worship" (top right of the cutting board).

Next comes the "Tosanhou no Gi" ceremony, in which attendants prepare the sword that the master will use and the manabashi chopsticks wrapped in managami paper.

In the following Mana Sanho ceremony, the fish attendant prepares ingredients called mana on an offering table, and places seasonal flowers to decorate the cutting board on the "morning offering" (top right of the cutting board).

And, "The head priest visits(Toshukenzan)" When the head performer, Mr. Kishimoto, steps onto the stage, everyone bows. The head performer bows to Usui.

Then, to make it easier for the performer to work, the attendant ties a silk sash around the master's sleeves.(Tasuki)Tie with "Cotton sash掛け(Yuuta's favorite)" will be carried out.

Next is "visual revision."

The master visually checks the cutting board to make sure there are no wobble or other issues. After moving the flowers placed on the "morning offering" (top right of the cutting board) to the "en-sui" (top left of the cutting board), the cutting board is inspected ("cho-aratame"), and the knife and sword are inspected ("to-aratame").

Afterwards, the mana chopsticks are removed from the mana paper and shown to the gods, offering thanks to heaven, earth, and all people.

Next is "Kumihachi."Place the knife and chopsticks in a cross shape in front of the heart, then draw a perfect circle with the heart in the center.Then, after performing the "Six Roots Purification" ritual to convey to the knife and chopsticks that one is pure, one exorcises evil spirits with the "Hamahachisou no Kamae."

Next is the "kaeshi" technique, where the Mana chopsticks are switched over.This is a gesture that is only performed in the Shijo Shinryu style. After the "Manamede" praise of the ingredients, the chef takes the knife in his right hand and the mana chopsticks in his left, and moves into the "Uchikomi" position, where he cuts the ingredients from a high stance.First, cut off the tuna's head, then draw a circle with the knife and chopsticks and bow, then cut off the tail and bow again.Then, using the entire body, from the legs to the fingertips, the meat is cut into pieces, which requires great skill to do using only a knife and chopsticks.

There are rules regarding the ingredients used in the Knife Ceremony, and ingredients known as "Five Fish and Three Birds" are used, and they are selected depending on the season and purpose. The Knife Ceremony began as an Imperial Court event, but later came to be held in samurai society on occasions such as when leaving for battle or returning home in triumph.

This time, the "Okabuto no Tuna" is made by cutting the tuna into pieces to resemble a helmet.

The tuna is quickly and carefully cut into pieces and arranged. Finally, the tail is removed with a knife and inspected at the "morning worship" (top right of the cutting board) before being returned to the cutting board. After the entire piece is inspected, it is garnished with seasonal flowers.

The finished "Okabuto no Tuna" is a tuna with its head at the center, its flesh lined up on either side, and its beautiful mizuhiki string adorning it, making it look just like a helmet.

Many visitors were amazed at the magnificent results and had their cameras pointed at them.

“ShijoXuanThe school's members are primarily people who work in the food industry, and they train hard every day. In addition to learning the Knife Ceremony's manners and cutting techniques from the head of the school, one of the aims of the students is to deepen their knowledge of food by learning the tea ceremony and other practices, thereby raising their awareness of food. In Japan, the fundamental principle of cooking known as the "five tastes and five colors" has been passed down. Furthermore, cooking is not just about taste; beautiful presentation is also important. The traditional Knife Ceremony is the perfect way to learn these things. "I would like to continue to pass on the Knife Ceremony to future generations and aim to improve food culture," says guardian Inome.

"I have been involved in Japanese cuisine for many years, but I was so impressed by the Knife Ceremony that I decided to become a disciple. After officiating at the Knife Ceremony, I feel so exhausted that my muscles ache, but I also feel a great sense of accomplishment. Currently, in order to make the Knife Ceremony more widely known, I have established a corporation to plan and manage the Knife Ceremony. Next year, I will be holding the Knife Ceremony at Izumo Taisha Shrine,7 "In a year, we will hold a knife ceremony by the Shijo Shinryu style at Ise Shrine, and we also plan to participate in religious ceremonies and events around the country to demonstrate the knife ceremony," said Kishimoto, who served as the head priest.

If you have the opportunity, please come and see the Knife Ceremony. You will surely be able to appreciate the depth of Japanese food culture.