Tea Picking & Making for Offering to the Emperor @ Iwashimizu Hachiman-gu

Due to the continuous cold weather, the tea plants are not producing new tea leaves as expected this year. Hence, this event will be postponed to about a week later or so. Sorry to those who have already made plan for participating. We will make an other announcement for confirming the postponed date of this event again. 

We Are One Japan

Every year, Iwashimizu Hachiman-gu conducts an important ceremony of making and offering tea to the Emperor of Japan and it has been a tradition for centuries. From the picking of tea leaves, through the many processes, to the final tea leaves that are ready to be offered to the Emperor, all is done in the shrine by the hands of the most skillful tea making masters, accompanied by Shinto prayers and traditional customs.

This important national event has always been an internal affair of the great shrine, and was never open to the public. In fact, Iwashimizu Hachiman-gu remains as one of the least visited shrines by foreign tourists, yet a significantly important one.

We are honored to collaborate with Iwashimizu Hachiman-gu in this year’s tea offering event where We Are One members will have the chance to witness and experience this traditional custom. We will learn about tea picking, the process of how tea is made in a traditional way, and the history of Japanese tea and the shrine.

Tea picking with Miko

Come join us with your curious mind and the appreciation for traditional culture! It will be an once-a-lifetime experience which you don't want to miss! 

Date & Time:     30^th April 2011 Sunday 8 am ~ 12 noon

Venue:              Iwashimizu Hachiman-gu

Meeting Place:  Keihan Otokoyaka Cable Car Station (next to Keihan Yawata Station), we will be taking the cable car to the mountaintop (200 yen single trip)

Access:              From Kyoto Station, take Kintetsu Train to Tanbahashi Station and change to Keihan Train. Or take JR to Tofukuji and change to Kehan Train.

                         From Osaka, take Subway Midosuji Line to Yodoyabashi Station and change to Keihan Train. Or take JR Kanjyou Line to Kyoubashi Station and change to Keihan Train.

Program:

• Witness tea picking
• Hands-on tea picking experience in Miko costume (vacancies limited)
• Traditional tea making processes
• Tea offering ceremony
• Refreshments
• The end

Cost: 2000 yen, including refreshments (1000 yen for children from 6 to 12)

RSVP with participants’ names to we.are.one.japan@gmail.com by 28^th April.

About Iwashimizu Hachiman-gu

Iwashimizu Hachiman-gu was first built in 859, in the Heian Period by Emperor Seiwa. It is located on top of a mountain called Otokoyama (男山) in Yawata, south of Kyoto City. The shrine was built over looking Kyoto to protect the capital and the Imperial House of Japan. It is one of the most high ranking shrine in Japan that is yet to be exploited by foreign tourists.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iwashimizu_Hachiman-g%C5%AB

http://www.iwashimizu.or.jp/

毎年、石清水八幡宮では天皇にお茶を製造・献上する重要な儀式が行われています。お茶の葉を摘み、たくさんの工程を経て、最終的に仕上がったお茶の葉が天皇に献上されます。すべての工程は最も腕のいい製茶の名人の手によって祈りと伝統的な慣習とともに当神社内で執り行われます。

この大切な国家的行事は昔から当神社の内的祭事であり、一般には公開されていませんでした。実際、石清水八幡宮を訪れる外国人旅行者は未だに稀ですが当神社はとても著名な神社の一つです。

今年のお茶の献上行事においてWe Are One のメンバーらがこの伝統的な慣行に立会い、また経験する機会を得、石清水八幡宮様に協力できますことを光栄に思います。今回のイベントではお茶の摘み方、伝統的手法によるお茶の製造工程、この地域や神社における日本茶の歴史などについて学びます。

日時：２０１１年４月３０日（日）午前8時~12時正午
場所：石清水八幡宮
待ち合わせ場所：京阪男山ケーブル駅（京阪八幡駅の近く）。頂上まではケーブルカーに乗ります。（片道200円）
アクセス：京都駅からお越しの場合：近鉄電車「丹波橋」駅下車、京阪電車に乗り換え。またはJR「東福寺」駅から京阪電車に乗り換え。
　　　　　大阪からのお越しの場合：地下鉄御堂筋線「淀屋橋」駅下車、京阪電車に乗り換え。またはJR環状線「京橋」駅下車、京阪電車に乗り換え。

プログラム：

• お茶摘み見学
• 伝統的お茶製造工程
• お茶献上儀式
• 巫女の衣装を着て茶摘み実体験（人数に限り有り）
• 石清水八幡宮ツアー
• 軽食

以上

参加費用：2000円 軽食を含む。（6才から12才のお子様：1000円）
４月２８日までにwe.are.one.japan@gmail.comに参加者のお名前をご連絡下さい。

石清水八幡宮について
石清水八幡宮は、平安時代、859年に清和天皇によって建立されました。京都府南部、八幡市の男山山頂に鎮座する神社です。当神社は日本の首都と皇居を守るように京都を見下ろすように建てられています。また日本で最も高位の神社の一つですが外国人旅行客にはまだそれほど知られていません。

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iwashimizu_Hachiman-g%C5%AB

http://www.iwashimizu.or.jp/