08/10/2026
This year, I had the honor of submitting my work for consideration to the ไบฌ่ๅญๅฑ (Kyogashi Exhibition & Competition) in Kyoto.
The theme of this yearโs exhibition, ใๅฏๆฐธ่กๅนธ็ตตๅทปใ, celebrates the rich artistic world that flourished during the Kanโei era . A time when tea ceremony, gardens, calligraphy, crafts, and many other forms of Japanese culture came together.
The connection to chanoyu was especially meaningful to me. I was Inspired by the artistry of stone artisan Taka Saida-san and his son Kaito-san, the sixth-generation successor, I chose ้ขๅฎ็ณ (Sekimori-ishi) as the motif for my wagashi.
In a tea garden, a Sekimori-ishi is a small stone placed to mark a boundary , quietly indicating that one should not pass. But beyond its practical purpose, I was drawn to its deeper meaning: protection, respect, and the transition from the ordinary world into the sacred space of the tea room.
I wanted to translate that quiet moment of transition into wagashi. The stone became the heart of the confection, wrapped with a musubi (็ตใณ) knot symbolizing connection, continuity, and the bonds between people and places. Together, the stone and knot became my interpretation of the threshold of the tea room: a small object that asks us to pause, leave the outside world behind, and enter with intention.
For the autumn season, I chose black sesame for the main wagashi, giving it a deep, earthy nuttiness. The delicate knots were made with matcha, adding a gentle bitterness and a vivid green against the autumn tones.
Although my piece was not among those selected for exhibition this year, I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to challenge myself through this process.
To create in response to such a rich theme, and to have the courage to place my ideas alongside the work of so many talented wagashi artists, was an honor in itself.
For me, the true value was in the process , researching, creating, experimenting, and finding new ways to express the spirit of ่ถใฎๆนฏ through wagashi.
A small stone. A simple knot. A boundary between two worlds. ๐
#ไบฌ่ๅญๅฑ #ไบฌ่ๅญ #ๅ่ๅญ
