Concha Huerta – Arte y cultura

(Post traducido por M. da Silva. Para leer en español pulsar. Tras los pasos de Kawabata).

«On a drizzly afternoon in Kyoto, sitting by the window, I watch the falling rain, listen to it’s calming sound.
It is here, at Hiiragiya, that I wistfully recall that sense of tranquility that belonged to old Japan.

Yasunari KAWABATA (Nobel Price)

Kawabata’s room at Hiiragiya-Ryokan

As I was telling you, I stayed at Hiragiya Ryokan, one of the oldest in Kyoto. The building is all wood and washi paper panels that slid soundlessly. The room had a sitting area and a private cedar bathroom. One of the walls looked out to the inner garden. The same garden Kawabata contemplated from the room next door. All the appliances had been covered with sewn cloth so as not to break the harmony. You can’t imagine the feeling of peace that it created. After relaxing in the ofuro, the traditional Japanese bath tub, you put on the yukata and waited for dinner. Afterwards they cleared the table and laid out the futon in it’s place.

Inner garden

The food was spectacular. Traditional breakfast and Kaiseki dinner, Japanese fine cooking. At seven pm sharp a kimono clad lady glided through the room and served you 11 dishes in carefully timed intervals. She would kneel to open and close the door and every time she placed something on the table. Always the same smiley face, the ultimate demonstration of omotenashi, the legendary Japanese hospitality. It felt more like a painting than a meal. Kaiseki is an art form that combines the flavours, textures and colours of each ingredient, always fresh, seasonal and local. The servings are small but filling. It was a pity to eat them!

Hiragiya Kaiseki

Appetizer (sakizuke)

Simmered Dishes (Nimono-Wan)

Sashimi (Mukouzuke)

Grilled Dishes (yakizakana)

Cold Dishes (Hiyashimono)

Middle Dishes (Oshinogi)

Simmered Dishes (Takiawase)

Rice (Gohan)

Pickles (Kou-No-Mono)

Dessert (Mizu-Mono)

Hiragiya Ryokan. Nakahakusancho, Fuyacho Anekoji-agaru, Nakagyo-ku,
Kyoto 604-8094, Japan. Phone:(075)221-1136 Fax:(075)221-1139