We can see above beautiful sky in early spring from Kyoto Handicraft Center.
In the garden...
Some plants have sprouted just after weeding.
Is that a sign of gods??
Today, we will introduce a small history of chopsticks and beautiful manner to use chopsticks.
■Gods dwell on the top of chopsticks?
Chopsticks are indispensable for our eating habits in Japan, in other words, chopsticks are too natural for our life to think about them deeply. So, we often treat them a little bit roughly.
However, we have to think about things seems too ordinary, it is important to discover something precious for us.
Today, we discover "Gods on the chopsticks"!
A long time ago, in the 4th century, chopsticks ware brought to Japan from China. It is said that people used chopsticks not only to use for their meals, but also used for the important rituals, because the chopsticks are thought as a bridge to connect "Gods" and "people".
In Japanese language, chopsticks are called as "Hashi". "Hashi" originally means "edge", Hashi has two "edges", one is top of chopsticks, and another one is tip of chopsticks. People believed that gods are on the top of chopsticks and people's spirits are on the tip of chopsticks, so "Hashi", chopsticks are like a bridge to connect Gods and people.
So, chopsticks are sacred items and having a meal is thought as one of the beautiful act.
This is why, we have a manner to use chopsticks beautifully, with respect to chopsticks and meals.
(However, most of us tend to forget this kind of manner, so we have to learn again!)
This is a movie to learn traditional manner to use chopsticks.
And, this one is a movie of advanced version to use chopsticks and a bowl...
Would you like to try beautiful manner to use chopsticks?
If you are interested in good quality of chopsticks, please visit here.