- This event has passed.
BEYOND TATAMI: AGRICULTURE AND CRAFTS IN OITA 28 JUL 2024
In collaboration with the Japan Foundation, Jesus College, and Oita Prefecture, Japan, we’re thrilled to present an afternoon of sustainable agriculture, heritage, and crafts in the Frankopan Hall, Jesus College, Cambridge. Tickets are available below.
Agriculture specialist HAYASHI Hiroaki, President of the Kunisaki Peninsula Area GIAHS Promotion Association, and master craftsperson IWAKIRI Chika, skilled in the use of shichitoi, join us from the Kunisaki Peninsula in Oita Prefecture, Japan. Following a brief talk on sustainable agricultural practice by Hiroaki, who played a key role in recognising Oita as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Chika will demonstrate how shichitoi—a scarce, highly valuable crop found only on the Kunisaki Peninsula—can be used in traditional crafts.
After Chika’s demonstration, workshop ticketholders will be guided through making their very own Shimenawa ring, a traditional rope often used in rituals, out of shichitoi. (Attendees with tickets for the presentation only are welcome to observe.)
SUNDAY 28 JULY 2PM
2:00pm Event starts
2:10pm Brief talk about the agriculture in Kunisaki, Oita and agricultural plants including Shiitake mushroom and Tatami grass (shichitoi) by HAYASHI Hiroaki*
2:30pm Demonstration using Tatami grass (shichitoi) by IWAKIRI Chika*
2:45pm Shimenawa making workshop*
3:30pm Q&A
3:45pm Event ends
* Delivered in Japanese with English interpretation
HAYASHI Hiroaki
President of both the Kunisaki Peninsula Usa Area GIAHS Promotion Association and Kunisaki Shichitoi Promotion Association, Hiroaki is also a producer of shichitoi and committed to the plant’s conservation.
IWAKIRI Chika
Certified shichitoi craftsperson and Founder of the Nanatsumugi Shichitoi Workshop. Chika holds shichitoi workshops around the world, in cooperation with enterprises including Japan Railways and the Japan Travel Bureau.
Shimenawa
Workshop participants will create a Shimenawa ring, often found at Shinto shrines, torii gates, and other sacred spaces, to ward off evil spirits. Image for illustration only.
FINDING THE VENUE
The presentation and workshop will take place in the Frankopan Hall, which is located in West Court, Jesus College. The pedestrian entrance can be accessed from Jesus Lane. Please see the detailed map below for further information.
PRESENTED BY
WITH THANKS TO
This event is part of Oita Prefecture’s participation in the ‘Spotlight on Local Japan’ project by Japan House London and the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO).