THE SIMPLE TEA OF DOI TOSHIKATSU
土井利勝の簡素な茶
Doi Oi-no-kami Toshikatsu was well known for his love simplicity and his hated of display.
土井大井守利勝は簡素を愛し虚飾を嫌うことで知られていました。
He was Tairo or president of the Rojyu and his reputation for sagacity was high.
彼は大老でありとても頭の切れる人物でした。
One day asked his fellow members of the Rojyu if they would honor him by taking tea at his house.
ある時、老中たちが彼の屋敷にて茶の湯を席主としてを催してほしい旨依頼をしました。
They said they would be delighted and he fixed a day on which they all presented themselves as his mansion by Kanda Bashi.
快諾をもらい皆大喜び、日時も決まり、場所は神田橋土井邸に決まりました。
They were first shown into the reception chamber and then into the tea-room, and while they were wandering what kind of entertainment they would receive, the question was soon solved by the entrance of Toshikatsu with a small Jubako or lacquer box containing five dried rice-cakes, one for each member of the Cabinet, which tooth-boxes on the lid of the box, with which they could help themselves, which he offered them and then proceeded to make the tea.
当日はまず、彼らは待合室に待機して茶室に入りました。どんなおもてなしがあるか皆わくわくしていると、米菓子五つが入った重箱をもった利勝が入り口にやってくると、招待客の一人にそれを手渡し、彼らは自分で蓋を開けてお菓子を取り出して行きます。続いて自分で茶を点てるように促され自分でしました。
And this was all they got.
そして皆そのようにしたのでした。
And after they had partaken of it they sat there diverting themselves with talk on all manner of subjects, which cost nothing.
その後一同個々の茶の湯所作についての話し合いをして解散となりました。
And some of them were very satisfied with it all, and some were not.
参加した客のうち何人かは納得、そして何人かは憮然でした。