Morihiro Hosokawa (1938-)

 After retiring from politics, he has been living a life of farming and reading in his home surrounded by nature in Yugawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, while working on tea ceremony ceramics and calligraphy, which has been highly praised.

In 2008, he held an exhibition at the Paramita Museum, mainly displaying ceramic works, but in recent years he has expanded the scope of his work, such as donating sliding door paintings, folding screens, and wall paintings to famous temples.

This time, we will introduce his painting work, including the preliminary sketches for the sliding door paintings and wall paintings he has donated to date, and show you the world of Hosokawa Morihiro, who continues to pursue beauty in a wide range of fields, including ceramics, lacquerware, oil paintings, and ink paintings.

In addition, we will have a special exhibition of "Red Cliff Boat Trip" (eight sliding door paintings) of Tenjuan, a sub-temple of Nanzenji Temple in Kyoto, which was donated by Hosokawa Morihiro in 2023.

 Futoan is close to the sea and the mountains, and the garden is planted with old weeping cherry trees, mountain cherry trees, camellia bushes, red and white plum trees, and osmanthus trees. Of course, since it is Yugawara, there is a hot spring source just above the house, and hot water is always bubbling away.

The main house where Hosokawa lives is a one-story house of about 30 tsubo. It is a small building that was used by his grandparents. Under the eaves of the living room, there is a vine trellis of Yunnan red plum (a flower to welcome spring) that his grandmother was proud of, and on this day, both the weeping cherry tree in the garden and the flower to welcome spring under the eaves were blooming with their lovely flowers. It is truly a rare experience to be able to enjoy both the weeping cherry tree and the flower to welcome spring at the same time. It must have been a memorable day for all who participated.

By the way, the name of the hermitage, "Futo", is a word that Hosokawa learned from Master Takada Yoshitane of Yakushiji Temple. When Tripitaka Priest Xuanzang set out to India to practice Buddhism, he expressed his determination that if he could not master Buddhism, he would never set foot on the soil of his homeland in the East again. Since then, this phrase has been used as a synonym for doing anything with unshakable resolve.

As I was touching lacquer with my own hands, I had the idea of ​​using it to paint a picture. The idea came from the fact that I had a tube of lacquer on hand to paint oil paintings. At first, I bought a very small canvas for oil painting and painted a field Buddha, the Shaka Triad, and fruit. The famous Tamamushi Zushi (Asuka period, National Treasure) handed down to Horyuji Temple is known for the illustrations depicting the life of Buddha that decorate its base, all of which are lacquer paintings. However, there is currently no one to carry on the technique. Sometimes the lacquer is scraped off after it has been applied, and sometimes lines are carved into it like nail carving. If he wants to add color, he sprinkles mineral pigment powder for Japanese painting or gold and silver powder on the lacquer before it dries to allow it to set, and he laughs that through trial and error, he has recently become able to paint much more freely.

For ink painting, he prefers to use Japanese paper made by Living National Treasure Iwano Ichibei.

PHOTO: YOSHIHIRO SAITO

"In essence, it is the same technique as maki-e, where gold powder is sprinkled on a lacquered surface. The only difference is that the support is a canvas instead of a bowl. My current favorite subject is the traditional Chinese painting of grass and insects. It is a motif that combines insects and flowers. Initially, I looked up insect and plant guides and observed flowers outdoors before painting them, but I began to get advice on the combination of insects and grass from anatomist Takeshi Yoro, who is known as an expert insect lover."

As a child, he ate meals on lacquered trays and bowls with the Hosokawa family crest, the Kuyo crest, and the Eisei Bunko collection includes horse equipment and the Shigure Raden Saddle, a masterpiece of lacquerware designated as a national treasure. With such "tradition" as a background, Hosokawa enjoys free creation, but he cannot help but worry about the inheritance of techniques, materials, and tools.

"It seems that it is very difficult to make brushes for maki-e these days. In the past, brushes for drawing thin lines were made from the hairs on both sides of the spines of mice that live in wooden ships and storehouses. However, in recent times, mice have become overfed and have grown large. Their backs rub against the water as they pass through the sewers, so it is no longer possible to use the strong, straight hairs for the brushes. Until about 20 years ago, there were people who kept mice on abandoned boats in the reed beds on the shores of Lake Biwa, but this has disappeared, and now they use the hairs of other animals instead. This is the situation for just one brush, so it takes an incredible amount of effort to pass on the techniques and tools of traditional crafts, not just maki-e. My father served as chairman of the Traditional Crafts Association, and when I was governor, I saw the current state of crafts in Kumamoto Prefecture, such as Higo Zogan, and I was interested in it."

Morihiro Hosokawa, Shiro Tsujimura and Shiro Tsujimura studied ceramics, and Ryogo pursued the idea of ​​``shape'' and the creation of pottery craftsmanship. ``Shape'', the technique of the upper class of artists who have been around for hundreds of years, the path of power and perfection. At present, Morihiro Hosokawa is currently producing pottery in his small workshop, which is also the summer residence of his grandfather during his lifetime.

The current head of the Hosokawa family, Morihiro Hosokawa, lives in Tokyo, where he works as a master's inn, a pottery workshop in his home, and a teahouse in Yamabayashi.

Morihiro Hosokawa: ``In the forest in Nara, I spent a year and a half sitting there learning the technique of forging the pottery before making the pottery wheel.Studying ``Earth, Fire, and Water,'' a primitive concept that has its own ancient roots, and a tea bowl. Aesthetics concept natural life. ``The ancient tea ceremony was carried out by all the ancestors, and the tea utensils were unique and unique, and the quality of the exquisite and perfect beauty was recognized by the family. However, Morihiro Hosokawa's interests are the same, and Zhongai's style of modern innovative ceramics, the signature of Kito's pottery, and the ceramics made in the first place.

Other continuations: ``I am a master of Chojiro pottery from the Momoyama period, and a tea bowl manufactured by Hon'ami Kojosho.Among other works, I have achieved enlightenment with a free-spirited creative spirit and aesthetics, and I have tried to incorporate small elements. Except for this, Morihiro Hosokawa wrote traditional tea ceremony techniques, created a fusion of personal techniques, Zhong Ai's calligraphy, and enjoyed the works of other tea utensils.

Morihiro Hosokawa's creative art, other ancestor rules and art. The Hosokawa family's collection of world-renowned treasures, classical masterpieces of various styles, envelopes, shells, scrolls, and rare works among them are now in the collection of the museum. A collection of rare old books, elegant expressions from ancient times to modern times. Morihiro Hosokawa's continuation: ``The Hosokawa family's history of literary and martial arts, tradition of culture emphasizing benefit, and other feudal and historical families are completely different from each other.As a member of the Hosokawa family, we learned a lot about traditional Japanese culture, traditional Japanese plays, tea ceremony techniques, and a collection of ancient and modern Japanese poems. The masterpieces of classic works such as The Tale of Genji are very impressive to me.

 Hoso: But that's not all. I also have other "part-time" jobs.

Fuku: Part-time jobs? A former prime minister and a part-timer, that's an unexpected combination (laughs).

Hoso: I'm joking, but one of them is a mural I'm working on in the atrium of the head office, at the request of a company that focuses on rice, the mainstay of Japanese cuisine. It's an ink-wash painting of rice terraces in spring, summer, autumn and winter on a wall that's eight meters square.

Fuku: Eight meters square is incredible... I've never heard of such a big part-time job (laughs). Are you currently doing a lot of work as an "artist"?

Hoso: Yes, most of my time is spent on artistic activities. I'm also involved in anti-nuclear power projects and projects to plant seedlings in areas affected by the 3/11 earthquake, but most of my time is spent on art. In that sense, I've been taking a break from my "farm work, rain read" lifestyle lately. _mg_0009 Fuku: I'm also in the noisy IT industry, so I sometimes think about what I'll do after I retire. I love the book "Shojin Hyakusen." After the author, Mizukami Tsutomu, collapsed from a myocardial infarction, he was released from the hospital and started living in the mountains in Komoro. The book introduces a variety of shojin dishes he made in consultation with his farmer, with beautiful photographs. It's a wonderful book.

Hosoi: I also had a relationship with Mizukami, and he is a very impressive person. What impressed me was that the first thing he said before going to bed was not "good night," but "goodbye." He slept in a wooden box like a coffin. Was it because he lived each day to the fullest, with the feeling that "I might die tonight. I might die tomorrow morning."

Fuku: That's really thorough. In fact, Mizukami-san remained healthy for a long time even after he started living in Komoro, so perhaps being in nature has the effect of freeing the soul, soothing it, and giving it rest.

Hosoi: That's true. I will be a little busy until 2019, but I would like to finish my work in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, return to Yugawara, and live a life of farming and reading in nature.

The basic principle of diet is to eat only until you are 60% full

_mg_0172 Fuku: What is your usual diet like?

Hoso: The most basic principle of my diet is to eat as little as possible. I try to eat only 60% full, not 80% full.

Fuku: It's interesting to say "not to eat" in a food interview (laughs). It's a novel irony, but it also feels "true".

Hoso: So, as I said earlier, when I was asked if it would be better to decline this interview, that's what I said (laughs).

I believe that overeating is really bad for the body and has a negative impact on health. However, even so, there are times when I have to attend several business dinners, so I usually fast for a day or a half-day the next day to adjust my diet. And since I believe in "farming in the sun and reading in the rain," I try to make my food as organic as possible.

Fuku: It's quite difficult to put into practice Hosokawa's determination to "not overeat." Not only do you grow your own vegetables in the field, but you also make your own furikake, dressings, and of course, even the dishes. That's a great attention to detail.

Hoso: I'm a "one-plate diet." My family lives in Tokyo, and when I'm in Yugawara, I often eat alone, so I try to stick to one-plate meals as much as possible, which are easy to prepare and clean up. I eat mostly brown rice, with one soup, two or three side dishes. I eat 1.5 meals a day. My daily routine is to eat small, simple meals.

Fuku: Like Hosokawa, I live a minimalist, careful life while exploring all the possibilities that food can offer. It makes me think about how to face food honestly. The other day, I experienced being a yamabushi for the first time while working on PR for Yamagata Prefecture, and I remember how delicious the small amount of rice and pickled radish I ate after the harsh training, including fasting, was. I guess it was because my stomach was "empty" that it felt so good. In fact, "Ubasuteyama" is also located in Yamagata Prefecture.

16780553_10212581875205648_884706373_n

Mr. Fukuda at the Yamabushi Training Experience School

16779760_10212581879485755_435818878_n

You can experience the Ten Worlds of Training, such as fasting, and waterfall training

Hoso: There's also "Ubasuteyama" in Nagano Prefecture. It's a place that holds many memories for me. When I was in junior high school, I was so engrossed in playing shogi on the train with a friend that we were going to Myoko, but we ended up going to Ubasute instead. There was no train to go back to, so we played shogi all night on the moonlit platform (laughs).

But the full moon reflected on the rice terraces at that time was so beautiful and I still can't forget the moving scene. I visited Obasute again for the first time in 60 years to paint "The Four Seasons of the Rice Terraces" that I mentioned earlier, and the station and the scenery seemed to have changed very little.

Fuku: That's an unexpected episode from the two Obasute mountains. You could say that Hosokawa's works depict mental landscapes made up of his own memories.

What would you like to eat on your last day?

Fuku: If someone asked you, "What would you like to eat on your last day?" what would you answer?

Hoso: I don't know until it happens. It's hard to imagine what your appetite would be like in that situation. But when death approaches, the ideal way to end your life would be to "control your own will and gradually stop eating and die peacefully."

Fuku: Perhaps there is a certain aesthetic to ending one's life in a "zero" state. I once casually asked a taxi driver in Kyoto what "the one thing you would like to eat on your last day" was. He replied, "I wonder if it's something my wife would like to make." I was moved that the last thing he wanted to eat was the meal his wife, who had lived with him all his life, wanted to make. The subject is not himself.

When you think about it like that, it seems to me that what Hosokawa values ​​is "food" within the broad concept of the environment and nature. In that sense, "food without desire" is "not the subject yourself." That's a new way of thinking.

What kind of life does Hosokawa aspire to in the future?

Fuku: In today's society, where some people pursue making money or fulfilling their material and personal ambitions, Hosokawa has broken away from that and is living a life of "farming in the sun, reading in the rain, and reading" away from the secular world. How would you express the way you aspire to in the future in other words?

Hoso: I guess it's "Traces-free ingenuity - a life stripped down to nothing." The more things a person owns, the more they lose true wealth. Always keep in mind the importance of living life closely. Not only in food, but also in lifestyle, we want to reduce or limit our desires as much as possible, in other words, live a frugal and modest life. _mg_6164P.S. However, our editors were obsessed with the idea that he must have a gourmet side, and after three interviews, we finally found out "a restaurant that he goes out of his way to visit even alone." That was "Petit a la Campagne" in Kojimachi. He has been a frequent visitor for many years, and even keeps takeout curry from "Fudoan" in Yugawara on hand. I'm glad we got to know a restaurant that whets Hosokawa's appetite. I'm really glad.

P.P.S. In the fourth interview, we found out that Hosokawa actually has something called the "Hosokawa Course" at his favorite restaurants. Each restaurant has its own favorite items, and all Hosokawa-san needs to do is say "that dried mullet roe..." or "that whitebait..." and the Hosokawa course will be served. Apparently, some restaurants have been frequented by his grandfather for generations, and although the "paper screens are torn" and the place is quite messy, the food is excellent. I'll keep asking him about it, so please look forward to it