Menu & Greetings献立・ご挨拶

木立の下、ふと目を落とすと木洩れ陽が揺れる玉のようで美しい。

無意識に木陰をえらぶようなころ、あらためて緑陰の美しさを見つけることができます。若葉をいっぱいに広げ明るい夏の日差しに照らされた夏木立は青々と眩しく清々しい姿を見せてくれます。日ごと陽の光も強くなり、気温も上がりあらゆる物の成長が著しいころです。天地に生命が満ち始めます。小満の意とするところでしょう。草木の緑も一段と色濃くなり、やがて迎える夏の盛りを予感させています。人はその厳しさを知っているからこそ緑陰に包まれると安堵するのでしょう。

古の人々も厳しい夏を無事にのり越えるために様々に準備をしました。水無月朔、宮中では「賜氷の節」といって献上された氷室の氷を天皇が臣下に賜われたと言います。暑気祓い、無病息災を祈念したのでしょう。これにならい民間でも氷餅を食べたと言います。

さて柏屋のお料理は、氷室に因んだお料理から始まります。榊を添えてご用意いたします。これは古来氷室より宮中に運ぶ氷に災いや穢れがつかないように榊を添えたという故事にならっております。

厳しい夏がやってまいります。お客様にも暑気を祓い、無病息災に夏越しができますようにお料理をご用意いたします。

Beneath a grove of trees, one may suddenly glance down and notice sunlight filtering through the leaves, shimmering beautifully like scattered jewels.
As we instinctively begin to seek the comfort of shade, we often rediscover the quiet beauty of green shadows. Summer trees, their young leaves fully spread and illuminated by the bright sunlight, appear vividly green, radiant, and refreshing. Day by day, the sunlight grows stronger, temperatures rise, and all living things flourish with remarkable vitality. Life begins to fill heaven and earth — perhaps this is the true meaning of Shōman, the season of “Grain Full.” The greenery deepens in color, quietly foretelling the height of summer soon to come. Because we know the severity of the coming heat, we find a sense of relief when embraced by the cool shade of trees.

People of ancient times also made various preparations in order to endure the harsh summer safely. On the first day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar, the imperial court observed a custom known as Shihyō no Setsu (“The Festival of Bestowed Ice”), in which ice preserved in ice chambers was presented to the Emperor and then bestowed upon his retainers. It was a ritual to dispel the summer heat and pray for good health and protection from illness. Following this tradition, common people are also said to have eaten kōrimochi during this season. 

At Kashiwaya, our course begins with a dish inspired by the ancient ice chambers. It is presented with a sprig of sakaki sacred evergreen. This follows an old custom in which sakaki branches were attached to the ice transported from the ice chambers to the imperial court, so that no impurity or misfortune might touch it along the way.

The intense summer season is now approaching. With these dishes, we hope our guests may also cleanse themselves of the summer heat, remain in good health, and pass safely through the season.

*Grain Full/ Grain in Ear: The traditional East Asian calendars divide a year into 24 solar terms. “Grain Full” is the 8th solar term and starts from May 21. “Grain in Ear” is the 9th solar term and starts from June 6.