Biwako Hotel in Shiga Prefecture is now selling two original cocktails inspired by the Hyakunin Isshu poem anthology until March 4, 2022. Originally created in 2021, these drinks will be available at the Bel Lago Bar.
Biwako Hotel began selling a series of Hyakunin Isshu-inspired cocktails starting in 2017 to commemorate the 1350th anniversary of the relocation of the capital to Otsu. In 2019, the location opened a 100-person sweets buffet, and in the spring and fall of 2021 the hotel offered an afternoon tea set based on the 100 famous poems. By 2021, the hotel had come up with 35 cocktails, but due to the spread of COVID-19, this was put on hold. Two of the best cocktails are now back for a limited time.
Menu
Minano-gawa
“Feel the love deepen over time, like the stream widening into a river as it descends Mount Tsukuba.”
Poem 13, Retired Emperor Yozei
This poem compares the poet’s ever-deepening and melancholic love to the course of the Minano River.
This drink includes layers of colorful liqueurs. The delicate color of the border reminds guests of the complexity of love.
Osaka no Seki
“Truly, this is where travelers who go or come over parting ways–Friends or strangers–all must meet: The gate of “Meeting Hill.”
Poem 10, Semimaru
This poem speaks of the Osaka Barrier, which was located on the boundary between present-day Kyoto and Omi, now known as Shiga Prefecture.
The author, Semimaru, had a hermitage near this famed border. The mellow green color of the beverage evokes the image of a traveler passing by on a mountain road in early spring.
What is the Hyakunin Isshu?
Those who have seen the anime series Chihayafuru will be very well acquainted with the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, a collection of 100 famous poems in Japanese history collected from the early tenth to the early thirteenth century. These poems are said to have been selected by Fujiwara no Teika, a poet and critic of his day. In the Edo period, these poems were illustrated and became popular among the general public. Students in Japanese schools memorize many of these poems at a young age.
Information
Hyakunin Isshu Cocktail
Available until March 4, 2022 from 18:00-22:00 (Last order at 21:30)
Location: Biwako Hotel 2F Bel Lago Bar
Details: https://www.keihanhotels-resorts.co.jp/biwakohotel/restaurant_menu/bar_hyakunin_issyu2022_1-2/
Official Site: https://www.keihanhotels-resorts.co.jp/
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Hyakunin Isshu Uba ga Etoki - Sojo Henjo / Katsushika Hokusai, The Sumida Hokusai Museum.
Hyakunin Isshu Uba ga Etoki - Ariwara no Narihira / Katsushika Hokusai, The Sumida Hokusai Museum. (Phase 2)
The Five Great Poets, Tsuki - Katsushika Hokusai, The Sumida Hokusai Museum. (Permanently on Display)
By the middle of the Edo period, the Hyakunin Isshu, or 100 classical poems, had become an established part of Japanese culture. Hokusai, an ukiyo-e artist of the period, painted a total of 27 of these famous poems, incorporating his own ideas and views to create unique pieces still beloved so many years later. This exhibition features 24 paintings from the museum’s Hyakunin Isshu collection along with dozens more items pertaining to this legendary collection of writings. Don’t miss it!Information
Hokusai at Play with the 100 Poems
Running: December 15, 2022 – February 26, 2023
*Certain exhibits will be changed between the first and second phases.
Phase 1: December 15, 2022 – January 22, 2023
Phase 2: January 24 – February 26, 2023
Hours: 9:30-17:30 (Last entry at 17:00)
Official Site: https://hokusai-museum.jp
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Venue: Hyakudan Kaidan (Hundred Stairs)
Tangible Cultural Property of Tokyo, Hotel Gajoen Tokyo
Details: https://www.hotelgajoen-tokyo.com/100event/tour2022 -
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Information
DANDELION PROJECT
Venue: Hikone Castle (1-1 Konkicho, Hikone, Shiga)
DANDELION: Hikone Castle Keep*Hikone Castle is a satellite site of the NAKED GARDEN ONE KYOTO Project.
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November 5, 12, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27 / December 3
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Hours: 18:00-20:30 (Last entry at 20:00)
Official Site: https://www.knt-ks.co.jp/ec/2020/hikone/