甘茶の色 Color of the Amacha flowers

甘茶の色

Amacha (Hydrangea tea) Flowers

お天気は晴れた青空が好きですが、梅雨時期に咲く私の好きな花　紫陽花です。紫陽花で調べていましたら甘茶の庭園で有名な建仁寺塔頭　霊源院をみつけましたので早速参拝いたしました。阪急京都河原町駅から徒歩約15分の場所です。

霊源院　公式ホームページによれば～（以下引用）京都最古の禅宗寺院として名高い建仁寺。その境内南東に位置する建仁寺塔頭寺院・霊源院は、応永年間（1394年〜1428年）、龍山徳見和尚（りゅうさんとくけん）を勧請開山（かんじょうかいさん）として、その弟子である一庵一麟（いちあん いちりん）によって創建されました。鎌倉時代末期から室町時代にかけ、京都五山と鎌倉五山の禅僧たちによって栄えた漢文学・五山文学の最高峰寺院とされた霊源院。「建仁寺の学問面」の中核を担ったこの寺院から、室町時代の五山派を代表する学僧が数多く輩出されました。～とあります。

Amacha (Hydrangea tea) Flowers

甘茶（アマチャ）はアジサイ科アジサイ属の落葉低木でヤマアジサイの変種です。基本的に自生せず園芸品種です。アジサイ全般と違って中毒性はありませんが、濃いすぎる甘茶を飲むと人によって中毒を起こすことがあるようです。飲料用の甘茶は葉を煎じて発酵させ乾燥させたもので、飲むと甘味があるため、寺院を中心に栽培されてきたそうです。灌仏会（かんぶつえ）　所謂「花祭」の際にお釈迦様にかける甘茶がこれです。

View of dry landscape garden

今川義元の生誕500年を記念し、令和2年（2020年）に新たに作られた枯山水庭園「鶴鳴九皐（かくめいきゅうこう）」はとても美しくお手入れされた甘茶がとても沢山咲いていました。

 

寺院の関係者及び当日お会いした皆さまありがとうございました。

 

使用機材

CANON EOS R6

CANON EF16-35mm F4.0L IS USM

編集ソフトウェア

SILKYPIX DEVELOPER STUDIO Pro11、DaVinci Resolve Studio 17

 

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掲載記事の更新日2022年06月12日

   

 

Color of the Amacha (Hydrangea tea) flowers

 

Amacha (Hydrangea tea) Flowers

Of course, I like the sunny blue sky, but my much favorite flower that blooms during the rainy season is hydrangea. When I was looking at the hydrangea on the Internet, I found Reigenin Temple as sub temple of Kenninji Temple, which is famous for its Amacha (sweet tea) garden, so I went to immediately. That is located at about 15 minutes from Kyoto Kawaramachi Station of Hankyu Railway.

Amacha (Hydrangea tea) Flowers

They say from official homepage “Kenninji Temple is famous as the oldest Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto.

Reigenin Temple as sub temple of Kenninji Temple, located in the southeastern part of the precincts, was founded by Ichian Ichirin during the Oei era (1394-1428) who was disciple of Zen Master Ryusan Tokuken (he was as the temple founder in name only). From the Kamakura period to the Muromachi period, Reigenin Temple was the highest temple of Chinese and Gozan literature that prospered by the Zen monks of the Five Mountains of Kyoto and the Five Mountains of Kamakura. From this temple, which played a central role in the "academic aspect of Kenninji Temple," many learned priest pursuing his studies  representing the Gozanha (group of the highest-ranked temples in Zen sect) during the Muromachi period were produced.”

Amacha (Hydrangea tea) Flowers at the entrance

 side

Amacha is a deciduous shrub of the Hydrangea department Hydrangea and is a variety of Hydrangea serrata. And it is basically a cultivar that does not grow naturally.

Unlike hydrangea in general, it is not addictive, but it seems that some people may become addicted to drinking too strong sweet tea. Amacha for beverages is made by decocting leaves, fermenting, and drying, and it is said that it has been cultivated mainly in temples because it has a sweet taste when drunk. This is the sweet tea that is served to Buddhist statue during the so-called "Hana Matsuri" of the Buddha's Birthday.

View of dry landscape garden

In commemoration of the 500th anniversary of Yoshimoto Imagawa's birth, the garden "Kakumei Kyukou", which was newly created in 2020, there have been a lot of beautiful Amacha (sweet tea) flowers.

 

I thank you for everyone.

 

 

Equipment:

CANON EOS R6

CANON EF16-35mm F4.0L IS USM

Software:

SILKYPIX DEVELOPER STUDIO Pro11, DaVinci Resolve Studio 17

 

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This page was last modified: June 12 2022