A food event called “Tokitoto” that “brings out the moment” was held at Auberge Tokito in Tachikawa on December 14th and 15th, 2024, with lunch and dinner sessions, each limited to 12 people.
The concept of this event is to focus on the “moment” rather than the “season”. Tokito’s chefs and artists with their own unique worldviews, deeply engage with and inspire one another, exchanging ideas and perspectives. In the spirit of mutual understanding and occasional conflict, they aim to draw out the moment’s best ingredients and techniques, each shining at their finest.
The theme of the second Tokitoto event was “resonation”. This time, Tokito’s Executive Chef Yoshinori Ishii as Yoshi, created the event together with Bizen ceramic artist Kazuya Ishida, with whom he has had a connection of over 10 years since his time in England. This type of pottery is produced in the area around the city of Bizen in the Okayama prefecture.
Executive Chef Yoshi said, “People tend to think of tableware as something that brings out the best in the food, but tableware is not just a tool to hold ingredients; it is also a complementary element that shows respect for the food, much like a carefully chosen costume enhances a performance.
Food and tableware are inseparable and harmonious. This time, we came up with a menu where both the food and the tableware take center stage, and created a full course meal that will allow everyone to feel this ‘resonance’ between them. We hope our guests will enjoy it with all their senses.”
First, once all the guests had gathered, “Kumidashi” (hot water served at the beginning of a tea ceremony) was brought out, floating kaya leaves from the resuaturant backyard. The refreshing citrus flavor and the invigorating forest scent stimulated the senses of the guests.
In his presentation, Yoshi touched on how he met Kazuya and the large-scale projects the pair have worked on together in UK. Of these, the “Oxford Anagama Project,” which began in 2015, particularly piqued the interest of the guests. It was explained that the pair had been invited by Oxford University to make kilns and hold production workshops, utilizing their knowledge, skills, and experience.
The Art of Resonance: Evolving Tradition
The theme of this event, “Resonance,” symbolizes the two artists’ belief that “change is always necessary to preserve tradition for the future of Japan.” Both artists share the same belief: “After gaining a deep understanding of tradition through training, we will go beyond it.” They are now uncompromisingly pushing themselves into a new world realm.
Yoshi is challenging himself beyond the framework of kaiseki cuisine, while Kazuya is pursuing his own unique expression in Bizen pottery. Bizen ware is deeply influenced by the tea ceremony culture of the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1574–1600). Yoshi notes that in the Bizen ware industry, reproducing Azuchi-Momoyama-era designs is considered essential. However, unlike many renowned artists and traditional Bizen potters who focus on these reproductions, Kazuya seeks to go beyond them. His goal is to create a new world of Bizen ware that stands apart from conventional traditions. In order to fundamentally change this framework, Kazuya created his own technique, “Rahou,” which uses centrifugal force.
Rahou is not only shows the sign of a spiral, but also represents the uncontrollable centrifugal force that exists between them. This pattern, based on the golden ratio, is something Kazuya describes as allowing everyone to sense the beauty of nature. From his perspective, the golden ratio represents fine aesthetic detail, providing an impressive sense of artistry. Kazuya is also focusing on artworks using Bizen pottery materials, and in addition to creating artworks, he digs up natural pottery clay in a tunnel 150 meters underground and creates his own clay.
In creating a memorable dining experience, the tableware is as important as the food itself. Kazuya always tries to breathe life into the tableware when creating his works, and believes that chefs will be inspired by the voice that comes from the work.
With ambient music playing in the background, Kazuya closed his eyes and created a Rahou using only the senses of his hands. He said, “When handling ingredients, I can catch more information using only my senses than with my eyes. It feels better to create using only the senses of my fingertips (excluding sight).”
Yoshi describes Rahou as “more like art than cooking.” The chefs at Tokito carefully considered how Rahou could harmonize with their own cuisine. This thoughtful collaboration created a presentation that redefined the very meaning of eating, offering guests a truly new experience.
Auberge Tokito: Where History Lives
Auberge Tokito is a space whose very existence embodies the inheritance of history. This place was once home to an inn called Mumonan, which opened in 1938. It later took on the form of a traditional Japanese restaurant and was beloved by many, but in 2019 it closed its doors after a long history. Tokito has inherited the historical design of Mumonan’s gate and teahouse, while adding new value in the form of modern “food, tea, and lodging.” This revitalization is not simply the preservation of a building, but the harmonizing of the culture and spirit that Mumonan built with modern lifestyles.
Tokito, a space imbued with the memories of Mumonan, bridges the past and present. It offers visitors a sense of history while introducing them to fresh, new experiences.
Originally published at https://tachikawa-billboard.com/ on Dec 24, 2024.
Photography Seiji Kondo