Meeting record - Kaiki

A record of the procedure and tea utensils for a tea ceremony. Usually called a chakai-ki, it is a record of a tea ceremony. The ultimate aim of a tea ceremony is to entertain guests, enjoy the "konryu" (a gathering of one person) and have a cordial connection between host and guest, and the personality of the host is naturally expressed in the selection of utensils and the preparation of food. In order to keep the lingering impression of the "once in a lifetime encounter" in their memory for a long time, and as a reference for future tea ceremonies, tea masters have left behind many records of tea ceremonies, both their own and those of others. From ancient times, there were famous records known as the "Four Great Tea Ceremonies." These are records of tea ceremonies written by four great merchants: Matsuya, Tennojiya, Naya, and Kamiya, and are widely known under the names "Matsuya Kaiki," "Tennojiya Kaiki," "Excerpts from Imai Sōkyū's Tea Ceremony Diary," and "Sōtan Diary." The "Matsuya Kaiki" is said to be the first tea ceremony record. The records, which began in 1533 (Tenbun 2) and span more than 120 years over three generations, are truly astonishing.

In recent years, Takahashi Soan, who compiled the "Taisho Meiuki Kan," has written down records of the tea ceremonies he attended, adding his own criticisms to them, in works such as the "Toto Chakai-ki," "Taisho Chado-ki," and "Showa Chakai-ki." These are valuable tea ceremony materials that combine literary quality and record-keeping, making them worthy of being called tea ceremony literature.

[Kouichi Tsutsui]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

茶会の次第や茶道具を記したもの。茶会の記録の意から、通常は茶会記とよばれる。客をもてなして「一座建立(こんりゅう)」を楽しみ、主客が直心の交わりをもつことを究極とする茶会は、道具の取り合わせや料理の仕立てに、おのずから亭主の個性が表徴される。「一期一会(いちごいちえ)」の余韻を長く記憶にとどめておくために、また以後の茶会の参考のためにも、自会記、他会記をあわせて、茶人たちは多くの茶会の記録を残してきた。古くは「四大茶会記」といわれる有名な会記がある。これは松屋、天王寺屋(てんのうじや)、納屋(なや)、神谷(かみや)という四大豪商が記した茶会記録であるが、それぞれに『松屋会記』『天王寺屋会記』『今井宗久茶湯(そうきゅうちゃのゆ)日記書抜』『宗湛(そうたん)日記』の名称で広く知られる。茶会記はその『松屋会記』をもって嚆矢(こうし)とする。1533年（天文2）に始まり親子三代120余年にわたる記録は、実に驚異的だといえよう。

　近年では『大正名器鑑(かん)』を編んだ高橋箒庵(そうあん)が、参会した茶会記録に批判を加えながら書き残した『東都茶会記』『大正茶道記』『昭和茶会記』などがあり、茶会文学と称されるにふさわしい文学性と記録性とを兼ね備えた貴重な茶道資料である。

［筒井紘一］

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