Connoisseur in Kyoto, the power to see invisible things
Yoshi Doi
Kyoto is said to be a connoisseur’s town. Connoisseur is simply the ability to distinguish between genuine and fake. It is to be able to correctly evaluate the value of things. Of course, the evaluation changes depending on the times. Is it possible to make a universal evaluation and judgment as to whether or not it is valuable to humans? Is it the best decision for human beings in the long run, regardless of the immediate future?
Kyoto has been the capital of Japan for 1074 years and is a rare city in the world. Many of the people who lived there were connoisseurs, and that was the norm. Kyoto’s technology and food are well-developed.
I was shocked to hear a harsh word from my daughter who returned to Kyoto. She said, “If you don’t have the power to see what you can’t see, Kyo-Suzume’s activities won’t proceed.” I couldn’t get this out of my mind and thought about what the power to see invisible things was, and finally I have found the answer today.
Things that are invisible to the eye appear in a visible form. It also means that the ambition and way of life are lean according to the blessings and laws of nature, just as the subconsciousness becomes the obvious consciousness. Invisible vibrations appear in behavior and way of life. Is it to live humbly and learn from everything?
Matsumae-ya, a long-established store in Kyoto called Onkonbu-dokoro, which was founded 620 years ago, and once served as the economic brain of the emperor, had a kitchen dedicated to Matsumae-ya called Kiyoidokoro. The emperor’s set always had been kelp. Matsumaeya, who stayed in Kyoto even after the Meiji era, is developing products with “very paticular about preparation” and “pride”.
The representative product, “Hirojo” (raw kelp confectionery), is made by laying the best kelp in Southern Hokkaido in a brewery for five years and then carefully soaking it with rice vinegar over one month. It is a time-consuming raw kelp confectionery that cuts only the good parts into strips, cooks them slowly, and then ferments them naturally over a year. Even if you look at the delicious kelp that is sold in a daunting process, it can be said that it is the finest dish. It is the craftsmanship of Kyoto that can do this.
In that sense, Kyoto’s long-established stores have aimed to be “only one” with commitment and pride, not “number one” aiming for expansion. In other words, it is valuable as a long-established store in Kyoto to pursue products that incorporate the technology, culture, and traditions unique to Kyoto with a supersensitivity. This kind of management philosophy is the long-established spirit of Kyoto.
A long time ago, I had a notice myself by Konosuke Matsushita’s peace in video. “The difference between a master and a master hand is not that he is good or skillful, but that he is a master who has pursued a path through many years of obscurity work, and his intuition can be refined and pursued by training. There is a lot to learn. By practicing with an honest heart, you can pursue that path. Everything is a source of training.
There is a forehead of Mr. Konosuke called “素直（sunao)
: accept the other’s advice humbly ” in my house, and I always tell myself to work with a straightforward heart every time I see it.
Since the founding of Kyo-Suzume, I have met many masters, and I have been able to broaden my perspective and shed my own shell on the business of Kyoto and the techniques of traditional craftsmen who have something in common. And I was able to store and enhance the energy to live. From now on, it will be even more fun with Kyo-Suzume. I will send out the invisible power so that it can be seen.
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