埋木舎 正門
埋木舎 正門
Never talk on Naosuke Ii
Until you've seen Umoregi-no-ya
Umoregi-no-ya is the place where Naosuke Ii, the 13th lord of Hikone domain and a top of officials of Tokugawa Shogunate, who made every effort to conclude the US-Japan treaty of amity and trade peacefully, spent his younger days. Umoregi means the invisible woods buried in the soil. It is a metaphor for himself being abandoned and forgotten by society. At that time, Naosuke was not a successor of the lord, so miserably he should have passed through a humble life in this residence. But he did not feel depressed and devoted himself to studying and training. All these efforts in Umoregi-no-ya made his broad-mindedness and high-level cultural education. He carried out the opening of the country to protect Japan against foreign invasion and obtained a reputation as a giant of the tea ceremony as well.
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Special histric site
Umoregi-no-ya
Umoregi-no-ya is the place where Naosuke Ii (1815-1860), the 13th load of Hikone domain and a top official of Tokugawa Shogunate, spent his younger days for 15 years at the age of 17 to 32, and now was designated as a national exclusive historical site. Naosuke was the 14th son of the 11th load Naonaka and was not a successor of the clan. (continue...)
Ten wonders of Umoregi-no-ya
1)A ridge-end tile of the main gate 2)Two parallel diagonal corridors 3)No Nijiriguchi in a tearoom 4)Decorative nailhead covers in Zen meditation room 5)Garden and earthen jar to produce a sound 6)Naosuke’s symbol of heart – willows 7)Medical herbs in the garden 8)A small shrine for a smooth delivery 9)seven wells 10)the frontal screen of a lavatory pan (continue...)
Naosuke's life
Naosuke II was born on Oct 29th, 1815, in the Hikone castle as the 14th son of the 11th lord of Hikone domain, Naonaka II. He had a large family with 14 boys and five girls. Naosuke’s mother, Otomi, a concubine of Naonaka, was reputable for her beauty and wisdom. He was named Tetsunosuke in childhood, but later he was renamed as Tetsusaburo. (continue...)
Naosuke & tea ceremony
When Naosuke II was living in Umoregi-no-ya, he was acquainted with a tea ceremony, a Japanese poem, and a recitation in Noh. In particular, the backbone of the tea ceremony was deeply related to the practices of Zen Buddhism. Naosuke mastered Zen at Seiryooji temple, his family temple, located at the foot of Sawayama mountain. (continue...)