Takuan Memorial Day
Food DaysWhat Is Takuan Memorial Day?
December 11th is "Takuan-ki," the memorial day for Takuan Soho (1573-1646), a Rinzai Zen monk active from the Azuchi-Momoyama period into the early Edo period. By the old calendar he died on the 11th day of the 12th month of Shoho 2, which corresponds to January 27, 1646. Accounts differ, but he is widely credited with inventing takuan, the pickled daikon radish.
The Story That a Shogun Named It
Tokaiji temple in Shinagawa, Edo, which Takuan founded, preserves an anecdote about how the pickle got its name.
- The anecdote: the pickle had no name until the third shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, was served it on a visit and liked it so much he declared it should be called "takuan-zuke"
- Another theory: the shape of Takuan's grave resembled a pickling stone
- A third: the word derives from "takuwae-zuke," meaning stored pickles
- A fourth: Takuan simply brought a pickle popular in the Kansai region to Edo
At Tokaiji It Is Called "Hyappon-zuke"
At Tokaiji, using the master's name without an honorific is considered discourteous, so the pickle is called "hyappon" rather than "takuan." "Hyappon-zuke" means pickles made from a hundred dried radishes. Takuan himself was born in Izushi in Tajima Province, now Toyooka in Hyogo Prefecture. He entered the priesthood at ten and became abbot of Daitokuji in Kyoto at thirty-seven, an eminent monk versed in calligraphy, painting, poetry and the tea ceremony.
Tips for Marking This Day
- Pick up some takuan and eat it with rice
- Look up how the dried radish it is made from is prepared
- Cook something with winter daikon -- a simmered dish or a pickle
- Read about Tokaiji temple in Shinagawa
When Winter Daikon Is at Its Best
Daikon grows sweeter in winter. December 11th is a day to remember the story behind that slice of pickle at the edge of the plate.