Kado is a concept that emphasises the philosophical aspect of ikebana, or traditional Japanese flower arranging culture. Ka means “flowers,” and do means “way.” Thus, kado means “the way of flowers” or “the way through flowers.” This way leads to the truth, and consequently, the way itself is the truth. In kado, it is the practitioner’s goal to find this way through arranging flowers as the symbol of nature. We might therefore call it “dynamic Zen.” Of course, the artistic aspect of flower arranging culture, namely ikebana, should not be denied, and should be valued as a part of traditional flower arranging culture. However, it is just a part and not the whole picture of this culture. This book aims to emphasise the other part, kado, and redress the balance of interpretation of this traditional culture. Our standpoint is to regard this culture as a philosophical or religious way, not as so-called art. The structure of this book is as follows. The first chapter is an overview of the history of kado, the second chapter explains its traditional regulations. Finally, the third chapter, considers the thought which has been the basis of the concept of kado.

新たなる茶の湯研究の地平を拓く ― 茶の湯のお点前は、流派により、どこがどのように違うのか。お点前の違いから、それぞれの流派の関係はどのように見えてくるのか。大小さまざまな44流派を調査し、各流派の風炉薄茶点前をデータ化して、多変量解析と系統推定による数理的分析を試みる。さらに、現在の点前と近世初期～中期の茶書の記述を精査し、点前が変化してきたことについて検討。資料編として44流派の系譜も紹介する