Furo to Ro Chanoyu Decoded

Furo to Ro

In the realm of Chanoyu, it is necessary to heat water to make the tea. According to tradition, water is heated in a kama, 釜, kettle. Originally, the kama was part of a portable hearth called a fu-ro, 風炉, wind-hearth. In time, the kama was taken from the furo bowl, and used with a hearth sunk in the floor, called an i-ro-ri, 囲炉裏, enclose-hearth-inner. The word irori is abbreviated to ro, 炉. The furo can be used throughout the year, but if a ro is available, it is used in the cold half of the year, from November through April. The fu-ro, 風炉, wind-hearth, is used from...

Rikyū’s Memorial

Sen no Rikyū’s life was much more important than his death, though his birth day is uncertain. However, curiosity prompts speculation about his death. Rikyū had in some way provoked enmity with Toyo-tomi Hide-yoshi, 豊臣秀吉, Excellent-retainer Surpassing-joy, who demanded that he commit seppuku, 切腹, cut-belly. There is some thought that Hideyoshi, urged by Rikyū’s friends, did pardon him, but Rikyū did kill himself. The cause of Hideyoshi’s ire is thought to have been prompted by a sculpture of Rikyū installed in the great gate of Daitokuji, in 1589, by the abbot in thanks for contributing the second story of the unfinished gate. Hideyoshi in a rage having...

Tea in March Part 2

Cha-dō-gu, 茶道具, Tea-way-tools, often used in March have designs reflective of the zodiac animal of the year, 2023 is an U-doshi, 卯年, Hare-year. Seasonal motifs such as cherry flowers, and dragons. The Sei-ryū, 青龍, Azur-dragon, which is one of the four divine creatures that are guardians of the directions, and Seiryū is in the east. The zodiac sign following the Hare is the dragon, Tatsu, 龍. Dragon motifs on Tea utensils have extensive symbolism. In early Chinese belief, there were five dragons in the heavens, each of a different color, and guardians of the directions. The Seiryū – azure (blue-green dragon) remained in the east. The red...

Gyakugatte Dairo

In Kyōto, around the middle of February, the weather temperature is getting pleasantly warm, so that additional heat from the Dairo may not be the reason Gen-gen-sai Sei-chū Sō-shitsu, 玄々斎精中宗室, (1810 – 1877) developed the dai-ro, 大炉, great-hearth. On February 19 is U-sui, 雨水, Rain-water, one of the 24 seasonal divisions of the solar calendar, and the middle of the Tora no Tsuki, 寅の月, Tiger ’s Month. In Japan, the Gregorian calendar officially began to be used in 1873. In 2023, the lunar 2 month begins February 20. Lunar Nehane occurs on March 6. Dairo may have a word play on Miyako-ō-ji, 都大路, Capital-great-way, the avenue...

Setsubun Extra

Setsu-bun, 節分, Season-divide, is celebrated on February 3, the eve of Ri-sshun, 立春, Start-spring. Actually, there are Setsubun on the eves of each of the four seasons, but that of spring is the most popular. According to tradition, a man born in that particular year, toshi-otoko, 歳男, year-man, wears a mask of O-ta-fuku, お多福, O-much-fortune, and throws parched soy beans, fuku-mame, 福豆, fortune-beans, from an open box, fuku-masu, 福升, fortune-measure, to chase away the harshness of winter. The harshness of winter is embodied in the figure of an oni, 鬼, demon. The toshi-otoko shouts, “Oni wa soto fuku wa uchi”, 鬼は外福は内, Demon is out fortune is in....

Mochi Pounding for the New Year

Formerly, kagami-biraki occurred on the 20th day after New Year, but was moved to the 11th, because of the death of Tokugawa Iemitsu on April 20th. Thus, some occasions were avoided on the 20th of every month. For the Lunar New Year, kagami-mochi is offered and broken open 20 days later, which corresponds with Lunar Ko-shō-gatsu, 小正月, Little-correct-month, which occurs on February 10, 2023. Mochi is eaten throughout the year in Japan. Mochi is made at home and professionally. Making mochi is called mochi-tsuki, 餅搗き, mochi-pound. The word mochi-tsuki is also written with the Kanji, 望月, full moon-month. In general, making mochi is steaming mochi–kome, 餅米, mochi-rice,...

Tea in February

February is the coldest time of the year in Japan. Particularly, in Kyōto, the heart of Chanoyu. In traditional Japan, there was, and is, little difference between outside and inside, with only a single sheet of paper separating them. People simply put on more clothing, and warm the hands near a charcoal fire held in a hi-bachi, 火鉢, fire-bowl, or on a te-aburi, 手焙, hand-toast. Hime Yuki-daruma, 姫雪達磨, princess snow-attain-polish, is a guise of O-ta-fuku, お多福, O-much-fortune. Otafuku has her origins in the Shintō goddess of spring, Ame-no-uzu-me no Mikoto, 天之鈿女命, Heaven-’s-comb-woman lady. She was responsible for luring Ama-terasu Ō-kami, 天照大神, Heaven-brightener Great-god, the sun goddess, out...

Tabako Bon

In a Tea Ceremony setting, to encourage relaxation, the host, tei-shu, 亭主, house-master, provides various smoking utensils in a tabako bon, 煙草盆, smoke-plant tray. The basic utensils are tobacco in a paper folder, tabako ire, 煙草入, a pipe, kiseru, 煙管, a lighter, hi-ire, 火入, fire-into, and a burnt ash receptacle made of green bamboo, hai-fuki, 灰吹, ash-blow. The tabako bon, pictured above, is made of narrow strips of susu-dake, 煤竹, smoked-bamboo, that is suited to summer, as the open construction technique gives a cool breeze feeling. The box is one of a nesting pair that fit inside the other: L. 7.3 x 4.2 sun kane-jaku. The shō-men,...

Kagami Mochi

Things that may be displayed on the sanbō for the New Year, include a sen-su, 扇子, fan-of, kon-bu, 昆布, descendants-cloth, kelp, a stick with hoshi-gaki, 干柿, dried-persimmon, ura-jiro, 裏白, underside-white, a primal, un-changed fern, Gleichenia japonica, shi-hō beni, 四方紅, four-direction red, square of white paper with red edge, laid diamond-like on the sanbō to create 8 ‘directions’, and red and white cut paper shi-de, 四手, four-hand, embodying In, 陰, negative, red, and Yō, 陽, positive, white. San-bō, 三宝, Three-treasures, the Three Jewels, the Triple Gem; Triratna the Three Treasures of Buddhism: Buddha, Dharma (Law), Sangha (Community). In Shintō, san-bō refers to products of the sea foods, mountain...

Tea in January and the Willow

The series depicts the allegorical search for an ox and attaining Buddhist enlightenment, satori, 悟り, understanding. According to the sequence of the Ten Ox Pictures, 3 and 8 refer to before enlightenment and 9 refers to after enlightenment. The river plays a role in the Ten Ox Pictures, and in the brief texts is mentioned and alluded to five times. The circle of Zen has great interpretations of nothingness. In life, the circle is seen in the sun and moon. The sun is so bright we cannot look at it with the naked eyes, and the circle of the moon is constantly changing. With regard to humans,...