Writing – Chanoyu Decoded

Pine Needles in Tea and Zen

Ga-ran-dō, 伽蘭洞, Attend-orchid-cave; kake-jiku, 掛軸, hang-scroll, with calligraphy, ‘Shō-fu-za’, 松風坐, Pine-wind-sit, by Nyo-kyō(?), 如郷, Like-village. L. 5 shaku kane-jaku. Top: shi-fuku, 仕覆, serve-cover, silk drawstring bag tailored to fit a cha-ire, 茶入, tea-receptacle: the himo, 紐, or o, 緒, cord stretched loop length is 6 sun kane-jaku. Shifuku fabric pattern is Ichi-matsu takara don-su, 市松宝緞子, City-pine treasure damask-of. Middle: eda-zumi, 枝炭, branch-charcoal, for ro, 炉, hearth; 6 sun kane-jaku. The edazumi is made of a tsu-tsuji, 躑躅, azalea twig that is made into charcoal and covered with go-fun, 胡粉, foreign-flour, made of burned oyster or clam shells ground to a chalk white powder. The shells from the...

Ippuku: A Bowl of Tea

Cha-no-yu, 茶の湯, Tea-’s-hot water, is many things centered on blending ma-tcha, 抹茶, powder-tea, and yu, 湯, hot-water. Matcha is traditionally prepared and drunk from a ceramic cha-wan, 茶碗, tea-bowl. There are two ways in which matcha is prepared: usu-cha, 薄茶, thin-tea, and koi-cha, 濃茶, thick-tea. The simplest way to prepare a bowl of tea is to warm the chawan, put in some tea, add hot water, and blend it with a bamboo cha-sen, 茶筅, tea-whisk. A bowl of Tea is drunk in three sips, with an added audible sip to finish. An important feature of Chanoyu is how much tea is served to a single person. Outside...

In Honor of Hōunsai Sōshitsu XV

Calligraphy Wa-ki ban-fuku wo shō-zu, 和気生萬福, Harmony-spirit enlivens-ten thousand-fortune, written by Gen-shitsu, 玄室, Mystery-room, Dai-sō-shō, 大宗匠, Great-sect-artisan, Sen Sō-shitsu, 千宗室, Thousand Sect-room, XV, Hō-un-sai, 鵬雲斎, Phoenix-cloud-abstain, when he was around the age of 100. Remembering Hōunsai Sen Sōshitsu XV, who passed away at the age of 102 on August 14, 2025. His passing is in concurrent with the 2025 lunar OBon, when the departed spirits return to ancestral homes. Hōunsai Sen Sōshitsu XV is a figure in Japanese culture, who has maintained the timeless traditions of Chanoyu, and sought peace around the world through the sharing of a bowl of Tea. He established centers of the Urasenke...

Futaoki: Take Fushi

In Chanoyu, hot water for tea, ma-tcha, 抹茶, powdered-tea, is traditionally made with water heated in a kama, 釜, kettle, placed over a sumi-bi, 炭火, charcoal-fire, in a hearth: the hearth maybe a portable fu-ro, 風炉, wind-hearth, of in a sunken ro, 炉, hearth. Because the kama has no handle or spout, the lid must be removed to gain access to the hot water, yu, 湯. A support is needed for the kama no futa, 窯の蓋, kettle’s lid – a futa-oki, 蓋置, lid-place. Ao-dake futa-oki, 青竹蓋置, green-bamboo lid-place, moto-bushi, 元節, origin-node, used with the fu-ro, 風炉, wind-hearth, supporting a kama no futa, 窯の蓋, kettle’s lid, with...

Tea Utensils in August

Watercolor painting in black ink and colors of a landscape tree covered rocky precipice with water and buildings and figures. Calligraphy: Yuan-zhu Fān–ying, 黿渚帆影, Turtle-beach sail-image, dated Bing-yín , 丙寅, Fire older brother-tiger, Xià–yuè, 夏月, Summer-moon , . Kōgō: ‘Hana take ikada,’ 華竹筏, flower bamboo raft, L. 4.1 sun kane-jaku, by Naka-mura Sō-in, 中村宗尹, Middle-village Sect-govern. Choice of Ryō-ryō-sai, 了々斎, Completion-completion-abstain, (1775-1825). IX Iemoto, Omotesenke. Hana-kago, 花籠, flower-basket, bi-ku, 魚籠, fish-creel, with te-ssen, 鉄線, iron-wire, clematis flower. Mayu bu-ro, 眉風炉, eyebrow wind-hearth, earthenware. Kata-tsuki, 肩付き, shoulder-thrust, tetsu, 鉄, iron. Te-oke, 手桶, handle-bucket, wood. Hi-shaku, 柄杓, handle-ladle, bamboo, and ao-dake futa-oki, 青竹蓋置, green-bamboo lid-place, placed on bucket handle and...

Chasen and Kuromoji: In and Yō

All things are In, 陰, Yin, negative, physical. A way to remember this is that the word ‘in’ is part of the word th’in’g. Incorporeal, spirit, emotions, are Yō, 陽, Yang, positive, non-physical. Within the In world, things are divided into In and Yo. Tea as a shrub, is like all things, In. And as a growing living thing, tea is In. When picked, tea leaves are dried and ‘dead’ which is, Yō. During a Tea gathering, there is a clear representation of In and Yō in the presentation of both the sweet and the tea. The sweet is relatively solid, and held on flat, cornered paper,...

Boards in Tea: Ita

The dai-su, 台子, support-of, utensils display stand, is composed of a rectangular ji-ita, 地板, earth-board, and ten-ita, 天板, heaven-board, supported on four corner posts, which are identified with the four seasons. The daisu may be placed where it is needed. Water for tea is heated in a kama, supported on a portable brazier, fu-ro, 風炉, wind-hearth. Because the charcoal fire heats the furo, the furo is placed on the jiita to protect the tatami flooring. This is the model by which all portable braziers are employed, and although not called by its function, but is the origin on the shiki-ita, 敷板, spread-board. The model for the daisu...

Kami Kamashiki and Kaishi

The kami kama-shiki, 紙釜敷, paper kettle-place, is a folded pack of papers that provides a place for the kama, 釜, kettle, when it is removed from the hearth. In Chanoyu, the hearth refers to the portable fu-ro, 風炉, wind-hearth, and the sunken ro, 炉, hearth, set in the floor. The kami kamashiki varies in number of sheets of paper, size, color, design, quality, etc. The choice of Sen no Rikyū is plain white mi-no gami, 美濃紙, beauty-thick paper, 8.8 x 6 sun kujira-jaku, and has twenty sheets of paper. The number 8 eight, in Japanese is hachi, 八, is symbolic of Infinity in Space and the auspicious...

Happy Birthday Zabosai Sama

Happy Birthday Zabōsai Sama, Sen Sōshitsu, XVI, Oiemoto celebrates his 69th birthday on June 7. Born in the year of the Monkey 1956. The hexagonal ceramic kōgō with amber glaze. Inscribed, 聴松風, by Ōhi Chōzaemon X. Choice of Zabōsai, 坐忘斎, Sit-forget-abstain. Inscription from Zen expression, Kan-za Shō-fū wo kiku, 閑坐聴松風, Tranquil-sit pine wind (hear)....

Chawan Kazari

Cha-wan Kazari, 茶碗荘, Tea-bowl Dignify, in Garandō Pictured above is the tokonoma is as it might appear during the first seating of a Cha-ji, 茶事, Tea-matter, which is called sho-za, 初座, first-sit, and sho-iri, 初入, first-entry, before a Tea presentation of ‘Cha-wan Kazari’, 茶碗荘, Tea-bowl Dignify. Chawan Kazari and preparing the Tea, takes place in the gō-za, 後座, latter-sit, or gō-iri, 後入, latter-entry. The room is darkened to subdue the atmosphere as food and drink are offered. The word kazari has some issues. The Kanji for kazari in chawan kazari is 荘, also read sō. The common understanding of kazari in standard Japanese language is often understood...