Writing – Chanoyu Decoded

May Days of Chanoyu

The start of May in Japan is a busy season with many celebrations at the beginning of the month. Go–gatsu, 五月, Five-month, May, is also referred to as Sa-tsuki, 皐月, Rice planting-month as well as ta-ue, 田植, paddy-plant. From April 29, former Emperor’s Birthday, to May 5, Tan-go no Se-kku, 端午の節句, Edge-horse’s division-phase is called ‘Golden Week’. 1st Hachi-jū-hachi-ya, 八十八夜, Eight-ten-eight-night, mid-time of 21 days of cha-tsumi, 茶摘み, tea-pinch. Tea picking begins on April 21 in 2025. 3rd Ken-pō-ki Nen-bi, 憲法記念日, Constitution-law-account Desire-day, Constitution Day. 4th Midori no Hi, 緑の日, Green’s Day, former Emperor Hirohito’s birthday. 5thTan-go no Se-kku, 端午の節句, Edge-horse’s division-phase. It is Ri-kka, 立夏, Start-summer. The...

Buddha’s Gems: Chaki and Chanoyu

In Chanoyu, the utensils used to prepare a bowl of tea, are primarily useful, but some have symbolic associations. Sen no Rikyū’s Tea teacher, Take-no Jō-ō, 武野紹鴎, War-field Help-gull, espoused “Cha Zen Ichi Mi ”, which forever united Tea and Zen Buddhism. Images of the Buddha and other Buddhist deities have on their forehead a mark, gem, jewel, representing the urna, which is a long white hair that is symbolic of Buddha’s wisdom and enlightenment. In Japanese, urna is called byaku-go, 白毫, white-hair. A similar mark also represented by a gem or jewel or coloring on Buddha’s head at the base of a mound of hair on...

Chakin and Chasen in Offerings

Cha-sen, 茶筅, tea-whisk, take, 竹, bamboo, L. 3.8 sun kane-jaku, or 3 sun kujira-jaku. Shin cha-kin, 真茶巾, true tea-cloth, asa, 麻, hemp; 8 x 8 sun kujira-jaku. A new chakin prepared for purchase is folded in half and then folded in thirds. Bamboo artisans traditionally use the kane-jaku, 曲尺, bend-span, which equals 12 inches or 30.3 cm, and that weavers traditionally use the kujira-jaku, 鯨尺, whale-span, which equals 15 inches or 38 cm. The measurement of the chakin is 8, which, when divided by 3, is 2.666 to infinity. The number 6, in Japanese is roku, 六, which is symbolic of mizu, 水, water and Infinity in...

Buddha’s Gems: Chakin and Chanoyu

Every utensil is necessary in Chanoyu Tea presentations. From treasured bowls and tea containers to things that should be new, such as the cha-kin, 茶巾, tea-cloth, to wipe the cha-wan, 茶碗, tea-bowl, and the cha-sen, 茶筅, tea-whisk, to whisk the tea. If an object serves no purpose, it is not part of a true Tea. Many aspects of Chanoyu are influenced by Buddhism: Cha Zen ichi mi, 茶禅一味, Tea Zen one taste, is a well-known example. The conical cha-wan, 茶碗, tea-bowl may be based on the seed pod of the lotus, which is sacred to Buddhism. Perhaps there are utensils that may have been inspired by other...

Kaishi: Heart of Paper

Kai-shi, 懐紙, heart-paper; pack of white papers used by men, with kuro-mo-ji, 黒文字, black-letter-character, wooden pick to eat moist sweets, nama-ga-shi, 生菓子, live-sweet-of. Men’s kaishi measures 6.8 x 5.8 sun kane-jaku. Women’s kaishi measures 5.8 x 4.8 sun kane-jaku. Kaishi that is expressly made for Chanoyu is the Rikyū konomi, 好, choice, which is a pack of 30 sheets of paper, folded in half. Two-fold, ni-jū, 二重, two-tier, in Buddhism, refers to the two major schools – Mahayana and Theravada. Paper, wa-shi, 和紙, harmony (Japan)-paper, for kaishi is made from the wood fiber of various plants. The most common choice is kōzo, 楮, Japanese paper mulberry tree,...

Ro and Its Foundations: Robuchi Within and Beyond

Traditionally, the kama, 釜, kettle used February is a kama placed in the dai-ro, 大炉, large-hearth. In March, a tsuri-gama, 釣釜, suspended-kettle, is hung over the ro hanging from a chain or a bamboo pole. In April the suki-gi gama, 透木釜, spacer-wood kettle, is used. At neighboring Omotesenke, the reverse order is their tradition. In May the ro is closed, and the fu-ro, 風炉, wind-hearth, is returned to the Tearoom. However, some people follow the lunar kyū-reki, 旧暦, old-calendar, and in 2025, March continues the second lunar month. The 28th day of the second month of the lunar calendar the day of Rikyū’s suicide April, 19th. It...

Ro and Its Foundations: An Introduction

In Japan’s ancient realm of Cha-no-yu, 茶の湯, Tea’s hot water, ma-tcha, 抹茶, powdered-tea, ryoku-cha, 緑茶, green-tea, is whisked together with hot water. First, water is heated in a kama, 釜, kettle, that is placed over a sum-bi, 炭火, charcoal-fire, burning in a portable fu-ro, 風炉, wind-hearth. Tea is placed in a heated cha-wan, 茶碗, tea-bowl, hot water is added and the tea is blended with a cha-sen, 茶筅, tea-whisk, and served. In the cold half of the year, the kama is placed over a charcoal fire contained in a ro, 炉, hearth, that is sunk in a square opening in the floor of the cha-shitsu, 茶室, tea-room....

Chanoyu: Spirits of Winter and Spring

Ga-ran-dō, 伽蘭洞, Help-orchid-cave, tokonoma, kake-jiku, 掛軸, hang-thing, calligraphy, ‘Kotobuki’, 寿, Longevity, by Gu Jia Xin, dated Hinoe Tora, 丙寅, Fire’s elder brother Tiger, 1986. The Chinese hanging scroll was acquired blank for adding a painting, calligraphy, etc. Kake-hana-ire, 掛花入, hang-flower-receptacle, take, 竹, bamboo, (with metal hanger), by Nishi-kawa Bai-gen, 西川楳玄, West-river ‘Prunus’-mystery, Taka-ga-mine, 鷹峯, Hawk’s Peak, Kyōto. Ka-gura suzu, 神楽鈴, God-music bells, displayed on a san-bō, 三方, three-directions, Shintō offering stand. The year 2025 lunar Mi-doshi, 巳年, Snake-year, began on January 29. According to Asian calendar, 2025, is a Mi-doshi, 巳年, Snake-year; one of the twelve animal signs of Asian zodiac. Each sign is identified with the...

Shakutate: Ladle Stand in Chanoyu

Utensils used for many Tea presentations are a kama, 釜, kettle, a heat source such as a portable fu-ro, 風炉, wind-hearth, or a sunken ro, 炉, hearth. In addition: a mizu-sashi, 水指, water-indicate, a ken-sui, 建水, build-water, and a futa-oki, 蓋置, lid-place, for the lid of the kettle. More elaborate Tea presentations include a shaku-tate, 杓立, ladle-stand, holds upright the hi-shaku, 柄杓, handle-ladle, handles water, and hi-bashi, 火箸, fire-rods, handles fire. These utensils, excluding the ro, may be displayed on a formal stand, dai-su, 台子, support-of, or a simple naga-ita, 長板, long-board. The utensils displayed on the jiita are from the left are the furo that contains a...

Gotoku: Trivet in Tea and Beyond

In Chanoyu, the kama, 釜, kettle, is supported in the sunken ro, 炉, hearth, on a trivet-like iron go-toku, 五德, five-virtues. The gotoku is a wa, 輪, ring, with three ashi, 足, legs, ending in triangular tsume, 爪, talons. The ring is buried in the ash bed, so that only the legs and the talons are visible. There are essentially two positions for the gotoku. The most formal arrangement has a tsume pointed toward the host, tei-shu, 亭主, house-master, with two tsume at the front. The other more common placement has the tsume on the right side pointing directly left, toward the place where a lamp,...