Writing – Chanoyu Decoded

Nakaoki in Mid-October

Ga-ran-dō, 伽蘭洞, Attend-orchid-cave, utensils and arrangement for a Tea presentation called Naka-oki, 中置, Middle-place. The portable fu-ro, 風炉, wind-hearth, has been placed on the area above the sunken ro, 炉, hearth (ro-dan, , hearth-foundation). The kama, 釜, kettle, has been suspended by a kusari, 鎖, chain, dispensing with the trivet-like go-toku, 五徳, five-virtues, simulating the absence of the supporting collar, koshiki, 甑, ring support, of the yatsure bu-ro, 窶れ風炉, timeworn wind-hearth. Garandō tokonoma with a kake-mono, 掛物, hang-thing, with a painting of Ebisu, god of fishermen, and an attendant maiden. Fishing creel basket with seasonal flowers, and an incense container in the form of a treasure...

Edazumi

Sumi-bi, 炭火, charcoal-fire, set in a ki-men bu-ro, 鬼面風炉, demon-face wind-hearth, showing the placement of the white eda-zumi, 枝炭, branch-charcoal. Eda-zumi, 枝炭, branch-charcoal coated with go-fun, 胡紛, foreign-flax, kai no kona, 貝の粉, shell’s powder. Edazumi for fu-ro, 風炉, wind-hearth: L. 5 sun kane–jaku, 15 cm. begins with three pieces of edazumi in the sumi-tori, 炭斗, charcoal-measure, but only two pieces of edazumi are put into the furo. One piece remains in the sumitori. Edazumi for sunken ro, 炉, hearth: L. 5 sun kujira–jaku, 19 cm. begins with five pieces of edazumi in the sumi-tori, 炭斗, charcoal-measure, but only four pieces of edazumi are put into the ro....

Nakaoki Tea

In Japan, in October, the Shin-tō kami, 神道神, God-way gods, assemble at I-zumo Tai-sha, 出雲大社, Out-cloud Great-shrine. This event gives rise to the 10th month being called Kan-na-zuki, 神無月, God-less-month. This is true throughout Japan except in Izumo area when is called Kami-ari-zuki, 神在月, Gods-are-month. Carved figures of Dai-koku-ten, 大黒天, Great-black-heaven (Deva), and E-bi-su-te, 恵比寿天, 恵比寿, Bless-like-longevity-heaven (Deva), displayed in a (rice) masu, 升, box measure; souvenir of I-zumo Tai-sha, 出雲大社, Out-cloud Great-shrine, Izumo City. Ebisu is a god of wealth and fishermen. Both Daikoku and Ebisu are worshipped together at Izumo Taisha, especially by couples wishing for a happy wedding. Daikoku and Ebisu are two of...

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...