Page 3 – Chanoyu Decoded

Kami Kama-shiki and the Buddhist Hattan

In Chanoyu, when building the charcoal fire, sumi-bi, 炭火, the kama, 釜, kettle, is removed from the hearth, and placed on a folded pack of papers, kami kama-shiki, 紙釜敷, paper kettle-spread. Left: an unfolded sheet of kami kama-shiki, 紙釜敷, paper kettle-rest, which is folded in half to two directions when used to temporarily support a kama, 釜, kettle, while building the charcoal fire in the hearth. The kami kama-shiki is based on the original kai-shi, 懐紙, heart-paper, kept in the front folding of the kimono. Right: paper facsimile of Buddhist ha-ttan, 鉢単, bowl-one, a meal placemat the is folded in thirds in both directions. The Buddhist hattan...

Ro: November Opening

The ro, 炉, the sunken hearth, is opened in November on the first day of the Wild Boar, I, 亥, after Ri-ttō, 立冬, Start-winter, November 7th or 8th. The Boar is one of the twelve zodiac signs of the lunar calendar, so the date varies from year to year. Because of this variance, Rikyū was asked when to open the ro. He answered, “when the yuzu turns yellow”, which is when it is cold enough: yuzu, 柚, is a kind of citrus. The sign of the Boar is the last of the twelve zodiac signs, which begins with the sign of the Rat. Two squares of byaku-dan,...

Hakobi Tenmae: Carrying Fire

Chanoyu can be presented almost anywhere. In a room or outside. Cha-dō-gu, 茶道具, tea-way-tools, are carried to the place where Tea is to be prepared. Carrying anything can be called hakobi, 運び, carry. In a Tea-room, the fire that is needed to make hot water for tea is held in a portable brazier called a fu-ro, 風炉, wind-hearth, or in a permanent hearth set in the floor called a ro, 炉, hearth. The water is heated in a kama, 釜, kettle. In Japanese beliefs, fire must have a permanent place, so that the ‘fire-god’ will ‘know’ where to lite. Hence, the permanent ro, a hearth sunk in...

Nakaoki Ōita

Naka-oki, 中置, middle-place, arrangement with fu-ro, 風炉, wind-hearth, set on an ō-ita, 大板, large-board; 14 x 14 sun kane-jaku. The center of the ōita is placed in the center of the han-jō, 半畳, half-tatami, equidistant from the four edges of the tatami. Placed in front of the ōita is the ya-hazu ita, 矢筈板, arrow-nock-board; length 14 x 9 sun kane-jaku. Perhaps the Nakaoki arrangement with ōita is the origin of the size of the yahazuita. The yahazu-ita is used to display a hana-ire, 花入, flower-receptacle, in the tokonoma, and most often placed in the middle of the tokonoma, rather like a Buddhist altar. There are slight variations...

Hakobi Tenmae: Carry Water

Ga-ran-dō, 伽蘭洞, Attend-orchid-cave, Tearoom set for naka-oki, 中置, middle-place, hakobi ten-mae, 運點前, carry offer-fore, Tea presentation. Toko-no-ma, 床の間, floor-’s-room, kake-mono, 掛物, hang-thing, with calligraphy, ‘Hon-rai mu ichi butsu’, 本来無一物, Origin-from not one thing. Kake hana-ire, 掛花入, hang flower-receptacle, take, 竹, bamboo, by Nishi-kawa Bai-gen, 西川楳玄, West-river Prunus-mystery, Kyōto. Ko-ma kō-gō, 独楽香合, solitary-pleasure incense-gather, red-lacquered wood, on a pack of kami kama-shiki, 紙釜敷, paper kettle-spread. Ki-men bu-ro, 鬼面風炉, demon-face wind-hearth, iron and bronze. Only the furo is displayed in the Tearoom in the center of the tatami for the hakobi naka-oki presentation. All of the other Tea utensils will be carried into the room, for a hakobi ten-mae,...

Kobukusa and Mandala Part 2

In Chanoyu, when serving tea to a guest, the cha-wan, 茶碗, tea-bowl, may be placed on a ko-buku-sa, 古帛紗, old-cloth-gauze. The kobukusa is also used to display a revered object. There are countless types of fabrics, including treasured cloths from the past and also of foreign origin. The type of fabric reveals the choice and taste of the owner. Of the several sizes of kobukusa, the standard measures 4 x 4.2 sun kujira-jaku.The diagonally measurement is 5.8 sun kujira-jaku. The number 5 may represent the Go-rin, 五輪, Five-rings, principles, and the Go-gyō, 五行, Five-transitions, and the number 8, hachi, 八, is symbolic of Infinity in Space. When...

Kaishi and Kuromji

An essential utensil used by the guest at a Tea gathering is a pack of kai-shi, 懐紙, heart-paper, consisting of a taba, 束, ream, of thirty sheets of paper folded in half which makes sixty layers. The present kaishi originated in the kami kama-shiki, 紙釜敷, paper kettle-spread, which Rikyu had cut in half. Kaishi are available in different sizes for women and men: women’s kaishi measures 4.8 x 5.8 sun kane-jaku, and men’s kaishi measures 5.8 x 6.8 sun kane-jaku. The sheets of paper are folded in half to keep them organized, otherwise they would be awkward to handle as flat sheets. Thus, one may think of the...

Kobukusa and Mandala Part 1

Left: Ten-moku Cha-wan, 天木茶碗, Heaven-eye Tea-bowl, by Oke-tani Tei-ichi, 桶谷定一, on a ko-buku-sa, 古帛紗, old-cloth-gauze, raised on a black-lacquered dai, 台, support. Right: white ceramic cha-wan, 茶碗, tea-bowl, in the form of Ten-moku, 天目, Heaven-eye, by Kasa-hara-yaki, 笠原焼, Umbrella-field-fired, Shi-no, 志野, Aspire-field. Supported on a ko-buku-sa, 古帛紗, old-cloth-gauze. In the realm of Chanoyu, tea is prepared as koi-cha, 濃茶, thick-tea, and usu-cha, 薄茶, thin-tea. Koicha is the culmination of a Tea presentation, and is prepared in many different manners called ten-mae, 点前, offer-fore. The differences in the tenmae are because of the nature of the cha-dō-gu, 茶道具, tea-way-tools, and the manner in which they are handled. Tea-drinking...

Obon at Night

August 1stHa-ssaku, 八朔, eight-first day; the first day of August is called hassaku, which is actually a lunar event. Hassaku is also the name of a citrus fruit. The fruit is a hybrid of orange and grapefruit, and was discovered in the mid-19th century. It was declared by a Pure Land Buddhist priest that the fruit could be eaten on Hassaku, the first day of the eighth lunar month. The motivation seems obscure. In Japan, the most important family observance of the year is O-bon, お盆, Hon.-tray, when departed spirits leave paradise, and return to their ancestral homes. Observances are held on various days and times....

August Seasonal Aspects

Tanabata, 七夕, Seven-night, is a great festive observance held on the 7th night of the 7th lunar month. The festivities are more popularly observed on July 7th, however, being a lunar event, it is traditionally held according to the lunar calendar, which occurs on September 22 in 2023. Tanabata is also called Hoshi Matsuri, 星祭, Star Festival, because stars are identified with the lovers Ori-hime, 織姫, Weave-princess and Hiko-boshi, Star-boy-star, a herder of cows. These stars are found in the Natsu no Dai-san-kaku, 夏の大三角, Summer ’s Great-three-corner, the great Summer Triangle. The Summer Triangle in Japanese is the Natsu no Dai–san-kaku, 夏の大三角, Summer’s Great-three-corner. At the top...