Time for Ume: Tea in July

July 18th is the start of the lunar 6th month, Tsuitachi, 朔, New moon, and bears the old name Mi-na-zuki, 水無月, Water-no-month, which refers to the dry period after the end of the rainy season, Tsuyu, 梅雨, Apricot-rain; the Kanji are also, and more literally, read Bai-u. Tsuyu, méiyǔ in China, refers to the season when the fruits of (ume) Prunus mume ripen.  The word tsuyu has no connection with the reading of the Kanji for the words bai, ume, 梅, a kind of Japanese apricot, and u, ame, 雨, rain. The word tsuyu may be derived from the classical Japanese verb tsuyu, 熟ゆ, to become ripe,...

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Chasen and Tea

In Chanoyu, ma-tcha, 抹茶, powder-tea, is mixed with yu, 湯, hot water, in a cha-wan, 茶碗, tea-bowl, using a bamboo cha-sen, 茶筅, tea-whisk. What is the reason for the specific structure of the chasen? It is a whisk, and therefore it has many tines for that purpose of blending the tea and hot water. Usucha made in the tradition of Urasenke, creates froth on the surface of the tea, while other Tea family traditions do not create foam. The number of tines on the whisk varies according to the purpose of its use, and personal choice, but there is a kind of standard between 80 and 100....

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Uma no Tsuki: Horse Month

The seasonal division of the solar calendar called Bō-shu, 芒種, Grain beard-seed, is the start of the Uma-no-tsuki, 午の月, Horse-’s-month, which is protected by Sei-shi Bo-satsu, 勢至菩薩, Strength-attain Grass-buddha, the Buddha of Wisdom. Seishi Bosatsu and Kannon Bosatsu, the Buddha of Mercy, accompany A-mi-da Nyo-rai, 阿弥陀如来, Praise-increase-steep Like-become, the Buddha of Compassion. In the yo-jō-han, 四畳半, four-mat-half, cha-shitsu, 茶室, tea-room, Seishi is metaphorically located in the south, in the middle of the south wall, opposite Kannon in the north. Amida is guardian in the northwest corner of the room. Seishi’s monthly day of dedication, en-nichi, 縁日, edge-day, is observed on the 23rd day, which coincides with a...

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Furo: Tea and Rice

Mid-May is still, in 2023, in a lunar ‘leap’ year, so that the first of May was the 22nd of the 3rd lunar month. In Japan, the month of May is called by its old name of Satsuki.  Satsuki is identified with the lunar calendar.  The word satsuki was derived from the old word sa, which means cultivating, and joined with tsuki, 月, month, and became satsuki as the month of rice cultivation. The kama used in Chanoyu has roots in the meshi-gama, 飯釜, rice-kettle. There are stories of people having only one kama, and using it to cook rice and boil water for tea. There are kama...

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Kobukusa Origins

A ko-buku-sa, 古帛紗, old-cloth-gauze, is used to support a cha-wan, 茶碗, tea-bowl, and to display a fine object. As its name indicates, the kobukusa is an old fukusa, which is a larger square of silk fabric used by the teishu to purify certain Tea utensils. The kobukusa is not square, which is the same for the fukusa. What is the reason for this?  A person at a Tea gathering ought to have their own kobukusa together with a fuku-sa, 帛紗, cloth-gauze, and kai-shi, 懐紙, heart-paper. It is closely associated with tatami, because the kobukusa is often placed on tatami. Perhaps there is a connection between the measurements of the...

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May: Still Following Elephants

The year 2023 had a lunar ‘leap’ month, urū-zuki, 閏月, intercalary-month, also read jun-getsu. There was a ‘leap’ 2nd month of 29 days, so that the lunar 3rd month began on April 20. The lunar 4th month began on May 20. Rikyū’s death on lunar 2nd month 29th day was in 1591, which had a ‘leap’ 2nd month, so that his actual day of death day coincided with April 21. The lunar 4th month is identified with the east southeast direction, and the Zodiac sign of Mi, 巳, Snake.    Left: the ro with the sukigi-gama resting on wooden blocks, (right): the furo with a kama supported...

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April in Japan: Following Elephants

It is believed that the Buddha was born on the 8th day of the 4th lunar month. The observances in Japan are called Hana-matsuri, 花祭, Flower-festival, and Kan-butsu-e, 灌仏会, Bathe-buddha-meeting. The year 2023 contained a lunar 2nd leap month, which was added. April 20, is when the 3rd lunar month began. The Buddha’s lunar birthday on the 8th day of the 4th lunar month which, in 2023, is on May 27th.   On the 8th day of lunar 4th month, which is believed to be the date of the birth of the Buddha, Sha-ka Tan-jo-butsu, 釈迦誕生佛, Explain-(sound) Birth-live-buddha, a rite called Kan-butsu-e, 灌仏会, Libate-buddha-meeting is observed. It...

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April and Uzuki

April in Japan is Shi-gatsu, 4月, Fourth-month, and according to the old calendar the name for the 4th month is U-zuki, 卯月, Hare-moon. It is said that Uzuki is named for the u-no-hana, 卯の花, hare’s flower, which blooms at this time of the year. In 2022, the first day of the 4th month occurred on May 1, which is one month later than April 1.   The plant unohana, in English, is known as deutzia crenata, which is in the hydrangea family, and is called ‘bridal wreath,’ which is a bit misleading for that name is applied to other flowering shrubs. In addition, the Kanji for deutzia...

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April: Bells and Kuzu

On the 27th of April, Dō-jō-ji, 道成寺, Way-attain-temple, in Wa-ka-yama, 和歌山, Japan-poem-mountain, observes the tale of a monk’s fatal encounter with a monstrous snake, Ō-rochi, 大蛇, Great-snake. The snake is a woman, shunned by a Buddhist monk, transformed by her jealousy. A popular event, it enacts the incident. An enormous snake puppet, 21 meters, or 70 shaku, long giant with a fearsome dragon-like head, is supported by about 70 people. It climbs a hill to the temple amid a throng of on-lookers. It coils around the replica of the temple bell, and when the bell is turned over reveals a white skeleton of the monk. The incense...

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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...

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