Tea in December

  Kake-mono, 掛物, hang-thing, ink drawing of Fuku-roku-ju, 福禄寿, Fortune-prosperity-longevity; L. 5.5 shaku kane-jaku. Fuku-roku-ju, 福禄寿, Fortune-prosperity-longevity, is one of the Shichi-fuku-jin, 七福神, Seven-fortune-gods, who bring happiness and fortune, especially during the New Year. In China, it is believed that he was added to the group to bring the lucky number 7. Fukurokuju was a Taoist scholar, and is depicted as a bearded dwarf with a high head full of knowledge, and who carries a staff with a scroll that contains all the wisdom of the world. The opening in the side of the vase is a highly stylized gourd. Multiple gourds are auspicious motifs. The toko-bashira, 床柱,...

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Tokonoma and Imae

In Chanoyu, when the tei-shu, 亭主, house-master, is planning a full Tea gathering, Cha-ji, 茶事, Tea-matter, or cha-kai, 茶会, tea-meeting, perhaps the first thing is to choose a kake-mono, 掛物, hang-thing, that is appropriate for the occasion. If one is fortunate to have a wide variety to choose from, the choice can be challenging. If there is simply one in the collection, it will do. The scroll is hung in the toko-no-ma, 床の間, floor-’s-room, alcove. When a guest enters the Tearoom, he or she goes directly to the tokonoma, and sits in front of it to look at the scroll. The teishu is the only person who...

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Tea in November

Perhaps the most outstanding event in Japan in November is Shichi-go-san,  七五三, Seven-five-three, when children of those ages are taken to Shintō shrines for prayers and blessings on November 15. In the world of Chanoyu, the most important event is Sō-tan-ki, 宗旦忌, Sect-dawn-memorial, which is held on November 19. The boy is shown stepping through the tori-i, 鳥居, bird-reside, gate, into the sacred space, correctly, with his left foot, in this print with its extraordinarily ‘Japanese’ composition. Coaxed by his mother, perhaps, she carries a bag containing talismans, which are offered by the shrine, and thereby implying that it is the occasion of Shichi Go San festival....

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Opening the Ro

Diagram of the yo-jō-han cha-shitsu, 四畳半茶室, four-mat-half tea-room, showing the lunar months and guardian Buddhist deities. Of special interest is the northwest corner and its associations with A-mi-da Nyo-rai, 阿弥陀如来, Praise-increase-steep Like-become, and Kan-non Bo-satsu, 観音菩薩, See-sound Grass-buddha, and the ro. The A-mi-da-dō gama, 阿弥陀堂釜, Amida-hall kettle, was one of Rikyū’s favorites. The influences of the eight Buddhist deities radiate from the center of the room and divide the space into eight sections.  The signs of the Amida and Kannon join within the half-tatami that is identified with Amida, so that the influence of Kannon in the 11th month is foreshadowed in the 10th month. The ro,...

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Inoshishi Robiraki

    Ro-biraki, 炉開, open-hearth, is enacted for use on the first day of the Inoshishi, 亥, Wild boar, in the month of the Inoshishi. The Kanji for the living wild boar animal is inoshishi, 猪. In 2022, the ro is opened on October 25, which is before the ‘official’ first Inoshishi day in the Inoshishi month, which occurs on November 18. The cause of this is that Ri-ttō, 立冬, Start-winter, and the start of the I no Tsuki, 亥の月, Boar’s Month occur on November 7, the day after the day of the Inoshishi on November 6.  Perhaps, because of this kind of calendar discrepancy, Rikyū was...

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October and Nakaoki

Naka-oki, 中置, middle-place, is an arrangement of utensils for a presentation in the month of October.  The fu-ro, 風炉, wind-hearth, is placed in the exact center of the ten-mae, 点前, offer-fore, tatami, regardless of the size of the tatami. The shiki-ita, 敷板, spread-board, regardless of its size is placed in the center of the tatami, therefore the mizusashi is placed halfway between the left edge of the shiki-ita and the inside of the heri binding.   The mizu-sashi, 水指, water-indicate, is placed to the left of the furo. A slender and somewhat taller, hoso mizu-sashi, 細水指, narrow water-handle, is used.  The center of the mizusashi aligns with the...

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Aspects of Nakaoki

The two Kanji together are read i-no-ko, 亥の子, Boar-’s-child, or i-ne, 亥子, boar-rat, which is a homonym for ine, 稲, rice plant. Opening the sunken hearth, ro-biraki, 炉開, hearth-opening, is officially presented on the first I-no-hi, 亥の日, Boar-’s-day, in the 10th month, which is followed by Ne-no-hi, 子の日, Rat-’s-day.  The reason is that starting something on the last day of the zodiac cycle continues unbroken to the start of the next cycle, hence Boar continues to the Rat.   There is an infinite variety of ways in which inoko mochi appear. The pictured sweets are perhaps close to the original look. There are whole beans on the...

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Tea in October

The writing is derived from the alleged incident of Daruma traveling in China, and crossing a river on a stalk of grass; ichi-i to-kō, 一葦渡江 , one-reed cross-inlet. The red ink stamp is a bit of a mystery, as it is a bit obscured. It appears to read, kake-maki, 掛巻, hang-wrap, which, if it is truly that reading, what does it mean? Was it destined to be made into a hanging scroll, and if so, how easily would it be to get rid of the red ink stamp? Often artists would paint a picture of Daruma, and have a Buddhist priest write something identified with the Zen...

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Chanoyu in Mid September

The asa-gao, 朝顔, morning-face, morning glory is one of the flowers that is not usually displayed for a Tea gathering because of its association with Sen no Rikyū. It was widely known that Rikyū had grown some fine morning glories, and Toyotomi Hideyoshi asked him for an invitation to enjoy some Tea and the morning glories. When Hideyoshi arrived, there were no morning glories to be seen in the garden. When Hideyoshi entered the Tearoom, he saw in the tokonoma a single morning-glory flower. There have been many stories about this incident, of which, some are without merit. In Japan, morning glories are grown in pots, as...

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Tea and Moon Viewing

Ku-gatsu, 九月, Nine-moon, is the time for the Japanese to enjoy looking at the full moon, tsuki-mi, 月見, moon-see, in September. The Kanji for the living rabbit is usagi, 兎, which means both rabbit and hare, whereas the Kanji for the Asian zodiac sign of the hare or rabbit is u, 卯. Susuki, 芒, eulalia, pampas grass flowers open and become fuzzy, and are held up to gaze at the moon through the grass. This effect may be called oboro-zuki, 朧月, hazy-moon, especially on a spring night. The Kanji, 朧, is composed of the Kanji niku, 肉, for flesh, or tsuki, 月, for moon, and the Kanji tatsu, 龍, dragon.  Configurations on the moon, and enhanced interpretation of a rabbit making mochi. Mochi-tsuki,...

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