Chasen Whisk and Thread

Powdered green tea, ma-tcha, 抹茶, powder-tea, is mixed with hot water, yu, 湯, by using a cha-sen, 茶筅, tea-whisk. The chasen is made of a length of take, 竹, bamboo, including the fushi, 節, node, which indicates the growth direction. The standard length of a chasen is 3 sun kujira-jaku, 寸鯨尺, ‘inch’ whale-span, 11.3 cm or 4 ½ inches. The root end is split into many hō, 穂, tine: kazu-ho, 数穂, multiple-tines. The tines are cut alternately wide and narrow, with the wider tines on the outside separated from the inner narrower tines by threads intertwined, ami-ito, 編み糸, braid-thread, around the outside tines. The thread, ito, 糸,...

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Mizuya Dōgu Part 2

The sa-dō guchi, 茶道口, tea-way opening, is also called the cha-dō guchi, which is now the preferred reading. The cha-dō guchi is a doorway leading directly onto the fumi-komi tatami, 踏込畳, step-in tatami, where o-cha, お茶, hon.-tea is presented in the cha-shitsu, 茶室, tea-room.  This doorway may lead directly into the mizuya, or an adjoining hallway that leads to the mizuya.  The sliding door fusuma, 襖, may be covered with opaque paper, or translucent paper as appropriate for a small Tearoom.  This door panel is like a shōji but is papered on both sides, and is called tai-ko-bari fusuma, 太鼓張り襖, big-drum-stretch door panel. The...

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Go-gatsu

Go-gatsu, 五月, Five-month, bears the old lunar name of Sa-tsuki, 皐月, Swamp-month. This is the time of ta-ue, 田植え, ricefield-plant, transplanting rice into flooded fields, 皐, swamp. The flower called sa-tsuki, 皐月, swamp-month, is the name of a type of azalea (Rhododendron indicum)​, which blooms at this time.  In 2022, the Tan-go no Se-kku, 端午の節句, Begin-horse ‘s Divide-passage, is held on May 5, which also begins the lunar month of the Snake, Mi, 巳. Tan-Go no Se-kku,  is lunar festival, that is held on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, which in 2022 is June 3rd. This date more closely coincides with Bō-shu, 芒種, Grain-beard...

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Tea in May

    The cha-ire, 茶入, tea-receptacle, is made of brown tō–ki, 陶器, ceramic-container, in the form of shiri-bukura, 尻膨, bottom-swell, with mottled, glossy brown glaze, Kyō yaki, 京焼, Capital fired, by Ima-shiro Sato, 今城聡, Now-castle Wise, Ryū-ki gama, 龍㐂窯, Dragon-joy kiln, Kyōto. The chaire is a copy of ‘I-yo Sudare’, 伊予簾, That-previous Blinds, with zō–ge buta, 象牙蓋, elephant-tusk lid, and multi-colored striped silk bag, shi-fuku, 仕覆, work-cover, with pattern of ‘I-yo Sudare don–su,’ 伊予簾緞子, That-previous Blinds damask-of. Many years ago, this chashaku was a gift from the proprietor of a Cha-dō-gu-ya, 茶道具屋, Tea-way-tool-house, in Gi-on, 祇園, God-garden, in Kyōto. He told me that it was in the style of En-nō-sai, 円能斎, Circle-art-abstain, XIII Iemoto...

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Chashaku and Sensu

    The root end of the bamboo cha-shaku, 茶杓, tea-scoop, is at the same end as the handles of both of the sen-su, 扇子, fan-of. The distance between the bamboo fushi, 節, node, and the handle end of the chashaku and the papered section of the yellow sensu. The distance between the chashaku fushi and its scoop is similar to that of the handle of the black sensu. Were the curve of the scoop to be flattened, the measurement would be the same. The sensu is the implement of the kyaku, 客, guest, while the chashaku is the implement of the tei-shu, 亭主, house-master. The kyaku...

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Tenmae and Temae

A procedure of preparing and making a bowl of tea is called a ten-mae, 點前, offer-fore. The Kanji, 點, is also written 点前, using 点, the simplification of the Kanji 點. Other preparations, are called te-mae, 手前, hand-fore. An older version of the Kanji for ten is 㸃, which more clearly separates the five aspects of the character. The Kanji may be seen as being composed of five Kanji representing the Go-rin, 五輪, Five rings, metaphysical principles. The following is an analysis of the Kanji 㸃. Uranau,卜, to divine; combines a Yō line and an In line. Kuchi, 口, mouth; symbolic of differentiated In and Yō.    ...

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Jizō and the Gotoku

    Jizō is often depicted with a round bamboo, umbrella-shaped hat called an a-jiro gasa, 網代笠, woven-era-umbrella. It is fitted inside with a bamboo openwork ring called a go-toku, 五徳, five-virtues, (usually written in Katakana, ゴトク). It is most interesting to think that Jizō is so closely associated with the gotoku, five virtues of Buddhism. The devout wear such hats on their pilgrimages. Although they are made in various sizes, one of the standards has a diameter of 14 sun kane-jaku, the gotoku diameter is 6 sun kane. In Chanoyu, a similar hat or umbrella is used in the roji, and is called a ro-ji gasa,...

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Tea in April

Following the principles of a particular tradition or school influences those choices. In modern times decoration and adornments that reflect the seasons is of greater importance than in the past. Choosing various objects for special reasons, creates an atmosphere that can be unexpectedly meaningful. It should be remembered that when choosing the utensils that they are appropriate for the guest. The tori–awase in the picture has a deep significance for the host.     Kake-jiku, 掛軸, hang-scroll; ‘Matsu ko-kon iro nashi,’ 松無古今色, Pine no past present form, written by Oku-da Yuki-o, 奥田行朗, Inner-ricefield Transition-son , 58th abbot of Ō-baku-san Man-puku-ji, 黄檗山萬福寺, Yellow-oak-mountain Ten thousand-fortune-temple, U-ji, 宇治,...

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A Petal Puzzle – Unryū Gama

Sen no Rikyū’s un-ryū gama, 雲龍釜, cloud-dragon kettle, is modeled on a Ming Chinese water vessel. The body of the kettle has the design of a dragon amid clouds and rain. The lid of the kettle has a design of many concentric rings that suggests water ripples. The lid has a geometric ball knob, tsumami, 摘み, pinch, with a loosely attached metal ring. The knob is set on an escutcheon, za, 座, seat, in the form of a multi-petalled flower. The flower appears to resemble a kiku, 菊, chrysanthemum and a hasu, 蓮, lotus. The question is which, or what flower is it? The escutcheon on the...

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Unryū Gama

The unryū gama has a form that is unlike the many standard models used in Chanoyu, when it was created in the 16th century by Sen no Rikyū. The pictured kama is used with the ro, 炉, hearth, and there are smaller versions used with the fu-ro, 風炉, wind-hearth. In March, Urasenke uses a tsuri-gama, 釣釜, suspend-kettle, and quite often the unryū-gama is the preferred choice.   It is recorded that Sen no Rikyū had the kettle made to copy a mizu-sashi, 水指, water-indicate, that was in the possession of Take-no Jō-ō, 武野紹鴎, War-field Help-gull. The mizusashi was a Chinese blue and white porcelain vessel with an...

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