Robiraki: Everyday Enlightenment

Garandō Tearoom with utensils for the Tea presentation of ‘Kasane Cha-wan’, 重ね茶碗, Stacked tea-bowls, for ‘Ro-biraki’, 炉開き, Hearth-opening, which is traditionally observed on November 26, 2025. 

Two bowls are often used to serve a large number of guests at a Tea gathering, and most often for the New Year’s ‘Hatsu Gama’, 初釜, First Kettle. The smaller of the two bowls is suitable for serving four guests, whereas the larger bowl is appropriate for eight guests. A greater number of guests are served directly from the preparation room, served by assistants for the tei-shu, 亭主, house-master, who presents the Tea bowls in the main Tea room.   

A large kama, 釜, kettle, and a large mizu-sashi, 水指, water-indicate, are appropriate for a Ō-yose Cha-kai, 大寄せ茶会, Great-assemble Tea-gathering. It is customary to display utensils on a display stand such as a tana, 棚, shelf, or a dai-su, 台子, support-of, for a large Tea gathering, however, kasane chawan may be presented with a just a few utensils. The displayed mizusashi, as pictured above, is large and heavy and can be displayed in the Tearoom whence it is called an ‘oki mizusashi’, 置き水指, display water-indicate. Such a mizusashi must be replenished with water dispensed by a mizu-tsugi, 水次, water-next, at the conclusion of the Tea presentation. 

Kake-mono, 掛物, hang-thing; calligraphy, En–sō, 円相, Circle-aspect, ‘Byō-jō-shin Kore-dō’, 平常心是道, Level-ever-mind/heart is way: by Yama-da Hō-in, 山田法胤 Mountain-field Law-descendant, abbot of Yaku-shi-ji, 薬師寺, Medicine-master-temple, Na–ra, 奈良, What-good: L. 5.5 shaku kane-jaku. The Zen phrase on the scroll is derived from a teaching story of the monk, Jō-shū, 趙州, Hasten-state. Jōshū asked priest, Nan-sen, 南泉, South-spring, how to attain enlightenment, to which Nansen replied ‘Ordinary heart is the way’.

Kake hana-ire, 掛花入, hang flower-receptacle, take, 竹, bamboo, ichi-jū-giri, 一重切, one-tier-cut, with a single side opening, by Nishi-kawa Bai-gen, 西川楳玄, West-river Prunus-mystery, Taka-ga-mine, 鷹峯, Hawk’s Peak, Kyōto. Gift of the artist some forty year ago, and was given the name ‘Shi-shi Mai’, 獅子舞, Lion-child Dance. 

It is believed that Rikyū was the first to use bamboo as a container for flowers at a Tea gathering. During the siege of the Hō-jō, 北条, North-place, clan at O-da-wara, 小田, Small-ricefield. Hideyoshi sent three tawara, 俵, bales of rice, implying that the war would last. In response, the Hōjō sent three lengths of green bamboo, take mitsu, 竹三, bamboo three. This expression is wordplay on take-mitsu, 竹光, bamboo-light, which is a green bamboo, ao-dake, 青竹, sword that the enemy would make themselves, in order to perform se-ppuku, 切腹, cut-stomach. The Hōjō sent the three green pieces of bamboo as an enforcement of Hideyoshi’s army surrender through suicide.

Rather than swords, Rikyū turned the three pieces of bamboo into hana-ire. One of them has a single side opening, named ‘On-jō-ji’, 園城寺, Garden-castle-temple, another with two side openings, named ‘Yonaga’, for the length between the fushi, 節, nodes, and one with its growth direction turned upside down, named ‘Shaku-hachi’, 尺八, Span-eight, theoretically after its supposed length. Rikyū created the three hanaire from the bamboo sent by the Hōjō, and it is important to note that they were made of green bamboo. Green bamboo is traditionally used in rites of the dead and departed in Buddhism.

Kō-gō, 香合, incense-gather; ash-glaze stoneware covered container in the form of a kuri, 栗, chestnut, Tan-ba yaki, 丹波焼, Red-wave fired, by Ichi-no Etsu-o, 市野悦夫, City-field Joy-man, Kami–tachi-kui, 上立杭, Upper-stand-post, Kon-da-chō, 今田町, Now-field-town; H. 1.8 sun kane-jaku.

Tanba is famous throughout Japan for its excellent, large chestnuts. The Kanji for kuri, 栗, is composed of nishi, 西, west, and ki, 木, tree, which is inspired by Amida’s Pure Land paradise in the West. The form of the chestnut resembles the hō-ju, 宝珠, treasure-jewel.

The form of the chestnut resembles the hō-ju, 宝珠, treasure-jewel, which is held by many beings, including dragons, snakes, lions, and Buddhist and Shintō deities.

Ko-buku-sa, 古帛紗, old-cloth-gauze, gold silk cloth with a pattern of ‘Nichi-getsu Don-su’, 日月鈍子, Sun-moon damask-of; 5 x 5.3 sun kane-jaku, by Kita-mura Toku-sai, 北村徳齋, North-village Virtue-abstain, Kyōto.  

The design motifs of Hare and Cock are identified with the Asian zodiac; jū-ni-shi, 十二支, ten-two-branches. Curiously, the Hare represents the rabbit in the moon which is emblematic of the full moon setting in the West, whereas the Three-legged Chicken is emblematic of the sun rising in the East. Stylized constellations and other designs fill the background.

Kama, 釜, kettle, ‘timeworn’ tetsu, 鉄, iron, ya-hazu, 矢筈, arrow-nock, with sunken shoulder, block kan-tsuki, 鐶付, metal ring-attach; diam. 8.2 sun kane-jaku, with Kara-kane, 唐銅, Tang-copper, futa, 蓋, lid; by Kawa-be Ken-ichi, 川邊憲一, River-edge Law-one, Kashi-hara–shi, 橿原市, Oak-field-city, Nara. 

The block-form kan-tsuki, 鐶付, metal ring-attach, may allude to the white blocks in the wisteria ash bed of certain furo. The form of the ash bed was created as a way to honor the importance of Hai-gata Yama, 灰形山, ash-form mountain, located in Ari-ma, 有馬, Have-horse. This area was of particular interest to Hideyoshi and Sen no Rikyū. The irregular rim of the kama may evoke Ro-kkō-san, 六甲山, Six-shell-mountain, range of mountains in the Arima area. 

The steam drifting out of the vent holes in the kama rim also may evoke the steam escaping from the hot springs of Arima. 

In the Arima area there is Zen-puku-ji, 善福寺, Good-fortune-temple, where Hideyoshi met a monk, he thought the monk’s head was shaped like that of a boar. Hideyoshi then asked Rikyū to have the craftsman, Tsuji Yo-ji-rō, 辻与次郎, Crossroad Impart-next-son, make a kama of a similar shape, this became the famous A-mi-da-dō gama, 阿弥陀堂釜, Praise-increase-steep-hall kettle.

Mizu-sashi, 水指, water-indicate, with cha-ire, 茶入, tea-receptacle, in its shi-fuku, 仕服, serve-cover, as first seen by the guests at the start of a Tea gathering. The handle of the mizusashi is a vertical loop, and the loops of the shifuku are horizontal. The shifuku knot is emblematic of the dragonfly. In Buddhism, the dragonfly is a symbol of enlightenment, transformation, and purity. The dragonfly is likened to the lotus, as in its nymph form it develops in the water, and once it emerges in full form, it is likened to the light and beauty of the lotus flower.

Nuri-buta, 塗り蓋, lacquered-lid, may be used as a lid for a vessel such as a mizusashi. The lid’s reflective surface provides a mirror like addition, inferring that the mizusashi is utterly full of water. The half-loop handle and its reflection create a circle emblematic of ‘no-thing’. The endless circle represents a form of the en-sō, 円相, circle-aspect. 

Mizu-sashi, 水指, water-indicate, cylindrical, stoneware vessel with sunken shoulder, ‘ya-hazu’, 矢筈, arrow nock, with ash glaze, and self-lid, Shiga-raki yaki, 信楽焼, Faith-pleasure fired; h. 5.5 sun kane-jaku, by Sugi-moto Sada-mitsu, 杉本貞光, Cedar-origin Righteous-light, Shigaraki.

Cha-ire, 茶入, tea-receptacle, stoneware jar with kata-tsuki, 肩付き, shoulder-thrust, and ash glaze; Ō-i-zawa-yaki Chō-setsu-gama, 大井沢焼聴雪窯, Great-well-swamp Listen-snow-kiln, h. 3 sun kane-jaku; by Tsuchi-da Han-shi-rō, 土田半四郎, Earth-field Half-four-son, with zō-ge buta, 象牙蓋, elephant-tusk lid, and silk bag, shi-fuku.

Shi-fuku, 仕服, serve-cover, silk fabric pouch with pattern of ‘Hon-nō-ji don-su’, 本能寺緞子, True-skill-temple damask-of, by Tsuchi-da Yū-ko, 土田友湖, Earth-field Friend-lake. 

Tsuchida preferred to become a potter, rather than follow the family tradition of tailoring fabric utensils for Chanoyu.

Tsuchida Takeshi was born into the Tsuchida family, one of the Ten Craftsmen of the Senke School of Tea Ceremony. Unlike his older brother, who succeeded the 13^th generation Hanshiro (retired name: Tomoko), Tsuchida Takeshi chose to pursue a path related to the tea ceremony through pottery. After training in Kara-tsu, 唐津, Tang-port, he moved to Ō-i-zawa, Yama-gata Ken, 大井澤山形県, Mountain-shape Prefecture.

Lid of box for cha-ire, 茶入, tea-receptacle. Writing on the underside of the box lid from the right: Chō-setsu-gama, 聴雪窯, Listen-snow-kiln, kata-tsuki cha-ire, 肩付茶入, shoulder-thrust tea-receptacle, En-nen to-su, 延年トス, Prolong-year etc., ka-ō, 花押, flower-seal, of Iemoto Zabōsai XVI, Urasenke.

Set of two Shima–dai, 島台, Island-support, aka-raku, 赤楽茶碗, red-pleasure tea-bowl, by Sa-sa-ki Shō-raku, 佐々木昭楽, Assist-assist-tree Bright-pleasure.

The smaller bowl is lined in gold and represents the sun, the larger, silver-lined bowl represents the moon, In, and Yō, 陽, Yin and Yang. The Shimadai bowls are a version of kasane cha-wan, 重茶碗, layered tea-bowl. 

The first of the so-called Shimadai were made by Jō-shin-sai, 如心斎, Like-heart-abstain, 7^th generation Iemoto of Omotesenke, which was then copied by Raku 7^th generation, followed by a copy by 10^th Raku Tan-nyū, 旦入, Dawn-enter. Subsequently, almost every Raku potter made copies of the pair of gold and silver lined Shimadai tea bowls. Potters of Ō-hi yaki, 大樋焼, Great-trough fired, have also made copies of the Shimadai bowls with their typical ame-gusuri, 飴釉, amber-glaze.

Shimadai chawan showing the exterior and interiors of the bowls. Note the five-sided foot or kō-dai, 高台, high-support, on the bowl lined in gold, and represents the tsuru, 鶴, crane, that lives one thousand years, and the six-sided kōdai of the bowl lined in silver represents the kame, 亀, turtle, the lives ten thousand years. The number five in Japanese, go, 五, is emblematic of positive, Yang, Yō, 陽, penetrative, like the sun, and the number six in Japanese is emblematic of negative, Yin, In, 陰, receptive, like the moon. The spiral grooved interiors of the bowls manifest the vortex of the Universe

Lid of the box for the Shimadai chawan with hako-gaki, 箱書き, box-write, writing from the right: Aka-raku-wan, 赤楽碗, Red-pleasure-bowl, Shō-raku-saku, 松楽造, Pine-pleasure-make, Shimadai, 島台, Island-support, Murasaki-no Kan-dō, 紫野寛道, Purple-field Gentle-way, ka-ō, 花押, flower-seal, of Kando’s lineage as abbot of Un-rin-in, 雲林院, Cloud-grove-temple, a subtemple of Dai-toku-ji, 大徳寺, Great-virtue-temple, Kyōto. Unrinin has a deep connection with the Heian period and Genji, with devotional images of Amida Nyorai and Eleven-headed Kannon.

In modern times, the New Year’s tea presentations often use two chawan, one smaller than the other and placed on top of it. These are called Shimadai Chawan, 嶋台茶碗, Island-support Tea-bowls. The first of these were created by Tan-tan-sai, 淡々斎, Light-light-abstain, XIV Urasenke, and made by 10^th generation Raku Tan-nyū, 楽旦入, Pleasure Dawn-enter, which have been extensively copied to this day by various Raku-type potters. The bowls are most often red raku-yaki, the smaller lined with gold leaf, and the larger line in silver leaf.  

These two kasane-ja-wan, 重茶碗, stacked-tea-bowls, were inspired by an earlier set of three stacked bowls that were created by Gen-gen-sai, 玄々斎, Mystery-mystery-abstain, XI Iemoto, Urasenke. They were made by Raku Kei-nyū, 慶入, Pleasure Jubilant-entry, in Kyōto, and were called ‘San-tō Shima-dai Cha-wan’, 三都嶋台茶碗, Three-capitals Inland-support Teabowls.

The stacked graduated bowls were modeled after the three graduated sake cups that were the original Shimadai used during the New Year festivities.

In the set Gengensai had made is:

The smallest bowl is  kuro-raku, 黒楽, black-pleasure, named ‘Miyako’, 都, Metropolis, for Kyō-to, 京都. Capital-metropolis; diam. 14 cm. 

The middle bowl is  kō-raku, 黄楽, yellow-pleasure, named ‘Azuma’, 吾妻, My-spouse, for Tō-kyō, 東京, East-capital: diam. 16 cm. 

The largest bowl is, aka-raku, 赤楽, red-pleasure, named ‘Naniwa’, 浪花, Wave-flower, for Ō-saka, 大阪, Great-slope, 18 cm. Naniwa, was originally written 難波, difficult-wave, due to the strong current from the river that emptied into the bay. 

Tantansai, XIV, Urasenke, was responsible for taking the three bowls and making them into a stack of two.

Ceramic plate in the shape of a tan-chō zuru, 丹頂鶴, red-crown crane; W. 5.8 sun kane-jaku. The three bowls of red white and black are modeled after the tan-chō zuru, 丹頂鶴, red-crown crane (Grus japonensis), that is believed to live one thousand years.

An example of the sake cups which inspired Gengensai’s creation of the stacked tea bowls is a Shima-dai, 島台, island-support, comprised of the graduated ceramic sakazuki, 盃, sake cups, on a black-lacquered hai-dai, 盃台, cup-support, with ceramic chō-shi, 銚子, sake bottle-of, with open-V spout and wisteria handle. Each utensil has the motif emblematic of shō chiku bai, 松竹梅, pine bamboo ‘plum’. The set is used for drinking sake on the first three days of the new year. Also, they play an important part in traditional Japanese wedding rites.

In the photograph above, Tea utensils are being offered to the guests for hai-ken, 拝見, examine-see. Each utensil may be presented to the guests for a closer look. The most familiar utensils for guests to examine are the chaire, chashaku, and shifuku. 

The haiken of utensils is delayed until the host has replenished the mizusashi with water from a pitcher called a mizu-tsugi, 水次, water-next.

Mizu-tsugi, 水次, water-next, polished copper, koshi-guro ya-kkan, 腰黒薬缶, hip-black medicine-boiler, with engraved design of mitsu-ba aoi-mon-yō, 三つ葉葵文様, three-leaf wild ginger crest-motif, on a field of Kara-kusa, 唐草, Tang-grass; unmarked; H. 8 sun kane-jaku. The arrangement of the circles suggests the Tsubo-tsubo mon, ツボツボ 紋, jar-jar-crest, of the three Sen families, it also suggests the Tokugawa crest.

The opening of the ro often coincides with the first new tea of the year being ground into matcha. Robiraki, has, for some Tea people, a similar feeling as a New Year celebration- celebrating the new tea of the year. Together with the new tea, robiraki enjoys the new rice and the new crop of azuki, 小豆, small-bean, combining them to make I no Ko mochi, 亥の子餅, Boar’s Rat mochi.  

For further study, see also: Robiraki, Robiraki: Boar and Rat, Inoshishi Robiraki, and Ro: The Sunken Hearth Collection