Spring Break in Kyoto

My husband and I had the delightful opportunity to fly to Kyoto for a week at the end of March. We were fortunate enough to have scheduled a trip when the sakura blossoms were just beginning to come out. It was so enchanting to walk through the busy streets or along the river and view the beautiful blooms.

I also counted myself lucky to be in Kyoto during the annual Rikyu-ki event. Margie sensei had emailed the Urasenke school to inform them of my coming visit to Kyoto and they had graciously extended me an invitation. I can’t say that I wasn’t nervous. This would be my first formal event in Kyoto and I was terrified that I wouldn’t know what to do, where to go or how to conduct myself.

Several days before Rikyu-ki, I had prearranged time for aisatsu for Oiemoto and his family. This way Kevin was able to see the Chado Research Center and look at the famous dogu on display there. We were served tea and I was able to feel welcome, to sit and be calm. Bruce sensei took the time to meet with us and I was able to ask the questions I needed to feel more prepared.

Taking the Time to Notice Things About Others

I had my first realization that day in regards to how tea people (or anyone who has the Tea Spirit) take information and respond to it. The tea bowl I drank from that afternoon had daffodils on it, which I had mentioned in my introductory letter. It was like a message to me that they noticed what I had written and it was like a gentle hand reaching out and comforting me: telling me that there could be no mistakes made; that I was accepted and a part of this wonderful family in my own way. It was such a small thing and yet meant so much to me. So much! What a small step that someone took to provide a bright beacon of friendship and welcome to someone they hardly knew.

The Day of Rikyu-ki

The big day arrived and I spent an hour dressing in my kimono, making sure that I was presentable. Just 24 hours ago I had been suffering from food poisoning and I was still feeling weak and reeling. I took a cab to the research center and joined the group of Midorikai students waiting. I was honored to sit with two former Midorikai students who assisted me in knowing what to do (or not to do, as the case may be). We became friends and they helped me immensely not only to feel more comfortable but to field questions for my insatiable curiosity of Everything-Chado.

During the event I felt comfortable being with my sempai and participating as guest. I couldn’t understand much of the Japanese and I had to save many of my sweets because of my tummy (thank goodness for kimono sleeves!), but I was just so happy to be there.

You Matter

This event made me realize that it was the small gestures that make tea worth sharing with others. In Western society, it would be like recommending a book that you thought someone might enjoy. Everything has meaning. I also realized that it’s not about JUST your guests but also about you, as their host. Sure, your guests matter when you plan a chaji, but you (as host) also matter to the event. Before in any other tea situation, I would often try to blend in to the wall as teishu and “let the guests enjoy themselves.” I would make it only about the tea. We are here to drink tea, nothing else. But that wasn’t the spirit that was enlivened in me after this event. The assistants made tea interesting and fun. They gave life to the scrolls and utensils. They told stories that made us laugh. I encourage us to not be bogged down by tea politics and the weight of our daily lives but rise above it to take our tea practice as a time to be with friends and like-minded people: To share life and peace through a single bowl of tea. To live in the moment and be grateful that we are here now and it will never be the same ever again.

Even after studying it for five years, I’ve only just grazed the surface. The supreme highlight of the event for me was being able to meet Hounsai Daisosho and having him shake my hand. A greater gift couldn’t have been given to anyone!

Kagetsu Koshukai, Beginner's Perspective

Hello fellow Tea Lovers! It's Karla and I apologize for my long absence from the blog. I recently completed my Masters in Teaching and have been busy, busy, busy with school, student teaching and a continuing job search. Here is a lovely picture of what Oregon looks like when the sun is coming through the doug firs near my home. Lovely, no?

I wanted to post today about an experience I had last weekend at a beginning koshukai regarding kagetsu study. Christy Sensai from San Francisco was the Sensai there and gave all of us some great things to think about during the beginning usucha hirodemae temae. (Note: Please forgive me my beginner Japanese spelling. If you see errors, don't hesitate to let me know.) Christy Sensai said that one thing you should always strive for in kagetsu, and for any time you are in the tea room, is matching your timing to the other people in the room. I'm not talking about the host's timing in making tea, but the guest's timing. To put it another way, timing that guests may need to worry about would be bowing together, folding fukusa together, and standing and sitting together. These things should happen at the same time and it looks beautiful and effortless when executed that way. This timing shouldn't be found by craning your necks to the left and right. Just watch the movement from the corner of your eyes. This is something, Christy Sensai said, that a person who studies tea needs to apply to any part of the study of tea. It need not only apply to kagetsu. It means matching the height of your bows appropriately to the people around you. It means being conscious of when people's feet may be asleep so you don't try to stand up too quickly in courtesy to the people around you. It means that tea isn't just about yourself but it's about everyone in the room with you. You are all there to enjoy the experience the host is presenting you. No one should feel ashamed that they can not rise as quickly as the others. Tea is about acceptance and humility. About slowing down where needed and always showing respect to those around you. I was honored to be reminded of such an integral part of the way of tea.

Charcoal heat vs. Electric Heat

There are pros and cons about using an electric burner while making tea. It's nice not having to worry about flying embers setting the tea room on fire, spilt water extinguishing your coals or carbon monoxide poisoning. It may be faster to adjust the temperature of the water with a twist of a nob. But in my humble opinion – in the age of the electric burner – tea practitioners are losing something unique to the experience of chado.

I say this because yesterday during class I made tea using live charcoal for the first time. I had no idea how different it was! The sound and behavior of the water in the kama is completely different. You have to be more attuned to the singing, like the particular pitch of the kama when the fire is dying down. This signals the guests that the chaji is almost completed. It's too bad it can be difficult to obtain and use charcoal outside of Japan. I think it really adds something to the overall aesthetic of the way of tea.

What differences have you observed in regards to charcoal heat vs. electric heat?

Waste Not, Want Not

I read an interesting article in The Oregonian today regarding food waste. Here is some fascinating information from that article:

A new study from the National Institute of Health says that a whopping 40% of what farmers grow ends up in the garbage. That number has increased, too: in 1974, just 30% ended up as food waste. The food we throw out consumes 4% of US oil and more than 25% of our fresh water. It produces methane when it rots in our landfills. The marketing of this excess food helps drive the obesity epidemic. Are we producing too much food? The wrong kind of food? Or do we deliver it to the wrong places? Or is it all three?

The article struck a chord in me. We live in a society of excess that I think we, as tea people, struggle with all the time. Using this as an example, we fight waste in our own homes every day. We overfill our plates and scrape leftovers down the garbage disposal or food spoils in our refrigerators. We, as a society, throw away food at the farm, in retail outlets and in our homes. It wastes money and hurts the environment. The four “Rs” (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Repair) need to not only be applied to our paper, aluminum and glass but rather ALL of the materials we use in our households.

I challenge you to reduce the amount of food you are throwing away. Cook less, buy only what you and your family will eat or save leftovers for later. Use “normal waste” twice by turning it into yummy soup stock. Feed safe food to your pets or compost waste at home. In the study of tea, we are encouraged to not live life to excess. I encourage you to bring that mind-set into your kitchens.

The Five Senses and Tea

All five senses are stimulated in the tea room. Please add descriptions in the comment section of how your senses come alive in the tea room during your own practice. Here are some of the ways tea comes alive for me:

Sense #1: Sight

• Watching the host prepare tea
• Admiring the appearance of the tea room
• Reading the scroll and admiring the flowers

Sense #2: Hearing

• The whistling kettle making the sound of the wind in the pines
• The cascading water falling into the bowl
• The rustle of the host's kimono as he / she prepares the tea

Sense #3: Taste

• The pleasure of eating and tasting the sweet
• Enjoying that first sip of the tea
• Eating the kaiseki meal

Sense #4: Smell

• The aroma of the tea as I lift the bowl to drink
• The smell of the incense, if using

Sense #5: Touch

• The feel of the tea bowl in my hands while drinking
• The feel of the dogu during haiken
• The difference between hot and cold: the steam from the warm water and the refreshing touch of the wet cloth as you purify the chawan

Wagashi For Foodies

As part of my tea study, we delve into the realm of Japanese sweets making, or learning how to make wagashi. As a self-defined foodie, I am fascinated with wagashi. The taste, appearance, subtle flavor and poetic name all combine to provide the taster with a unique and truly one-of-a-kind experience. One of the most enchanting ways to enjoy wagashi is with a bowl of tea. The sweet, eaten before your tea, cleanses your pallet and then brings out the flavor of the tea. No need to add sugar to your tea now!

Making your own wagashi is a challenge if you are currently not studying with a teacher. A teacher shows you the correct method you will need to make authentic Japanese sweets – it's not something you can learn from a book. I have made only a handful of wagashi: steamed & bean-filled sweets, sesame flat cookies and lima bean wet sweets. When making your own, it’s important to weigh everything out in grams –There is no such thing as “eye-balling it” when creating wagashi. By taking the time to weigh each ingredient, you are ensuring consistency between each sweet. Since the main ingredients are very static with a recipe, what vary are the appearance, texture and flavor. Every sweet is hand-formed and therefore each sweet is unique. A true artisan will take the same 5 – 10 ingredients and create something that is a mini, delicious work of art. Part of what is so lovely about creating your own wagashi is deciding what they should look like. Use food coloring, sweets molds, spices, sake, fruit and (most importantly) seasonal inspirations to make phenomenal wagashi.

It seems that anyone who is interested in wagashi has a difficult time finding new sweets recipes available in English. Even if you find a recipe, you may not be able to make it since many of the ingredients and materials are difficult to find outside of Japan. It doesn’t seem like there are any sweets recipe specialty books available in English. (Please, prove me wrong!) One thing you can do is eat many sweets and take note of what is being created in Japan. Ask questions about the sweets. Save your favorite images in a recipe book so when you do have that one coveted recipe (hey, there are a few available on this blog) you can make dozens of unique tasting and beautifully-shaped sweets. Bon Appétit!

Recipe Resources
Midorikai Sweets Recipes – This website is staffed and funded by Midorikai Alumni volunteers, so please consider a donation of any amount for its continuance and development if you decide to use this resource.
About.com – I haven’t tested any of these recipes, but feel free to browse. There might be a jem here. Word of the wise: Don’t experiment with a recipe the day you plan to serve it to guests.
Flickr – If you immediately want to start looking at images of wagashi, check out the great albums available for free on Flickr. Search for the keyword “wagashi” to get started.

How I Came to Tea

I am very pleased to have been asked to be a guest contributor on this blog. Let’s start at the very beginning, because as Julie Andrews said in “The Sound of Music,” it’s a very good place to start.

I came to the world of the Japanese Tea Ceremony through my affection for loose leaf teas. I was living in the Seattle-area at the time and was looking to purchase some open-top tea bags from Teavana at the Bellevue mall. In the store, they were promoting matcha and green teas and I noticed a display with a unique looking wooden whisk. They had an iron kettle, a can of matcha and a book with the title “Japanese Tea Ceremony.” I took the book down to flip through it and admire the pretty pictures. I didn’t really understand what I was looking at but I thought to myself: “Wow that looks cool!”

A few years passed and I didn’t give studying tea much thought. I had moved to Portland and was visiting the serene Portland Japanese Garden for the first time. By fate, I happened to be there during a Tea Ceremony Demonstration. In that particular demonstration, the presenter requested a few guests to join her for a bowl of tea in the tea house. I was lucky enough to be selected.

I sat cross-legged and awkward in the tea room for the first time, and I knew I was in a special place. I’m not a particularly religious person (I consider myself to be a spiritual person) and that day I was surprised that being in a tea room gave me a spiritual experience. It made me feel small and insignificant. I know that’s a hackneyed expression, but it was a deep pulling in my gut that I couldn’t ignore. It was the same feeling I get when I look up into a starry, cloudless sky. I was feeling this spiritual tug and I just tried to pay attention to my host, listen to the presenter’s speech and soak up this rich and special opportunity I was given.

When it came time to have my first drink of tea, I was surprised by how GOOD it was! The foam just slid right down and the sweet – it brought out all the unique flavors of the tea. I knew tea could be good but MAN. This was like nothing I had ever tasted before. I knew right then I wanted to see what this Chanoyu was all about. And that, my friends, is what brought me to this cultural treasure.

Guest Contributor to the SweetPersimmon Blog

I am very excited to introduce to you a new contributor to the SweetPersimmon Blog.  Her name is Karla and she has been studying Chado for nearly a year and a half.   She tweets under the name ChadoEnthusiast and I have included her twitter account in the left hand column of the blog.  Please click on over there, join the list of her fans. and welcome Karla.