The art of the thank you note

As a child, my mother sat me down when I received any gift or attended any event to write a thank you note.  It was drilled into me that I MUST acknowledge what someone else had done for me by a hand-written thank you note.  That training has stood me in good stead.   It is very seldom these days that we receive a thank you note from anyone.  It is so unusual that I have received thank you notes for sending a thank you note.

As part of the etiquette of attending a chakai, the thank you note from the guest to the host after the event is essential.  I have written and received many, many thank you notes and there is an art to writing a thank you note.

As you can see from the example above, the thank you note doesn't have to be very long.  This example is very sophisticated and perfect for the occasion.

After the greeting, there is an acknowledgement of what the person is thanking you for.  The next sentence is making a specific comment about what the person enjoyed, and how they enjoyed it. The next comment is something that they learned that they didn't know before, and finally how the event affected them.  Closing we have another expression of thank you (in Japanese!) and a simple sincere closing with signature.

As  you can see, it is a handmade card. If you have an appropriate card, please use it.  A handmade card will do just fine.  A blank paper will do as well.  You just need to take the time, and address it, put a stamp on it and send it off.

Here is another example of a thank you note I received for Hatsugama:

Dear Margie
It was such a wonderful Hatsugama chakai this afternoon., and I feel calmness settling in my heart as I reflect on the gathering.  I'm fortunate to be surrounded by treasures of tea friends and wonderful tea utensils.  The Spring Bulb bears much energy to grow, I look forward to pursuing Chado together and growing further.  Thank you for setting a springboard, gracefully prepared, for me take the great first step of the new year.
Best regards,

The author of this thank you note incorporated the theme and names of the utensils into the thank you note.  Spring bulb was the shape of the chaire, and "first step" was the gomei of the chashaku. It shows that the guest was paying attention and how it affected them.

Please do not waste time in sending your thank you note.  Sit right down after the event (as the author above did right after the event. I received this in the mail the very next day).   If you have procrastinated more than a week in writing your thank you note, do not just forget about it. Sit down and write it now.

Finally, for those who struggle for words on paper,  it is the thought that counts. Write what is in your heart. A sincere thank you is the most appreciated.

Kids and the way of tea

I recently presented chanoyu to a group of third graders, that is 8 and 9 year olds at their classroom in Portland.  I had them pretend that they were Japanese students and they all stood up and said "Ohaiyo gozimasu, sensei" to their teacher, and they were very attentive and nearly silent during the 30 minute presentation.  We talked about wa, kei, sei and jaku: harmony, respect, purity, and tranquilty.  These kids got it:  Being nice to each other and getting along; please and thank you, wash your hands before you eat, and quiet time. 

They all waited with their sweet in front of them until I invited them to go ahead and eat your sweet.  And I passed a teabowl around the class and they were so careful in handling it, looking at the "face" of the bowl.  And what I loved was the questions, about Japan, Japanese students, my kimono, what the red cloth meant.  I really enjoyed myself.

The students got to taste mugi cha, since there isn't caffeine, but they got to see their teacher be a guest and drink the matcha, while they were silent "ghosts" just watching and observing. 

The best part of all, I received a packet of thank you notes, see a sample of them below:

The joy of tea

Today I had the lucky opportunity of hosting a chakai for people that I had never met.  However these two people had traveled many thousands of miles from North and East of here to be my guests.   They were graduates of the Midorikai program in Kyoto and attended about 5 years before I had gone myself.

One of  my guests had not done tea for about 20 years and the other one had kept in practice even though there were few tea people to share tea where he lived. 

I started preparations earlier in the week cleaning my house top to bottom.  I cleaned, swept and vacuumed. I dusted, wiped and washed.  This morning in the quiet, I zokined the tatami and put the fresh kettle on.  As it heated, I prepared my utensils:  Unrolled the scroll and hung it carefully.  I sifted the tea and rinsed and dried the teabowl, mizusashi, and kensui. I soaked the new chakin and opened a new chasen. I arranged the utensils just outside the tea room.

Then I went to make the sweets:  White kinton with green interior.  Gomei - yukima no kusa

I cleaned the toilet, put out the tsukubai, picked and arranged the flowers.  Then I filled the natsume, arranged the sweets and went to put on my kimono. As I dressed, I thought how lucky I was to be able to host two experienced tea people who were hungry for the experience!

I went to check the kettle and it was beginning to sing.   My student came to assist, and he once more zokined the tea room,. put on his kimono and went out to wait for the guests.  He greeted them outside and assisted them inside to take off their shoes and hang up their outer garments.

Surprise, one guest wore his kimono!  Up in the tea room, the incense was lit and wafted down to greet the guests. They entered the tea room and we made them comfortable.  What a joy to make tea for these guests who appreciated everything and noticed the smallest details.  The conversation was easy and natural, the tea was made and drank.   They even had two bowls of tea each.

After everyone got feeling back in their feet we sat just outside the tea room and visited, but like very good guests, they didn't stay long because they knew we had things to do.

My student and I had a bowl of tea  and then cleaned up, closed the tea room and said goodbye. It was a very satisfying and fulfilling experience.   This is why we study the way of tea.

The differences are the same

I had the privilege of attending an Omotesenke chakai this last weekend.  Even though I have participated in chakai in Japan, it was very educational to be able to see it again in a much more intimate setting.  

I get asked all the time about the differences between Omotesenke and Urasenke.  I usually respond that I don't study Omotesenke, so I cannot really compare and contrast the pros and cons of each. But I'd like to offer a few observances from the perspective of being a guest.

Our host is an experienced tea sensei from Japan.  In fact, she is a third generation tea teacher. She prepared the chakai for us, knowing that most if not all the guests were from the Urasenke tradition.

What surprised me, when it really shouldn't have, was how similar the chakai was to Urasenke style.  After all, the history is the same, the aesthetics are the same, it's connection to Zen is the same. the utensils are the same, and the order of the temae is the same. I felt very comfortable attending the chakai because most of it is the same as a typical Urasenke chakai: The tokonoma display is the same, the sweets are the same, nearly all the utensils are the same, and the order of the temae is the same. In fact, if I were just coming to Chanoyu for the first time, I think I would be unable to distinguish a difference in the two schools.

But because I was observing very closely and paying attention there are a few small differences. One is that the sweets were served in a covered dish.  Another difference is  that the inspecting and preparing the whisk is not as vigorous and the whisk was made of smoked bamboo, rather than the white bamboo we use. One other thing that tickled me was the beginning of folding the fukusa.  It was opened with a snap and then folded in a very similar manner that we use. The final thing I noticed was that the tea was not completely foamy on the top, though it was thoroughly mixed and was really delicious. 

Though there have been some misconceptions about the differences in the tea schools, to me, it really doesn't matter what school of tea you study. Some say that one or the other school likes to show off expensive utensils, or that the way they whisk the tea is because they use inexpensive tea.  Some people say that there is a big rivalry between Urasenke and Omotesenke, but I have not had that experience.  In Kyoto they invite each other to chakai. The headquarters for the schools are right next door and they are related.  In our chakai, we all got along very well with not hints whatsoever about rivalry.  It was another experience of sharing a bowl of tea and everyone thinking of each other.

What school of tea should you study? Find a teacher that you can study with for a long time who is willing to teach you and study the school that they teach.

Tanabata Chakai

A wonderful day of tea Saturday at the Issoan Tea School.  Students celebrated the Star Festival with a chakai put on the advanced class who invited the new students who had never attended a chakai before.

We went through the planning process from choosing a theme, utensils, poetic names, hand made invitations to making sweets.

Students arrived at the school very early to clean everything, top to bottom tea room, mizuya, machiai and walkway outside.

They washed and dried all the utensils and trays and bowls for the light meal.  We cooked the food and arranged the trays.

The tea room and mizuya were then set up and we rehearsed the order of the gathering.

Then everyone changed into kimono and the guests began to arrive.  Even though it was a lot of work, I think everyone had a good time.

Thank you guests and thank you hosts for a wonderful tea day.

Hatsugama - The Year of the Dragon

We just concluded Hatsugama for 2012.   These events take considerable planning, but it does make it one of the most spectacular tea events of the year.  Everyone dressed in their finest kimono and brought their most harmonious attitude.  Here are a few photos from the event:

Just unpacking and washing the utensils needed for the event seemed like a lot of work.  Plus cleaning and sweeping, cooking and cleaning, arranging and cleaning and finally cleaning and once final cleaning.  

In the display area

The knotted willow and scroll that reads "Yume" or dream

Tea room before guests arrive

Kama by the famous Keitan Takahashi

Temaeza with Yamazato dana, Oimatsu natsume, and mizusashi by Rob Fornell

Here is the Kaiki (tea record for Hatsugama)

Machiai – Seasonal New Year Display
Ko: Kyo no ume, plum of Kyoto
Kogo: Celedon Plumeria by John Nakai
Kamakamishiki: White Hoshogami
Scroll:  Yume “Dream” by  Tajima Soko Daisojo of Koyasan Temple, Japan
Traditional knotted willow

Seasonal New Years food
Fuchidaka: Black kakiawase
Sweet: White kinton with gold flakes "Yukima no kusa" (spouts under the snow)
Tana: Yamazato dana: Mountain Village stand
Mizusashi:  Rob Fornell, Seattle Potter
Kama: Kashiwa (oak leaf) ubaguchi (hag’s mouth) by Keitan Takahashi
Okiro: Mulberry wood
Kensui: Bronze efugo style
Futaoki: Kakehashi – four bridges, four directions, four decades by Richard Milgrim
Koicha: Ha muro no mukashi by Yamamasa Koyamaen
Chaire: Daikai from Seto
Shifuku: Rikyubai shoha donsu
Chashaku: “Michi” gift from Minako Sensei
Chawan: Red Raku with silver lining from Shimadai set by Waraku

Natsume:  Oimatsu with hinged lid. Lacquer by Soetsu
Omojawan: “Aibukai,” the caressing shore by Tacy Apostolik
Higashi: Oike senbei and yuzu peel
Higashi bon:  Orange lacquer from Urasenke made by Zohiko
Mizutsugi: Blue and White Sometsuke
Usucha:  Kirisame by Aoi tea company

Moonviewing at the Portland Japanese Garden

Hello Blog fans,

I apologize for not blogging these last few months.  The summer got busy and I just got out of the habit of sitting down and adding to this blog.  

Last week we had a beautiful moonviewing at the Portland Japanese Garden.   It was a beautiful yellow moon, and it was the equinox, and Jupiter was visible along with the moon. 

I and my students made tea by candle light and answered questions about Chado.

I do promise to post more often.  In the meantime, here's a review of some other articles on the blog:


One year ago  The microcosm of the tea room, Thoughts on gomei, Shin gyo so

Two years ago It's not about the numbers , Excuses, excuses,  From the left hand

Three years ago The nature of chanoyu, Sensei Says..., Temae

Guest Etiquette for Chanoyu, the Japanese Tea Ceremony

Guest Etiquette for Chanoyu, the Japanese Tea Ceremony

Have you ever attended a Japanese Tea Ceremony? If you know the proper things to do you won’t be nervous and you can enjoy it.  The guest in this ceremony has an important role to play to create each unique experience.

Learn the proper etiquette for a guest, what to bring to a tea ceremony, how to thank the host and interact with other guests.  Students will participate in two tea ceremonies, enjoy a Japanese tea sweet and drink ceremonial matcha tea.

Tuesdays, June 15 and 22, 7:00-8:30 pm, Issoan Tea Room, 17761 NW Marylhurst Ct.,  Portland, OR
Or
Wednesdays June 16 and 23, 7:00-8:30 pm Ryokusuido Tea Room, 3826 NE Glisan St., Portland, OR
Fee $25 for two weeks
Limited enrollment, please register early
call 503-645-7058 or email margie@issoantea.com

Ikebana blog

I was fortunate enough to host a guest from Oslo, Norway for tea in my tea room in Portland this week.  We had a very nice visit and he bought a seiza seat from me.   He writes a blog about Ikebana, and I have added him to my blogs list at the left.  Please go check it out.

Guest Etiquette for Chakai

I hope everyone had a happy new year celebration.  I apologize for the long absence from the blog, but I had to take care of a few family matters over the holidays.

We have already reviewed what a guest should bring to a chakai: your fukusa basami with fukusa,fan, kaishi sweets papers, sweets pick, handerchief, tissues, and plastic baggies.  The guests should arrive 15 minutes before the chakai is about to start.  There may be a guest book sign in and a place to put your monetary contribution.  When I was in Kyoto the minimum you would contribute for a chaji was $100 and often it was more. It is always nice if you can go to the bank and get crisp new bills.  If you do not know how much to contribute, please ask the shokyaku when he calls you.  Please put your contibution in an envelope with your name on the outside. You can also get fancy paper envelopes with red and white knots to put in your monetary contribution.

The host or hanto (assistant) will bring hot water called kumidashi to the guests in the waiting room and invite them out to the koshikaki machiai (outdoor waiting bench).  The shokyaku is served first and the otsume or last guest will collect the cups. The shokayku will say to the next guest "osakini" and make his/her way through the garden to waiting bench.  Sometimes there will be a tobako bon and enza (woven cushions).  The shokyaku will distribute the cushions and and guests can examine the tobako bon while they are waiting.

The host will then bring a pail of water to the tsukubai (hand rinsing basin)  and dampen the plants and stones around it.  Then the host will empty the pail into the basin, return it to the tea room and rinse his/her hands and mouth.  Finally the host will come to the middle gate, open it and bow silently inviting the guests into the tea room.  All the guests will rise when the host is rinsing hands, and bow back to the host.

The first guest will say "osakini" to the next guest, rinse his hands and mouth and enter the tea room.  Other guests will follow with the last guest closing the gate, and the nijiriguchi (crawling in entrance) with a sound so that the host knows when all the guests have entered the tea room.  Before entering the tea room, guests will put their fan in front of them and look inside the room before entering.  Then they will slide over the threshold, turn and place their slippers together and stack them outside the entrance.  The guest will proceed tot he tokonoma, view the scroll and other displays, then go to view the kettle before sitting in his assigned place.

When all guests are settled, the host opens the sliding door and the shokayku invites the host in for aisatsu (greetings).  Each guest in turn is welcomed with a few words. The shokyaku askes the host to read the scroll and makes a few comments about everything that the host has prepared so far:  displays in the entrance and waiting room, kumidashi, tobakobon, garden.

After the greetings, the host will either build the fire (if sumi is to be layed) or serve the meal. The shokayku is served first and all guests wait until the last guests is served before beginning the meal.  The host may come in for subsequent courses and sake.  It is considered polite to stop eating while the host is serving. When the host leaves the room guests may eat again.  Please do not dawdle over the meal.  If the charcoal fire is burning and it takes too long for the meal to complete, the timing of the gathering will be thrown off.  Usually the shokayku will try to keep everyone on track. At the completion of the meal, the guests will put any left over food or decoration not edible in a plastic bag to dispose of later. (that is why you bring plastic bags to a chakai).  Then the guests will wipe the bowls with tissue (blotting is actually better so as not to scratch the lacquer).  This is not scrubbing to clean up, merely to be polite and not leave anything unsightly for the host to clean up.  The guests put bowls, sake cups and other utensils on the tray.  When the guests have all completed the meal, they tap or drop the chopsticks to signal the  host that they are done.  The host will come and get the trays one by one.

Finally, the host will serve the sweets for koicha  and ask that they pass them around before going to the garden to rest while he cleans and prepares the tea room for koicha.  It is the otsume (last guest) job to see that the sweets dishes are left by the host entrance before leaving the room.  The guests then exit the room by going first to the tokonoma, then the kettle before leaving.

Once outside the guests can use the facilities and sit in the outdoor waiting bench.  The host will call the guests in with a bell, gong or some other device and the guests will go to the tsukubai and enter the tea room just as they did previously:  viewing the tokonoma and then the kettle and now the display for koicha.

Koicha is served and then if there is a charcoal fire it is replenished before usucha.  Before usucha is served the tobako bon is brought in or cushions or benches for the guests comfort.  The host then brings in the dry sweets and makes usucha.  The host is prepared to make at least two bowls of usucha for each guest. After the final bow after usucha, the door is closed. 

By now the guests legs are aching, but are reluctant to depart. The guests once more view the tokonoma and kettle and depart the tea room. It is the otsume's job to put all the cushions, sweets trays, extra bowls etc. by the host entrance before he departs.  The guests leave the tea room but stay close while the otsume shuts the door with a sound so that he host knows all the guests have left the tea room. The hosts immediately enters the tea room and pokes his head out the nijiguchi and says a final goodbye to the guests.  He waits until all of the guests have left his sight before closing the door and begin clean up.

The guests should gather their things and depart immediately.  There is a tendency to linger and chat, but it is not considered polite to the host who really cannot begin to clean up until after all the guest have departed.  If there is going to be a second seki, you will be preventing the host from doing the necessary preparation for next guests. It is better to depart and stop somewhere else to visit and chat.  Again, please do not inconveinece the host by staying any longer than necessary.

After the chakai, please WRITE a thank you note to the host. This is not just polite, it is necessary to aknowlege all the preparation the host has done.  You may include something memorable about the tea gathering, and let the host know that you appreciate how much time and effort he went through to make you feel welcome.

Sweet Zenzai

The sweet we had at Robiraki was a sweet bean soup, called zenzai. It is especially welcome at Robiraki when the weather has turned cold and rainy and the guests leave the tea room for a short break outside. I have a request for the recipe as follows:

Ingredients:

1 lb adzuki red beans (454 grams)
10.5 oz. white granulated sugar (300 grams)
10.5 oz dard brown sugar (300 grams)
1 Tbls. usukuchi (thin) soy sauce
mochi (sweet rice cakes) or boiled dango
roasted chestnuts (optional)

Check the beans carefully and discard any broken or off color or misshapen beans. Rinse the beans in cold water several times then soak overnight in plenty of cold water to soften. Drain and discard soaking water. Rinse beans and cover with fresh cold water. Gently bring beans to the boil and skim off the foam that comes to the top of the pot. Boil gently until the beans are soft and cooked through. (about an hour).

When beans are done, pour off the water until the beans are just barely covered. Add both the sugars and soy sauce. Bring back to boil, stirring in the sugar. Turn down the heat and simmer for another 15 minutes. Taste for sweetness. You can add sugar if not enough. Simmer until all sugar is completely dissolved. The zenzai can be served now, but tastes much better if it is allowed to cool and sit overnight in the refrigerator.

When ready to serve, cut round or square mochi pieces and lightly grill until golden brown under the broiler. (Or from round balls of dango and boil until it floats). Heat the zenzai until very hot.
Place a few pieces of grilled mochi or dango in serving bowls and ladle the hot zenzai on top.

Optional you can roast and peel chestnuts and cut in half and put in the bowl with mochi and put hot zenzai on top.

This recipe makes about 20 small servings. I cut this recipe in half and reduced some of the sugar (for my taste) and had enough for 7 people for Robiraki. (5 guests, two mizuya helpers).

This also can be served over ice cream for a tasty dessert.

Go ahead make some zenzai this fall.

Chakai went well

I am happy to report that the chakai went very well. I know that the meal is not the high point of the chakai, but cooking is not my most strong point, so I am a little extra careful when I am preparing a meal for others. Here is a photo of the tray before it went out to the first guest. I forgot my camera, so this is a rather rough photo from the camera phone.

I think the guests all had a good time, but I want to remind all of you who are thinking of putting on a chakai, to think of the comfort of your guests. I had planned for this chakai to last about 2 hours with a 10 minute break in between the meal and the koicha. For most of my students, this is a long time to be sitting seiza in the tea room. At the end of the first hour, most of the guests were suffering and needed the break. For some it was torture to return to the tea room and sit through the koicha procedure (about 25 minutes for 5 guests). After koicha, I brought in zabuton and seiza stools to help the guests and alleviate their pain. There was a heartfelt sigh of relief when I brought these in and proceeded to make usucha.

Intimate Silence

In the previous post, The host revealed, and by questions at tea demonstrations, I have been asked again and again about how much talking is allowed at a tea ceremony. While talking is not forbidden, there are appropriate subjects and times that guests and host can communicate.

In America, we are not usually comfortable with silence and talk to fill it or cover the perceived awkwardness. It seems more friendly and attentive to comment and chat about what is going on in the tea room.

If there is conversation in the tea room, most of it will take place between the shokyaku or main guest, and the host. It is the responsibility of the shokyaku to speak for the guests and to anticipate the questions the guests may have and to time the conversations so that the harmony and flow of the ceremony is enhanced and not disrupted. Other guests may address the shokyaku to ask the host questions and the shokyaku will find an appropriate time to ask the host.

It is in fact, more respectful at a tea ceremony to be silent and pay careful attention as the host goes through the procedures for making tea. Conversation, questions and chat during this time takes attention away from what the host is doing. For the host, his full attention should be on serving the guests. And for the guests, their full attention should be on receiving what the host has prepared and appreciation for everything the host has done in preparation/

Communications are subtle and nuanced in the silence and unspoken feelings can be intensified by a mere glance or gesture. In many ways, this careful attention on both sides creates an intimacy that cannot be achieved through conversation and talking.

Suzushi the cooling breeze

In the heat of August it is often difficult and challenging for tea people. It only makes sense to do asa cha, early morning tea before the heat of the day makes it unbearable. Who wants to sit near the furo with charcoal fire burning while it is 95 or 100º ? According to the lunar calendar, the first day of autumn is around the 7th or 8th but autum seems like a long way off especially since we had a long cool spring that lasted until the end of June.

Be kind to your guests and invite them to early morning tea. You will have to get up very early, but water the garden and the water droplets look inviting and cool. Outdoor tea in the morning would refreshing, too.

Project cool, cool, cool with light colored kimono that may be a little less formal, serve food that is cool or resembles flowing water, ice or seasonal fruits. Use wide flat teabowls to dissapate the heat of the tea and whisk longer to get a good froth and cool the tea a little.

Pray for a cooling breeze to rustle the leaves and most of all project with your mind cool, calm and collected.

涼
Don't forget the new class How to be a guest at Tea Ceremony starts tomorrow night at Ryokusuido Tea House.

Kaiki -- the tea record

At the welcome chakai for Dr. Genshitsu a couple of weeks ago at the Fairmont Hotel in Seattle, we were fortunate to be provided with a program of events by the hosts, the Chado Urasenke Tankokai Seattle Association. Included in the program was a kaiki for both seki (tea gathering sessions). These tea records have survived from Rikyu’s time and by looking at them, we get an idea of what kind of tea gatherings and utensils that were used in those long ago tea gatherings.

In one room there was a Misonodana (table style) tea and in another there was a Chabako (portable traveling box) with many utensils done by very well known collectible artists. The kaiki is a record of the tea utensils and the sweets or other food served at a tea gathering. It serves as a personal memento of the gathering, and as a record of the host’s thoughtfulness in putting together a particular arrangement of utensils.

For example in the Misonodana seki the kettle was a hexagonal Mt. Fuji hailstone kettle made by Josei Sato. The mizusashi (cold water jar) was a Shoko ware cherry blossom with a box inscribed by Hounsai Daisosho. The chashaku (tea scoop) was made by Hounsai Daisosho and its poetic name is “Jiai” (deep compassion).

The chabako seki had an octagonal iron kettle with scenery on all sides; its handle was a bamboo pattern with inlaid silver. The chabako was Setsugekka (snow, moon, flower) box made by Ikkan (one of the famous ten craftsman lines of the Sen families). It came in a box inscribed by Tantansai (14th generation Urasenke grand tea master) and was one of only three boxes ever made. The natsume (tea container) was flat natsume with cherry blossoms and a petal lacquered in the back of the lid, made by Sotetsu, another one of the ten craft families.

These are just examples of some of the utensils that were used. I personally did not get to see all of the utensils close up because I was working in the back. (But I did get to wash the black raku bowl by Seinyu, what a thrill). So I was able to at least see what kinds of utensils were used in the seki.

I have kept all of the kaiki I have received, and I look at them when ever I am putting together utensils for a tea gathering. It gives me ideas and also I get to re-live the tea gathering that I attended previously.

Aisatsu – show some respect

Aisatsu is the formal greetings before and at the end of class. In the beginning we place the fan in front of us and we ask our sensei to teach us and have a care for us, “Okeiko yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.” At the end of class we formally thank the teacher for teaching us. “Okeiko arigato gozaimashita.”

There is an aisatsu before the host begins his temae, first to the sensei, “Sensei, otemae okeiko onegai itashimasu,” and the guest “Yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.”

Likewise, the guests ask the sensei to teach the guest part, “Kyaku okeiko onegai itashimasu,” and to the other guests studying “Yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.”

After the end of the temae, the host returns to the mizuya (preparation room) and takes out his fukusa and folds it neatly and puts it away, then picks up his fan and returns to the tea room to thank the teacher and guests: “Sensei, okeiko arigato gozaimashita” and to the guests “Kyaku, arigato gozaimashita.”

That is a lot of greetings and thank yous. Many students see this as empty form. One of the principles of chado is respect and aisatsu shows respect for the sensei and the knowledge that sensei is willing to share. For the guests it is an acknowledgement of being in this study together.

When I lived in Japan we would do formal aisatsu before the school term started, after the term ended, before and after events, and before and after holidays or important anniversaries. So every day, every study, every event and anniversary, holiday or celebration, aisatsu is appropriate.

Even now, when we work together at a chakai, or a presentation, there is an aisatsu before we begin and after the clean up is finished. It shows respect, but also when we follow this form, it reaffirms relationships and makes people feel appreciated.

What to bring to a tea gathering

I have a class graduating from the 10 week introductory class and we are holding our final chakai (tea gathering) in a few days at Kashintei, the Japanese Garden tea house. Most people cannot believe that it takes ten weeks to learn to make tea. My students get to invite family and friends to show off what they have been studying and these guests will have a Japanese sweet and a bowl of powdered green tea (matcha) prepared and served by the students.

Most of the students want to dress in formal kimono for this special occasion so one must come dressed in kimono or bring everything needed to change into kimono for the chakai. The experienced guest will also make sure to bring their fukusa basami (tea utensil pouch) with fukusa (silk cloth), kaishi (sweets papers), sweets pick, fan, handkerchief and a packet of pocket tissues. Experienced guests always bring extras, in case someone else forgets or doesn’t have these things. Sometimes, a very conscientious guest will bring something for the host and kitchen crew as well – a light snack, a box of sweets or something small to show appreciation. And an even more conscientious guest will leave a discreet envelope with some money in it to help defray the costs of the tea gathering.

Most important of all, the guest must bring a good tea attitude to a tea gathering. While the host does his best to prepare everything for the guest, it is an experienced created by both the host and the guest. The guest role is every bit as important to a tea gathering as the host. The host’s role is to serve the guests. The guests’ role is to receive and to appreciate everything that the host has done to prepare for the gathering. A good way to show this is to ask questions or comment to the host about everything that the guest sees or experiences. How refreshing the garden looks, how beautiful the flowers are arranged. The guest can ask about the meaning of the scroll hung in the alcove, and about any of the utensils used to make tea or serve sweets. In fact, it is not unusual to ask about the names of the sweets and the tea – they often have poetic names.

After the tea gathering, it is polite not to linger too long. The host has many more duties to clean up and close the tea house before they can rest. And a well written thank you note is an essential part of being a guest.

So the next time you receive an invitation to a tea gathering you will know what to bring.

Order from chaos

When we first begin to learn chanoyu, it seems like all we can manage is to remember the order of things, and getting control of our bodies in the tea room. All of our energy is drawn inwards as we exercise the self-discipline of temae. We face the challenge of endurance as we build up our tolerance for sitting seiza for longer and longer periods of time without excruciating pain. Our focus and concentration improves and the movements become more familiar.

One day it just happens. Order comes from the chaos inside our brain. Something clicks and we are here in the tea room with a guest. Yes, we are making tea for our guest, but now there is a live person in the room with us. When this happens, the tea room changes. Our guest is breathing with us, he is participating in the ritual. Through mutual consideration, host and guest create a new experience for each other. Unspoken communication occurs and small nuances in the ritual take on new meanings. Though host and guest have their roles to play, the give and take of such an experience can be quite moving.

This, for me is the magic of chanoyu. This is why chanoyu cannot be done alone. This is why one cannot learn chanoyu from a book, or from the video “Tea mastership in a day.” Each experience of the ceremony is unique and special. All the training, all the preparation and all the years of work make it worthwhile.

Beginner’s heart

Hatsugama is a formal tea gathering put on by the teachers for the students. This year’s Hatsugama celebrations included students who have never been to a formal tea gathering before. To be able to participate at a major event with beginners was a refreshing reminder to me of my very first tea gathering. I remember the nervousness of not knowing what to expect and being afraid that I might offend someone, yet I felt the incredible privilege of being invited to something very special.

At my first tea gathering, I don’t remember seeing so many people in kimono before and how graceful they all seemed to move in their finery. From the first scent of the incense to the beautiful arrangement of the charcoal, to the exquisitely prepared meal to the tongue-melting sweet and refreshing cold air to the bitter tea, it was an almost overwhelming experience of the senses.

By the time it was drawing to a close, I felt like four and a half hours had flown by, and I didn’t even mind the ache in my legs from sitting on the floor for so long. I was so sad for it to end and leave the warmth and the people I had grown so close to. To say goodbye to our host, and just leave to go back to the real world was such a shock. For the next several days, I was dreamily re-living the experience. How the host’s kimono swished when she walked, how the meal and the sake seemed to be so right together.

So this year, with the new students, I caught the spirit of everything as if Iwas a beginner again at a formal tea gathering. With the humble but eager heart of the beginner, I want to thank them, as I have become a little jaded at these events. Thank you for making it exciting and fun and full of magic and wonder for me. Aren’t we lucky to have our hearts stolen away by tea?

Shokyaku, the guest of honor

I was invited to a formal tea gathering for Hatsugama last night. The host called me a week ago and asked if I would be the shokyaku (the principal or main guest). Being asked to be the shokyaku is a great honor and carries a lot of responsibilities. The first thing I would have to do is get a list of all of the other guests, their contact information, and the order of how our host would like us to sit in the tea room. Much like any dinner party, deciding who sits next to whom is important for maximum harmony, interesting company and mix of experienced guests and those who have never attended a formal tea gathering before.

When I found out that information, my next task was to contact everyone and ensure that they knew the general order of the tea gathering, what to bring, what each of the guest’s roles were going to be, and to come 15 minutes before the start of the event. Some people were going to dress in kimono and I had to tell them the details of where the changing room was going to be and offer assistance in dressing people. I then had to communicate with the host that everyone had been contacted and everyone understood.

On the afternoon of the gathering, I assembled my most formal kimono and duplicate accessories in case anybody forgot or didn’t bring the proper things for the gathering. I also packed a small snack of fruit for the people working behind the scenes to eat. I took extra care with my kimono and headed off the event. When I got there, I noticed everything as I made my way from the foyer to waiting room. The host had put up special decorations and I would ask and comment about them later during the ceremony. As I greeted the guests, I asked them to be indulgent with me and I would try to take good care of them. If they had any questions for the host, they could ask me and I would ask them at the proper time during the ceremony.

We proceeded into the tea room and the garden was particularly beautiful with lanterns provided by our host to light the pathway. My job was now to serve as the example to all of the guests as they would follow my lead throughout the meal. I tried to include everyone in the conversation and bring their attention to something especially thoughtful or interesting provided by the host, like warm water in the hand rinsing basin.

The entire tea gathering was magical and one guest said as we were leaving that she was so sad that it had come to an end. We had just spent 4 hours together and it had seemed like time had sped by so quickly. At the end, all the guests bowed and thanked me formally for being such a good shokyaku. My final responsibility was to write a formal thank you note to our host. I hope everyone had a good time, including our host.