Hatsuchakai 2013

One final photo of a chakai we were invited to by the Portland Tankokai Association.   Thank you to the students who dressed in their finest kimono for the New Year's Celebrations.

Shogatsu 2013

The Portland Japanese Garden Shogatsu celebration, where we made tea for the public with the Misonodana.

 

 

Hatsugama 2013

Happy New Year.  It is the year of the snake, and the chokudai for this year is "standing."

We are lucky enough to have a robust chado community in Portland and so far there has been two Hatsugama chakai with two more to go. 

Issoan Tea School held Hatsugama on January 5 at two seki.  A light meal, koicha and usucha was served.  Below are a few photos from the event.

Food preparation

More food

In the mizuya

Presentation is important

Koicha seki

Before guests arrive

 

Nagaita so Kazari

Winter flower

Tomorrow I will post photos of another event I attended for the new year.

One place left in the new Introduction Class

Editor's Note: The class is now filled.  Please contact me if you'd like to be on the waiting list.

The new Introduction to Japanese Culture and Chado Class begins this Friday, January 11, 2013 and meets on Fridays for 10 weeks.  We have a new venue at
Portland Tea Enthusiasts’ Alliance
828 Southeast Ash Street, #204
Portland, OR 97214

Fee: $250, includes all equipment, tea, sweets and supplies for all classes including calligraphy, kimono and incense. Only one place is left in the class.  Please contact me immediately if you would like to join us:  margie@issoantea.com, 503-645-7058.  Full tuition is due at the first class, and I take cash, check or credit card.


Tea ceremony in Japan is called Chanoyu, literally “hot water for tea.” Sen Rikyu, who established the foundations of the spiritual path of Chado (the way of tea), lived in the 16th century teaching wabi-cha, or tea of quiet taste. In Chado the spiritual aspect is most important. We learn the heart of Chado through the ceremony of drinking tea. The basic principles are expressed in the words harmony, respect, purity and tranquility. Harmony can be created between persons, between objects, between a person and an object – among all matters of the world. This is illustrated in the interactions between a host and a guest and the tea utensils handled. In Chado, we should respect every one and everything without distinction of status or rank. Spiritual purity is essential. We can embody tranquility only when we make harmony, respect, and purity our own. By learning Chado, we seek to obtain an ultimate peace of mind. The present Grand Tea Master teaches the thought of “peacefulness through a bowl of tea.” It is very simple if we are just making tea and drinking tea, but if we trying to understand the heart of Chanoyu, we can find that it is not just making and drinking tea. Through preparing a bowl of tea we learn to look within ourself, respect one another, make peace with others and express gratitude toward all things.
In this ten week class, students will be introduced to Chado, the way of tea. The arts of Japan will be examined through the ritual preparation and drinking of matcha, Japanese ceremonial tea.  Students will participate in at least six tea ceremonies, an incense ceremony, and kimono dressing.  Japanese architecture, gardening, flower arranging and calligraphy will also be covered

Winter intensive

The day after Christmas, December 26th we had our first Winter intensive at Issoan Tea School.  For my students it was their first intensive.  We started at 3 pm and ended at 9:30 pm.  In between we sat zazen, practiced warigeiko, reviewed movement in the tearoom,  did five teamae, laid the charcoal shozumi and rebuilt the charcoal fire gozumi.  One student brought a sushi platter and I made ankake udon for everyone.  It was such a success, that we plan to make it an annual event.

Shozumi and Gozumi, laying the initial fire and reubuilding the fire were particular highlights.  We don't often get to do these procedures, and especially gozumi so it was a special treat.  The charcoal is kind of like your timing device to keep your tea gathering on track. The charcoal is made from special wood and cut into specific size and shape to burn for a specified length of time.   It is amazing to hear the singing of the kettle suddenly go silent (and it does seem to be sudden) all at once.  It is also a clue to the guests that it is time to take their leave.

Of the two, gozumi is more difficult because you never know what the fire is going to look like as it burns down.  Many factors contribute to how the fire burns, from the haigata (ash form), to how the initial fire was laid, to shape of the kettle, how big the furo, how deep the ro,  to how long the fire has burned. 

So as a host, the first thing you do when you remove the kettle replenish it is to observe how the fire has burned.  How much charcoal is left?  Did the center collapse?  How much of the dozumi (large front charcoal) has burned?  Then you rearrange the coals to make room for fresh charcoal and lay them in the fire.  You have to use your own judgement whether to use all the charcoal in the basket or only use part of them.

It was a nice fire the students built.  And within 30 seconds of returning the kettle to the fire, we once again heard the matsukaze, the sound of the wind in the pines and the murmuring of the kettle.