Hatsugama, the first tea ceremony in 2013

The first tea ceremony of the year is called hatsugama.  We had one at our tea school last Sunday.  It is special and formal than usual.  For instance, at ordinary lessons, most students do not wear kimono or we don’t practice on purifying our hand before getting into the tea room, but we did them at hatsugama.    I’m always excited about it.

There is one thing very special about hatsugama that I look forward to the most.  It is that hatsugama is the only chance for me to see my teacher’s performance.  My teacher serves tea for us.  I took that opportunity and observed her performance closely.  I wanted to learn something out of it.  The served tea, koicha by her was excellent.  It had a perfect blend with profound flavor.  Even more than the taste of the tea, I was impressed with her movement.  Her gesture purifying the tea whisk was so graceful.  For purifying, you move the whisk in the tea bowl with water.  She lightly moved the whisk that it looked like dancing in the water. 

This is a picture of one of student, not my teacher

I realized that my movement is still stiff when comparing with her gentle and smooth gesture.  Maybe, I am too conscious that I want to move beautifully, and it makes my movement tense.  I think I need to move without thinking and without the ulterior motive, haha.  For the natural movement, I need to practice the simple movements over and over again.  That’s the only way.  

How barbaric I am

We, Japanese usually take a bath at night.  On these cold days, I often feel like having a cup of hot green tea after the bath.  Just one cup.  Cooling water when preparing or cleaning the teapot after use are not a big deal usually, but at this relaxing time, I find them troublesome just for one cup. 

I don’t want to go through the proper steps for preparing, but I want to drink tea.  I know this is something not to be proud of … but I found out other alternative!! 

I just put a few tea leaves directly into a glass and add boiling water.  That’s it.  The amount of leaves is only one third of regular recipe.  If you gently take sips from the surface, you won’t get much leaves coming into your mouth.  The taste is not perfect but it’s still fine.  Of course at the end, when you drink the bottom part, the tea gets stronger and a few leaves might slip into your mouth.  But, it’s okay and I’m happy as far as I can have a cup of tea after bath.

I think I should be ashamed of myself as a qualified Japanese Tea Adviser to have tea with this barbaric preparation.  I know you may want to advice me to use a tea strainer if I don’t want to wash the teapot.  But, I don’t even want to wash the strainer either.  I’m genius on thinking excuses, hahaha.  

Home tea ceremony

What is a Japanese tea ceremony?  Some of you might have difficulty picturing it.  What do you actually do in the ceremony?   What do you enjoy?  Why do you find it yourself difficult of making it formal?  You might have many questions.  I haven’t been able to tell you what really the tea ceremony is like.

Does the taste of matcha served in the ceremony differ from the one at casual tea?  I can say that the tea served in the ceremony is way much better.  But, well … it is not exactly correct … honestly, they are physically the same tea and have the same taste.  What I mean is that you definitely find the same tea more delicious because of the special surroundings.  You can make ordinary tea special by putting a little effort on preparing and serving.  This is what the tea ceremony is all about.

Even though I use many words to describe it, it might be difficult for you to truly understand the enjoyment.  You’ll never know until you experience it.  The formal ceremony is quite complicated, so I’ll introduce the simplified ceremony that you can try at home.  I tell some tips about it on my Facebook- Japanese tea 101 -.  Check out Home Tea Ceremony on My facebook 

Face of tea bowls

Many books say that the face or front of tea bowl is the side that has drawing motif or distinctive pattern of glaze.  But, I don’t find much other detailed description about it.  It seems there isn’t any absolute rule made.  I myself am still on my training on sado, The Way of Tea.  I often experience difficulty in distinguishing the front part of tea bowls.

It is easy if the bowl has a distinctive form (distortion, dent, form of opening rim), drawing or glaze pattern.

Front

Back

What if the bowl has the drawings all around the walls?  I’ll consider that the front part is the side that has the main motif. 

Front

Back

What about the case with no pattern or no distortion?

Front

Back

Check the imprint at the bottom.  When you flip the bowl from your side, not side way, the imprint should be read facing the right direction, not upside down.

Some people say another rule.  The imprint is usually located left side of the foot. 

However, you cannot always determine the front basing on imprint shown.  Some tea bowls don’t have any imprint at all.  Some imprints are found in the middle of foot or at the right side.  And also for the tea bowls with no drawing, you might want to use your own discretion when it comes to deciding which the front for the attractive glaze pattern is.  A potter has to make the imprint before baking, but you don’t know how the pattern or design of glaze appear until it comes out from the kiln.  In this case, the imprint rule will not be applied.  I think you should remember this imprinting rule as preliminary information.  This kind of ambiguous rule makes it difficult.

To conclude, I consider that the front is the side with distinctive design that the host wants the guests to see.  If the bowl does not have a distinctive design, then you can follow the imprint rule.   My understanding may vary in the future as I study and experience The Way of Tea more.

Do you truly know Rikyu?

Is Rikyu really a superior man as a tea master?  The Rikyu you know might be an idol.  As I learn more about chanoyu, The Way of Tea, I found out that the character and anecdotes of Rikyu might not be all true. 

During a long history of chanoyu, Rikyu was kind of deified.   Some of the stories nowadays regarding Rikyu are from unreliable historical sources which are 南方録Nanporoku and 茶話指月集Sawashigetushu written after his death.  Rikyu was a very tall guy and he learned the tea from Jouo Takeno.  These are common understandings.  However, I was surprised to learn that there is no evidence about them.  There is not any historical verification to proof that Rikyu and Jouo actually met.  Another surprise is that in Rikyu’s time, people didn’t sit seiza (sit on their legs) during the tea ceremony.  They sit at ease.  I wonder how they performed the ceremony without seiza.  Can you imagine it?

Do you know the episode of the Morning Glory Tea Ceremony?

One day, Hideyoshi (the ruler) heard that the Morning Glory's (flower) at Rikyu's residence were beautiful.  He wanted to view them and asked Rikyu whether he could visit.  When Hideyoshi arrived at Rikyu's residence, there were no Morning Glory's at all.  Rikyu took the puzzled Hideyoshi to his tea room.  There, Hideyoshi saw just one Morning Glory.  Rikyu had cut all the other Morning Glory's down to highlight the most beautiful flower.  It was sitting in a non-decorated space, looking very vivid and impressive.  Hideyoshi praised him saying "You are a great master, Rikyu."  (Dec.2012, SpaceALC)

This is one of the famous anecdotes of Rikyu.  Many of these type of stories we know now are from茶話指月集Sawashigetushu.  It is written by Soan Kusumi who is a disciple of a disciple of Rikyu’s grandchild if I remember right.  You will wonder how reliable the stories are, which have been passed through the generations. 

Even the popular book, “The Book of Tea” written in English by Tenshin Okakura includes some stories from茶話指月集Sawashigetushu.  We might not really know the real Rikyu.  He is still a mystery.  However, there is no doubting the fact that Rikyu innovated and formed the foundation of chanoyu.  He actually created raku teabowl and nijiriguchi (crawl-through doorway).  I admit that the adoration of Rikyu helped to develop and continue our tea culture.  It is a part of our history.  He might not be as superior as we imagine him to be.  That’s why I find him so curious. 

References

“Cha” by Souoku Sen

“Rikyu-no “wabi” towananika” by Asao Kodu

“Rikyu nyumon” by Soshin Kimura

Tea ceremony manners for guests 2

Continuation from the previous entry

3.    Enjoy your sweets before tea.

Oftentimes, sweets are served in one container.    You take one piece and place it on your kaishi paper with the chopsticks come along with the container.  Put back the chopsticks onto the container and pass it to the next guest.   You eat it before the tea is served.  If you cannot eat the whole sweet, you can wrap it with kaishi paper and take it home.  You don’t leave it there.

4.    Avoid drinking the tea from the front of tea bowl.

The side that has a design or pattern is the front of the tea bowl.  It is considered important.  To show your respect, avoid drinking from the front.  If the tea bowl is handed facing you with its front, turn it about 90 degrees and drink the tea from the side of the bowl.

5.    Observe the bowl at a low position.

You have a chance to observe the tea bowl after drinking the tea.  You hold it with both hands and treat it close to the floor if by any chance you slip it off from your hands.  If you want to see the bottom, you flip it while making sure some tea residue does not drip.  You do not hold the bowl up above your head to look at the bottom.   The value of the bowl might be worth a lot.  Imagine how you, the host, would feel if your guest carelessly held up your precious tea bowl above his head.

A significant fascination of the tea ceremony is the non-verbal communication that creates intimacy with others.   The host sincerely treats you with utmost hospitality with his precious utensils.   You should respond him with the respect and proper etiquette he deserves.   If the host sees you treating his bowl with care, he will gratefully acknowledge your consideration.  The manners are there to help you properly interact with others.  Now that you know the five rules, it’s your turn to experience the one of a kind ceremony!  Enjoy!!

1.    Take off your watch and accessories.

2.    Do not seat at the first and the last seats.

3.    Enjoy your sweets before tea.

4.    Avoid drinking the tea from the front of tea bowl.

5.    Observe the bowl at a low position.

Tea ceremony manners for guests 1

Would you like to attend a Japanese tea ceremony?  As a guest of the ceremony all you have to do is simply enjoy the tea and spread. However, there are hundreds of etiquette one should know when in the ceremony.  Don’t worry.  I’ll lay down the five most basic rules that you should know for attending your first ceremony!

1.    Take off your watch and accessories.

2.    Do not seat at the first and the last seats.

3.    Enjoy your sweet before tea.

4.    Avoid drinking the tea from the front of tea bowl.

5.    Observe the bowl at a low position.

1.    Take off your watch and accessories.

The host might serve you the tea with his treasured tea bowl.  You do not want to damage it with your rings or with your accessories.  It is the well-known reason, but I also think that, in the tea room, there is no need for you to glam up or be bound by time.  Take off your watch and accessories before getting into the tea room.

2.    Do not seat at the first and the last seats.

The main (first) guest and the last guest have special roles to do during the ceremony.  So, it’s better to avoid sitting the first and the last position.  Usually, the nearest seat to the tokonoma alcove is the position for the main guest. 

As you can see, the rules are not so difficult.  I’ll talk about the rest in the next entry.

Tea production region for a good quality tea

Which region in Japan do you think produces quality tea?  Uji or Waduka in Kyoto?  Yame in Fukuoka?  Have you ever heard of Asamiya in Siga?  Tea lovers are well aware that Asamiya produces excellent quality tea.  Sad to say, that I haven’t heard of it. 

I finally had a chance to visit an Asamiya tea farm and a tea shop in Siga when I attending a tea studying tour.  It is said that mountain regions are ideal for producing tea because of its big difference in the temperature between day and night.  The farmer showed us around his field. The well known notion made sense when I finally got to observe the actual field.  Look at the picture above and notice the tea plants are grown on the slopes.  To get to this place, you drive up the narrow winding road.  Large machineries used in the regular farms are useless here.  Farmers need much effort in taking care of growing and harvesting manually.  Why do they make tea in such hard places?  Simply, for the quality of the tea! 

According the farmer, when buying Asamiya tea, you need to be careful of imitations.  Asamiya is not a large production region, so their tea is distributed only to a few limited channels.  The famous tea shop in Kyoto, Ippodo also uses authentic Asamiya tea. 

During the study tour, we were offered to try the Asamiya tea at the farm, which was the super-premium tea that had won a prize in a contest.  It was regular-steamed sencha with a great aroma.  Its’ water was slightly red, which is considered not good for sencha.   However the taste was incredible!!  I was drawn to the distinctive and amorous umami with a nutty note.  The most surprising thing was that although this tea definitely has bitterness, the wooden like aroma made it flavorful, not astringent at all.  Would you believe that you find the bitterness tasty?  The distinctive umami and tasty bitterness merge to create a profound flavor that registers a prominent impression on your palate.  I got another taste of Asamiya at the tea shop.  It was also premium tea with the same bitterness and luscious flavor.  I really fell in love with Asamiya tea so I wanted to introduce in this blog.

Unfortunately, the two Asamiya teas that I tried were quite expensive; I can’t afford the pleasure of always drinking them. I wonder if regular-quality Asamiya has the similar flavor.  If you have tried Asamiya tea, tell me, how do you like it?

Correction

I introduced a temple in two past entries; “Korinin, Zen temple with beautiful mossed approach” and “Why should a tea room be dim?”.  I made a mistake on the name of the temple.

Wrong: Korinin temple

Correct: Kotoin temple

I’m sorry for the confusion.

P.S.

I also introduced another temple on “Tea ceremony at Daitokuji, Kyoto 2” where I attended a tea ceremony.  I called the temple Korinin which is correct.

Smell in the tea room

What do you smell in the tea room?  The aroma of green tea?  Yes, it’s not only that.  During summer we use the fragrance wood and kneaded incense in winter.  To fill the room with incense, it is placed by the charcoals in the brazier or sunken hearth.　Japanese incense has more subdued and earthy smell compared to the fragrances used at Western countries which are floral or sweet.  The earthly aromas probably fit better with green tea. I honestly don't know much about incenses.  I even don't know what aromas I like to smell. There are many things to learn about in sado, The Way of Tea.

lisn, an incense shop in Kyoto

One of my blog readers introduced me “lisn”, an incense shop in Kyoto.  Ever since I saw their cool website (http://www2.lisn.co.jp/), I wanted to visit there.  I was finally able to visit their shop during my trip to Kyoto.  At the shop, there are a large variety of samples displayed. Customers are allowed to smell them. Such aromas were fruity, nutty, sweet to refreshing ones.  Customers can buy incenses by piece. 

Their incenses were sold as a stick, which is different from what we use in sado.  Since I don’t use charcoal at home, it is difficult for me to try the classic type of the incense.  Their stick incenses were very attractive for me.  I bought three kinds of incenses including sandalwood.  Sandalwood is a popular aroma used in sado.  Their sandalwood has a little sweetness in it.  The smell may be slightly different from the classic but I’m still happy to enjoy the incense casually.  I would like to explore more and see what scents I like and also the ones that goes well with tea. How about you?  What aroma would you prefer for your tea?

Japanese tea enthusiast only

Have you ever dreamed about making your own taste of tea?  You can actually make one at Fukujuen in Kyoto.  The teas sold at various stores are usually blended in different kinds.  You can try the tea blending at Fukujuen.  It will be quite maniac, but if you are a Japanese tea enthusiast, you will be fascinated about it.

They have a list of different teas; sencha, kabusecha and gyokuro.  You can choose your tea preference by checking out the description from the list, and you can actually have a taste of it.

A crew will help you to find your choice of tea.

The crew prepares the teas for tasting.  She knows how to prepare delicious tea very well.  If you are not sure how good green tea tastes like, this will be a great place to try decent Japanese tea.

 

We were a party of three and shared teas with each other so we could taste many different kinds. 

After some tasting, I found a tea that I really liked.  It is extremely mellow sencha, with no bitterness and full of pleasing sweetness.  That sencha is okumidori breed from Wazuka region.  It was quite different, or I should say it’s much better than the okumidori that I know.  This okumidori can be too mellow so I decided to blend a yamakai with a distinctive flavor.  The yamakai has a refreshing note with a gorgeous fruity fragrance.  I wondered about the ratio of blending if I should go for 7:3 or 9:1.  This whole process of tasting and wondering is what I enjoy most.  I decided to go for 9:1=okumidori:yamakai.  The crew blended them and finally served me the tea.  Yes, Excellent!!  The tea has a rounded sweet flavor with an accent of refreshing yamakai aroma.  It was perfect.

I paid 2,257yen for this tea (100g/3.5oz) which is expensive for sencha.  But if you consider the quality and all the experience, it is very reasonable and all worth it.  If you are a Japanese tea enthusiast, I highly recommend this place if you get the chance to drop by Kyoto. 

Fukujuen >>> http://www.fukujuen-kyotohonten.com/english/floor.html

Space ship in Kyoto

What do you think this is?　It looks like a chamber in a space ship, doesn’t it? 

Actually, this is a hotel that I stayed in Kyoto!  If you are traveling around Japan, what are the choices for a reasonable accommodation?   Capsule hotels are definitely one of them.  When I was looking for a hotel during my Kyoto trip, a lot of hotels didn’t have vacancies.  I guess it was a peak season.  Instead, what I found was this capsule hotel, which is quite new and stylish.  The price was very reasonable.  Here are some pictures of the hotel.

Entrance: You check in and receive the key for your locker. 

They have the separate floors for men and women.

This is a floor for lockers and showers.

In your locker, you will find pajamas and a toothbrush.

You must leave all your belongings in this locker.

Here is lavatory and behind it the shower stalls

The shower stall

The sleeping floor:

After you’ve taken your shower and put your things in the locker, it’s time to go to bed.  Most Japanese prefer to take a bath before going to bed.  This floor is dark and quiet.

This is your Capsule.  You crawl into your cell and just sleep.  The capsule's height is tall enough to sit down properly.  The "door" to go in the capsule is simply a curtain in which you draw up so that you can enter.  You will be able to hear other people coughing or snoring.  Fortunately, that night I stayed was peaceful and I had a good sleep.  The only space that is yours is the capsule and the locker assigned to you

There was a rule that I found silly.   It is that you can use an alarm on your cell-phone but only in vibration mode.  With a rational point of view, I can understand the rule because I don’t want to be bothered by someone’s alarm.   On the other hand, I wondered if I have to keep my phone with me all night long to feel it vibrate.  Hahaha, how do I do that?   I was not confident to wake up with a vibration alarm.  How would you wake up?  As I was wondering about it, I got into the cell and found an alarm system on the control panel in the cell.  Of course it is not an ordinary alarm. 

I was ashamed of myself for being only with the typical alarm clock.  Indeed, sound is not the only factor to wake you up!  This alarm wakes you up with the light on the ceiling.  When the time comes, it makes the cell bright.  Wow that’s cool.  I was so delighted and excited with this system.   I set the timer and fell asleep.  I found this cell quite comfortable and had a good sleep.  Next morning, I woke up naturally before the alarm hit on.  I could not experience the alarm.  Damn!  Hahaha!

You may not find capsule hotels in the countryside but big cities usually have them.  It’s a pretty interesting experience.  You should try it!

This is the website that I found this hotel (Japanese) >>> Nine Hours