Tabidansu Portable utensil box

Our second Keiko in April came with a very pleasant surprise. Upon entering the tea room to pay a visit to the Tokonoma and the hanging scroll, there was a brand new Tabidansu in the Temae corner. Even while observing the hanging scroll and seasonal flowers, I couldn’t help peeking at the Tabidansu. Moving on to view the Kama, I realized it was a Tsurigama (hanging Kama) and the two fairly rare utensils got me really excited. My Sensei could see the excitement in my eyes and explained how she obtained the Tabidansu and that we could use it to perform various variations of the tea ceremony.

The Tabidansu is a portable or travelling box used to store the basic tea utensils when planning a tea gathering outside or in location other than your own home or regular tea room. The Tabidansu has room for a Mizusashi, Hishaku, Futa-oki, Chawan, Natsume, Chasen, various linen cloths, a Chashaku, and a Kensui.

 The first shelf from below can be removed to place the Natsume and Chasen when performing outside in nature where the surface is not flat.

At the beginning of a tea ceremony with a Tabidansu, the front is closed and will be removed after the ceremony has started and is placed on the left side. 

Happy 2011 with lot's of Tea

This year I'm looking to intensify my tea ceremony studies. Last year was so hectic with work and busy private schedules that I often couldn't attend Keiko tea classes. My teacher never complained and is always understanding to my situation and simply looks forward to the next time I CAN come to study tea. Talking about studying tea, I've updated the tea ceremony classes page with new contact information. For all you tea-lovers out there, see if there is someone near you teaching tea or organizing tea gatherings.

 The ritual in Japan is to take it easy at home for the first three days of the new year eating Osechi and soup with rice cake called Ozoni. So finally an opportunity to update some pages on my site. Updated so far are:

• Tea Utensils Glossary
• Tea Houses
• Charcoal Equipment
• Hanging Scroll

Hopefully tea enthusiasts all over the world will enjoy reading and the new pictures.

Daily life and Tea

Only recently I started to notice the relation between the Japanese tea ceremony and daily life in Japan. It is frequently said that by studying the tea ceremony we'll learn many valuable lessons which can help our functioning in the Japanese culture.
Basic things such as greetings, bows, and properly timed apologies are a must to master when living in Japan. We also learn appreciation for objects through the Haiken (viewing of) certain utensils.

This month I noticed two very basic thing we learn during our tea ceremony classes in my daily life. The first one was when me and my colleagues we out on business and we were presented with a traditional wooden Japanese lunch box. As the eldest of our group finally sat down and told us to start having our lunch, every one just yanked off the lit and started digging in. I was so surprised that nobody knew how to properly and respectfully remove a lit from a Bento (lunch) box. That's when I was glad to know that the correct way to remove the lit from a Bento box is to use both hands to take the left and right side at the same time, then flipping it vertically so that the left side comes up and can be held by the right hand while the left hand moves to take the lower side to make the flip complete. The the lit is placed to the right side of the Bento box before saying Itadakimasu (grace).
Second thing I noticed was when there was a ceremony at my high school where some kids were called on stage to receive certificates from the principal while facing the back. After that they would turn to face the other students and take a bow while receiving a round of applause. But it was the turn which was so terrible, they just swung around like monkeys. I was reminded by the way we stand up and turn to walk back to the Mizuya (back room). For a clockwise turn we first pull our right foot back and diagonal behind the left, then sliding the left foot in front of the right foot facing to the right and then stepping with the right foot in the direction we want to go. This is a nice formal turn which looks smooth and elegant.
These two points add to the really simple things such as handling the Ohashi (Chopsticks) and holding a cup of tea with both hands. I feel really blessed to study the Japanese tea ceremony and hope it will learn me many more valuable life lessons.

Haiken of Utensils

This time at the tea ceremony lesson there were only the three of us. One more student, my teacher, and me. The first student practiced to make Koicha which took a long time. Together with the teacher she carefully added some hot water little by little. This resulted in a nearly perfect bowl of Koicha. This is the reason I love the Japanese tea ceremony. It’s the moment that the mildly bitter Matcha meets the pallet of my tongue after it had been sweetened by some sweet stuff in this case Omogashi.

I practiced Obon-temae. A simplified form of the tea ceremony where the Kama is replace by a kettle or any other item to hold the hot water. The bowls we use in mid-summer time are very wide and the bottom is almost flat in stead of rounding up. So I find it often very difficult to know whether I’ve put in enough or too much hot water. It is also more challenging to whisk the Matcha into a nice brew without leaving some of the Matcha un solved.

The most valuable lesson I learned today is about doing the Haiken or viewing of objects. As a guest we always admire the tea bowl after drinking from it. After the tea ceremony is finished we can ask for Haiken of the Natsume and the Chashaku. When making of Koicha is finished we can ask Go Sanki no Haiken, meaning to observe the three objects namely; Chaire, Shifuku, and the Chashaku. Once we have an item in front of us we place our hands next to the item and view it from the right, then the left, and then once more from the right before lifting it up a little to admire the utensil even closer. Today my teacher taught me that in case the Tokonoma is on the left side instead of the right, the viewing of the utensils starts by looking at it from the left, then from the right, and once more from the left. So depending on which side the Tokonoma is on, that is the side you view the utensils first.

I wonder if other students of the Japanese tea ceremony have ever heard of this or if the customs at different schools of tea are different…

Japanese Tea Ceremony at UN

Beside the main themes of the Japanese tea ceremony (harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility), the ceremony was often an excuse for opponents to meet and sit together in a neutral atmosphere. The Nijiriguchi entrance forced the samurai to remove their swords before entering because of its small size. The Japanese tea ceremony performed by a tea master provided a peaceful meeting which could grow into fruitful peace talks.

Even now the Japanese tea ceremony is used to bring together people from various countries so that they can meet in the neutral surroundings of a tea master to enjoy a cup of matcha green tea.

I came across an article from the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) which acts as ambassadors of peace. They organized a Japanese tea ceremony at the United Nations where representatives from various countries attended and were instructed on how to receive the tea. Later they listened to an introduction into the meaning and purpose of having a tea ceremony including some old tales of Sen no Rikyu.

I guess this is exactly how the Japanese tea ceremony is meant to take place. It is not only for the tea master to find his own silence and meditation, but it should also resonate to its participating guests so that they become humbled and united.

Here is the article : Nigeria mission to UN hosts tea ceremony