Thank you for visiting the homepage of the Urasenke tea ceremony class “Meiten-an” in Hara, Sawara Ward, Fukuoka City. I’m Kazuyoshi Harano, who is in charge of the classroom and in charge of teaching.

On this website, we will introduce the tea ceremony to those who are interested in the tea ceremony for the first time in an easy-to-understand expression. And I hope that you will understand the idea of opening, and if you can sympathize with it, you will practice the rich and profound world of the tea ceremony together.

The introduction of the tea ceremony will be introduced in a separate item, so here I would like to express my thoughts on the opening.

I didn’t start doing the tea ceremony until I was much older than the average classroom teacher. In 2015, I was assigned to the Tianjin Special District of the People’s Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as “China”). Urasenke was founded by the predecessor of the Great Master Hou-Un-Sai, who sought world peace through the tea ceremony and opened tea houses and branches in Asia and other countries around the world.

Japan and China have been interacting for more than 2,000 years as a country, and have looked up to Japan as a teacher. It is a well-known story that the tea leaves themselves were introduced by Eisai( Buddhist, the initiator of Rinzai Zen Buddhism in Japan)  as a medicine and even as a luxury item.

On the other hand, unfortunately, only 150 years ago, the two countries, which were tossed around by the historical swell of colonial policies of the Western powers, were swept away by the tide of the times and suffered many unfortunate events.

Master Hou Un Sai set up three tea houses in the Tianjin Special District as a bridge of peace between the two countries through cultural exchange, not politics or economics, and continued to send Japan leaders. At that time, Ms. Kunimi was teaching at that time, and after that, I had the opportunity to study with Ms. Yamazaki and Ms. Masuda. After returning to Japan in 2018, I received guidance from Oyama Chado Class in Sawara Ward, Fukuoka City, and have continued to this day. 

Unfortunately, the tea ceremony class has not always been able to maintain its old-fashioned presence in the fads of the ever-changing times like a cat’s eye, but even in my own experience abroad for only about 10 years, I have learned about the essential propositions of identity as a Japan, the cultural superiority and characteristics of Japan as seen by foreigners, the discovery of joy in life, and the outlook on life. I was strongly aware of the significance of the existence of the tea ceremony.

We would like to run a classroom with the following themes in Meiten-An.

〇 Harmony between Chado and Zen Buddhism

〇 Classy Daily Behavior

〇Passing on the baton of Japan culture

〇Healthy development of children

〇 Enjoyment of the season

〇Introducing Japan traditional culture to foreigners

I am still in the process of training, and although I am probably aiming for a goal or enlightenment, I am on a journey of study that I will never reach, but that is why I believe that it is worth working hard and working hard, and I am determined to move forward so that I can become a base for community contribution and international exchange.

At the end of my remarks, I would like to say that the cost of practicing tea ceremony is inevitably high. In addition to the equipment to prepare for the classroom, there are many consumables such as flowers, matcha (powdered green tea), Japanese traditional sweets, and tea baskets used in each practice, which will be covered by a monthly fee. I know that this will inevitably be an obstacle for those who start practicing, but I hope you will understand due to the nature of the practice, which involves a large number of tools and food and drink to consume.

Tea room donated by Urasenke to Nankai University, members of the Tianjin Urasenke Club (2018)

The tea ceremony is performed by matcha, which is a method that was created after a long transition in the tea leaves themselves. The treatment of the tea leaves themselves has also changed with the times, and the drinking method of brewing matcha with hot water was an ancient practice that was long forgotten in China, which introduced tea to Japan. In recent years, due to the active enlightenment of the Urasenke Japan tea ceremony, interest in the Japan-style tea ceremony has been attracting attention in China as well.

Now, I would like to take an overview of the history of tea. One of the most authentic books written about tea in China is the Tea Sutra by Lu Yu of the Tang Dynasty (733-804). It systematically described how to grow, harvest, drink, and history of tea trees. In 804, Kukai and Saichou returned to Japan and brought back tea, but unfortunately it did not take root so widely. In the Heian period, tea brought by the envoys of the Tang Dynasty was drunk only among aristocrats and monks, but it was completely different from today’s tea, and it was called Dancha, and it was mixed not only with tea leaves but also with other spices and honey, and it was not something that people loved to drink because of the taste and efficacy of tea itself.

Eisai, who entered the Song Dynasty twice during the Kamakura period, not only brought back Rinzai Zen, but also planted tea on the Sefuri Mountains in Kyushu and sent tea seeds to Myoe Shonin in Uji, Kyoto, which is said to have been the origin of Uji tea. In 1214, he published tea and the “Tea Regimen(Book for Health Nutrient by Tea)” in the Minamoto Dynasty, which became the catalyst for the spread of tea among the samurai class. It is said that the “Tea Regimen” was written in the last years of Eisai’s life, and from this content, we can see the role of not only Eisai at that time, but also the role of the monks. This book explains the history of tea, its cultivation, and the tea method of tea points, but above all, as the notation indicates, it was probably the most important thing to convey to the people about curing. It is said that from the end of the Heian period to the early Kamakura period, when Eisai lived, there was constant war, and plagues were constant. At that time, monks were expected to have a multi-task force that would not only deal with individual troubles and salvation, but also perform individual prophecies and prayers for the blessing of national well-being. Even at that time, there seemed to be a separate medical profession, but there was little scientific knowledge and information, and it seems that the monks, who were the most knowledgeable, were deeply involved in human health. The I Ching, which is called the Five Tastes and Five Organs, is based on the idea of Chinese medicine and explains how important tea is for health. The five organs refer to the liver, lungs, heart, spleen, and kidneys, and the five tastes correspond to sour, spicy, bitter, sweet, and salty, respectively. In order to strengthen the heart, which is the center of the five organs, it is important to drink tea with a bitter taste for health.

At the end of the Kamakura period, a game called “Tocha(Tea Tasting Game)” in which the brand of tea was drunk was guessed became popular. It is said that this was so popular among the common people and samurai that it was prohibited by the samurai law called “Kenmu Shikimoku(Samurai Law)”. In addition, among the wealthy, Chinese tea utensils “Tang mono” were popular, and they were collected for a large amount of money, and grand tea ceremonies were also popular (唐物sukyo). This epidemic continued until the latter half of the 15th century during the Onin Rebellion, but Murata Jyukou (1442-1502) was studied by Ashikaga Yoshimasa (1449-1474), the eighth shogun of the Muromachi shogunate, who founded the Higashiyama culture.prohibits gambling and drinking at tea ceremonies, and preaches the ideal way of tea ceremonies that emphasizes spiritual interaction between the host and the guests. Yoshimasa abdicated in 1472, and in a simple four-and-a-half-tatami room called Tōninsai, which was built as his retreat, an ascetic tea ceremony was held, and the Shoin Tea Ceremony, which was a fusion of the Dōhōshū (a group of Tang mono sukyo) and the appraisal of art from China, was developed. 

 In the Azuchi-Momoyama period, the townspeople of Sakai, Takeno Shao, and his disciple Sen Rikyu led to wabicha. Wabi-cha spread to the samurai class, giving birth to disciples called “Rikyu Shichitetsu (7 Rikyu senior disciples)” of Gamou Ujizane, Hosokawa Sansai, Makimura Hyobu, Seta Soube, Furuta Oribe, Shibayama Kanbutsu, and Takayama Ukon, and from Wabicha, Furuta Oribe, Oda Uraku, Kobori Enshu,Daimyo who formed the school such as Katagiri Ishishu also began to appear. These are sometimes distinguished from the samurai tea ceremony, the daimyo tea ceremony, and the tea ceremony held under the shogun as the Liuying tea ceremony. In the middle of the Edo period, the rise of the wealthy townspeople led to the creation of a new market for the tea ceremony. The 1,000 families, centered on the 3,000 families, established the iemoto system in order to organize a large number of disciples, and a training method called the Shichijishiki(Seven Rituals) was also devised. As a result, it became more popular throughout Japan as a lesson for shoya(village officer), lords, and merchants. At the same time, as popularization and amusement have progressed, the understanding of “wabi-sabi” has also changed, and there are phenomena that are difficult for ordinary people to understand, such as deliberately chipping beautiful stone lanterns as “too perfect” and prizeing teacups that have been damaged. It is interesting to note that in the same period, the Rinzai Buddhist temple of the Daitokuji sect created the slogan “Harmony, Respect, Harmony and Silence” to emphasize “the beauty of the heart that appears when entertaining people,” and the systematization of the pre-point form and tea ceremony style by each school was also established. 

 In the Meiji era, many traditional performing arts, works of art, and culture in Japan that had been cherished until now became worthless due to the rise of Western thought, and the tea ceremony was forced to decline due to the decline of the daimyō, samurai class, and wealthy class who had protected the tea ceremony. The 11th generation of the Urasenke family, Gengensai Seichu, founded the tea box point and restored the Japanese cloth point, and in the 5th year of Meiji (1872)At the exposition, a standing ceremony was created to welcome foreigners. In response to this trend of difficult times for the tea ceremony, the 13th generation of the Urasenke family, Ennosai Tetsuchu Soushitsu, gained the understanding of influential business circles and achieved certain results, such as incorporating it into the subjects of girls’ education. In the Taisho period, these families taught and spread the tea ceremony to a wide range of common people, and established an economic foundation. We cannot overlook the achievements of the “modern numerators” such as the meritorious officers of the Restoration, zaibatsu(industrial conglomerates) officials, and wealthy merchants from the early modern period. After that, the tea ceremony gradually came to be recognized by intellectuals around the world as a culture, art, and philosophy unique to Japan, such as the introduction of Okakura Kakuzo’s “Tea Book” in the United States, and after the end of the war, the 14th Mugensai Sekiso Soshitsu worked on school education, offered tea at temples and shrines in various places, prayed for world peace, and worked to spread it overseas. We actively worked on promotion. Perhaps because of this, Urasenke has the largest number of schools including overseas branches. 

Since I gave a fairly brief overview of how tea led to the tea ceremony and how it became what it is today, I have omitted a large number of introductions and anecdotes of people who have made meritorious contributions and contributions. As a result of the efforts of various wise men in the turbulent waters of history, I think you can read that modern people have been able to come into contact with the tea ceremony, which is the crown jewel of Japan. However, why did “tea” have to be sublimated into a single ideological and philosophical culture called “tea ceremony”?

Rather than being established by the strong influence of one person, the tea ceremony was born in the midst of human involvement and time as many as the stars.  I will explain the way of life, aesthetic sense, and values that are on the surface in an easy-to-understand way, but they are just the tip of the iceberg, and the ideas that lie beneath the surface of the ocean are very multinational and encompass a variety of ideas and cultures. However, even so, it is thought that the arbitrary system that transcends the time of Rikyu residents is strongly reflected. In the era before and after Rikyu Koji(Buddhist layman), and in the present day, there are few opportunities for all human beings to be truly equal and equal. There is also a custom called “Kinindate(Tea serving for the nobleman)” before the tea ceremony. The idea is that the nobles are supposed to be present in the first place, and that everyone else is equal. It’s very modern, and even now, discrimination and disparities in terms of position and social status follow suit, so the only way to describe it is to be more modern than it is today. What constitutes equality? It is through “Rei (禮)”. There has never been perfect equality in human beings in social life since the beginning of history, and it would be not only impossible, but also harmful. Even so, there is no rise or fall in the value of a single human life. All lives are equal. The era in which Rikyu lived was the Warring States. It was not the relatively peaceful Heian period or the Edo period, but an era in which the career of a samurai was determined by how many enemies he killed. Daily life must have been tight for all social strata, and the entire land of Japan must have been squeamish. In such a devastated era, the four-and-a-half-tatami tea room is a small space of the same height for the powerful and the common people, sharing a single teacup. This must have been an astonishing and unthinkable revolution of consciousness for everyone at the time. However, even if you enter a tea room without any context, you will not be able to create a time and space in which such equal human relationships can be established. Therefore, the “art of the tea ceremony” became necessary. It is said that Nanjōji Temple in Sakai, where Rikyu Koji grew up and trained, and Daitokuji Temple in Kyoto, were salons for discussing and thinking about various philosophies of thought, including Confucianism, even though they were Zen Buddhist temples. Confucius, the founder of Confucianism, is said to have studied the state systems and educational methods of the Zhou dynasty, such as King Wen, King Wu, and Zhou Gongdan. It is said that when Japan was still in the Jomon period, elementary schools were established in villages, Kokugaku(the study of national classical literature) was established in the capital of princes, and even universities were established in the capital of the Son of Heaven. At each stage of the school, Saiso(洒掃;sprinkling water, sweeping, purifying) and Ōtai(應對;answering questions in response to a person’s calling. Basic responses to build good human relationships.) and Shintai(demeanor) (進退; It is said that he began with small rituals of advance), and learned the Rokugei(six arts)( 六藝; rei (禮；courtesy), raku (楽；music), sha (射；archery), gyo (行；horsemanship), sho (書；calligraphy), and sū (数；arithmetic)) have been thought to be educated. In the tea ceremony, the basics of the Saiso, Ōtai, Shintai and six arts are considered to be the basic stages of practice. The essence of rei is not formal, but a lubricant for improving human relations at home and in society, and for building a correct order. There is no doubt that the spirit of equality is present in the tea room, but there is a natural sense of order. In order to mutually understand this order, mutual respect is indispensable. Respect is expressed in attitudes, and that is the rule of courtesy. Therefore, among the six arts, Rei comes to the top. The four methods of the Six Arts are the four subjects of Shi(詩;poetry), Sho(書;calligraphy),Rei, and Raku. Three thousands disciples of Confucius might has been studied the four methods. Meanwhile, the Six Arts are representative of the technique, and it is said that only 72 out of 3,000 disciples mastered the Six Arts. This is why it is said that it was more difficult to acquire the six arts, which have a strong sense of practice. The purpose of the tea ceremony is not to acquire a beautiful and unobtrusive point, but first to learn thorough techniques (including kata) = art, and then to act for building good human relationships and society centered on oneself = moral ethics. And aim for a high spiritual state = virtue. The educational subjects for this purpose are the three things of the six arts, the six elements, and the six virtues. In Confucianism, it is necessary to acquire the arts as a precursor to virtue, and it is said that the practice of the six arts begins with the practice. It can be seen that the tea ceremony is built in imitation of the Confucian educational system. In this way, those who engage in the practice of the tea ceremony aim for virtue and to build equal and conflict-free human relationships and societies. This is because the idea of seeking peace that transcends time and space hidden in the tea ceremony of Rikyu Koji, who survived a time when human life was not respected and ended up killing himself in the end, continues to live on, and I feel that Rikyu Resident is still talking to me in etiquette such as “ことばKotoba”, “一座建立Ichizakonryu”, and “和敬清寂Wakeiseijyaku”. 

It is true that the tea ceremony has been refined and deepened by countless intellectuals and sages, but the reason why tea became a tea ceremony is that the longing to change the era of Rikyu Koji for the better has shaped what it is today.

There is a reason why I described it as “integrated culture and art” instead of “comprehensive culture and art”. The tea ceremony encompasses many traditionally important cultures, but it is not a synthesis because it does not include all cultural arts. In the sense that it is a culture of hospitality in which a number of important arts are fused together to produce within the solid concept of the tea ceremony, there is one integrated context. Now, let’s take a look at what kind of culture and art are actually included in the tea ceremony.

〇Pottery, porcelain, etc.: The famous term of “Ichiraku, Nihagi, Sankaratsu(The best is Raku, the second is Hagi and the third valuable pottery is Karatsu.)” is the most prized dark tea bowl since ancient times, and Japan potters have competed for its superiority. The most famous at that time were Chubu – Shitoro, Mino (Shino, Setoguro, Kizeto, Oribe), Iga, – Asahi, Akatsuki, Tamba, Zensho, Shigaraki, Chugoku – Bizen and Izumo, Kyushu – Takatori, Ueno, Satsuma. In addition to Raku tea bowls, there were other types of Kyoto ware made in Kyoto, such as Jinsei(仁清)、Kenzan(乾山)、Ninnamidou(仁阿弥道八) and Eirakuya(永樂家). 

There were various commitments of tea people at that time in the tea container for matcha. The tea bowl is made of small pottery, with an ivory lid and placed in a cloth bag. Ivory is also sometimes used for tea ladles. Nowadays, the Washington Convention makes it difficult to import and export ivory, but there is a reason why ivory was used even at that time, even though ivory was an imported product and was not easily available. There is an opinion that it does not go beyond the realm of legend, but it is said that it was poisoning prevention. For the same reason, gold leaf and silver leaf were also used. These are discolored by poison and detect danger. Going back to the topic, the production area of the same pottery and the bowl are slightly different. Typical shapes of chaire(maccha container) include bunrin(文琳;apple)、hisago(瓢箪;gourd)、nasu(茄子; eggplant)、taikai(大海; ocean), katatsuki(肩衝;stiff). Bizen (Okayama prefecture), Shigaraki, Zeze (Shiga prefecture), Tamba (Hyogo prefecture), Takatori (Fukuoka prefecture), and Satsuma (Kagoshima prefecture) are the so-called national chaire, but if the one baked in Japan is called the chaire, is there also a chaire baked in a foreign country? That’s the question you might be asking, and that’s exactly what it is. Originally, it originated from a small vessel brought from China that was diverted to a tea bowl and started to be used. It is generally around Fuzhou, Fujian Province, and the firing period is thought to be around the 13th and 14th centuries. This kind of tea is called Karamono(Made-in- China) Chaire, and the one that is baked in the Seto kiln (Aichi prefecture) in imitation of this Karamono Chaire is called Seto Chaire to distinguish it from other kuniyaki(national,domestic) tea containers. From the perspective of Japan at that time, China was a country of admiration and awe, with overwhelming advances in terms of influence over neighboring countries, political power, military power, economic power, academia, and culture. Therefore, there is no doubt that the goods imported from China were valuable tools that were difficult to obtain with a little rich or political power.

In this way, the production area and the kiln source change depending on the tool, but I think that many people are still familiar with the production name that was made 500 years ago. Yes, these production areas and kilns have inherited the tradition and continue to make pottery even now. However, when it comes to tea utensils, it is not uncommon for the price of the same kiln to jump not only double, but also 10 times. It can be interpreted that it is the inheritance of tradition with such incentives. Thanks to this, it seems that the tableware used in everyday life is evolving into a sophisticated one by the moment.

Porcelain is also used in various situations such as water bowls, water fingers, lid holders, light tea bowls, flower vases, and incense.

Last but not least, teacups made in China were also cherished as very expensive and valuable. There are Tenmoku tea bowl (yohen, yutekio:oil droplets, nogime, etc.), celadon (kinuta, tenryuji, shichikan, etc.), sometsuke(dyeing), akae(red painting), and shonzui. In particular, many people may be familiar with the Yohen Tenmoku, but in China it is not known as an ominous bowl at all, and it is known as a valuable teacup in the world that exists only in Japan. Potters in the day and China are now working hard to reprint the Changing Hours, but they have not been able to create the same thing. In addition, Kōrai(Korean) teacups from the Korean Peninsula were also heavily used. There are various types of this, but the most famous ones were Hakéme, Ido, Komogai, Mishima, Irabo, Totoya, and Gohon.

• Tenmoku tea bowl; ceramic(esp.tea bowls) with dark,-grazed conical tea bowls of Chinese origin

〇 Hardware such as kettles, bells, flower vases, etc.: The representative of hardware is probably “kettle”. Water cannot be boiled without a kettle, so it is an important part of the series of operations. It can be seen that they are not satisfied with simply boiling water, but have put a lot of heat into the kettle, its shape, and its decoration. The main types alone include Shinnarigama, Amida Temple, Marugama, Yohokama, and Unryugama. Famous production areas include Ashiyagama in Toga District, Fukuoka Prefecture, Tenmyokama in Sano City, Tochigi Prefecture, and Kyogama in Sanjo, Kyoto. 

We are also particular about the bell attached, and there are pine nuts and distant mountains.

Even in Furo(wind furnaces), there are hardware made of iron and copper metal. You can also enjoy the shape of the Furo, the Yatsure(shabby appearance),the Kimen(Demon-face) Furo, the Unryu(Dragon looking clouds) Furo, the Doan Furo, and the Ryukyu Furo.

Furo:portable stove used for tea ceremonies during the summer(May-Oct). Furo letter is also pronounced Buro.

〇 Painting: The most familiar thing that comes to the eye as a painting is a light tea ware, but there are two ways to apply it: shin-nuri and ta-nuri, and sometimes maki-e is applied. The English translation of this lacquer painting is Japan (also Japan), and it can be seen that foreigners who saw lacquer were dazzled by the high level and beauty of the technique and called it Japan, considering it to be an art that represents Japan. There was a big difference between lacquered and unlacquered vessels, not only in terms of preserving the shape of the vessels and utensils painted by this technique of painting, but also in terms of food and heat. It had a dual role as an ornament plus practicality. As a result, not only light tea utensils, but also painting utensils such as long plates, furnace rims, and suction bowls have appeared in various situations. 

〇 Bamboo work: Bamboo tea utensils also come out in various situations when you are practicing before the point. It is clear that bamboo was a familiar material that was more readily available in various places than it is now. Because bamboo is such an easy thing for anyone to obtain, it seems that it is quite easy to use it for tea utensils in the tea ceremony and to consume it boldly. Tea ladles are carefully handled with the author and inscription, but tea baskets are replaced if the tip is pinched, and freshly cut bamboo is preferred for lid holders. Tea ladles are roughly divided into three types: “Shin;true” without knots, “Gyō” with knots at the cut (edge clause), and “Sou” with knots in the center (middle sections), but the atmosphere varies greatly depending on the shape of the oar tip, the bend of the fold, and the scenery that shows the color. In addition, by attaching an “inscription”, you can learn about the host’s thoughts on tea ceremonies and tea ceremonies. In other words, you can see that inexpensive and familiar bamboo crafts play a very important role. The ladle is also made of bamboo and is divided into moon shape and insertion type, and there are two types of moon shapes, one for Ro(furnace) and one for Furo. 

*In Chanoyu(tea ceremony), all actions and tools are categorized 3 levels: Shin(true) is the most formal, Gyō is the middle formal and Sou is casual. The Shin serving is the difficult and noble. Meanwhile Sou is thought to be the authentic philosophy and operation.

*Ro is the furnace equipped with the tatami-floor and not portable. Generally Ro is available in the winter (Nov-Apr)

〇 Woodworking tools: There is a wide range of wooden utensils such as shelves, long boards, furnace edges, bent objects (magemono) / wooden bent water fingers, incense, light tea utensils, etc., and play an important role in expressing the hospitality of the author and the host. 

〇 Kakemono (Hanging Scroll): In the waiting room and the alcove of the main seat, it is common to hang the theme of the host’s tea ceremony or tea ceremony as the axis. The most popular kakemono is bokuseki, which originally referred to the handwriting of a high priest of Zen Buddhism, but is now written by a monk or tea ceremony retainer. Among them, the most common is “one-line” in which Zen words are written in one line. In addition, there are calligraphy written by Japan from the Asuka period to the Muromachi period, and the contents are diverse, such as waka poems, Chinese poetry, Buddhist scriptures, and stories, and transcriptions of songbooks are used. “Painting” (Chinese painting, Yamato-e, Kasen-e. Zenkiga and “Gasan” (paintings are accompanied by praises (poems, songs, adage)). The meaning of Zen words written in ink and old brushes is important in the exchange between the host and the customer, but the skillfulness of the calligraphy itself is not to be evaluated. In other words, even if the handwriting is poor, if it is written by a respectable monk or householder, it is not comparable in value to kakemono. Even so, since ancient times, the beauty of calligraphy in China has been appreciated in Japan, and there is no doubt that the characters themselves have an artistic character, as the saying goes, “Characters represent their natures.” 

〇 Fragrance and incense: Kōgo refers to a small container with a lid that holds incense. Basically, put it in the charcoal pan and take it out when it is before the charcoal. It is customary to use nerikō(incense pastille) for ceramic incense during the furnace season, and incense wood for wood and lacquerware during the wind furnace season. When burning charcoal, the faint scent of condensed incense and incense wood gives a fresh feeling to the place and a sense of relief after eating. It can be said that good fragrance is the most luxurious activity for humankind, and it is an important culture that has not changed in the past and even now. 

When passing through the entrance to participate in the tea ceremony, guests are required to change their socks to white. Naturally, the white color is the most noticeable stain, so if it is not freshly washed and clean, it is obvious at a glance. Nowadays, every home is equipped with a bathroom, but it was only 60 or 70 years ago after the war that such houses became widespread in ordinary households of Japan, and until then, it was necessary to cleanse oneself by pouring well water on it, or by going to a public bath to wash one’s body, and once every few days was the best that ordinary people could do. Water was precious not only in Japan, but even wealthy people living in royal palaces like Marie Antoinette could rarely shower or bathe, and considering that it was European perfume that developed after being tired of their body odor, you can imagine how much a luxury that people in the past would envy if they could take a shower every day like modern people. And in the life of Rikyu and the Edo period, it was not uncommon for people to be barefoot when it came to their feet, and even the wealthy who were called to the tea ceremony lived barefoot or tabi wearing geta and seta(leather soled sandals). When there is no air conditioning, unpaved roads, and the only means of transportation is walking, it is clear that your feet are still sweaty and dusty. If you bring the smell of your feet into a small tea room, as well as body odor, no matter how precious and beautiful the furnishings, grateful Zen words, and delicious food you are served, you will surely not be able to find your heart. The stench may not only make you enjoy the tea ceremony, but even give you a headache. Even if you had bare feet with a strange odor due to apocrine rays, the smell should have been quite controllable if you wrapped them in freshly washed tabi socks. It may have been the minimum etiquette for invited guests to change into white tabi shoes as a consideration for the host and guests. Cleansing the feet is a historical drama that always appears in the scene where you stay at the inn, and in the New Testament, the scene where Mary (not the mother) cleanses the feet of Jesus Christ with a costly balm is a famous anecdote. The smell of my feet may have been something that even a child of God could not do anything about.

 Returning to the main argument, there are sandalwood, agarwood, kara, rosewood, etc., and the temple is considered to be the most luxurious. Ranjumachi, which often appears in Japanese histrial dramas, is probably a representative of the temple. On the other hand, the condensed incense used in the furnace is a product of powdering various fragrances and blending them, and the scent varies depending on the manufacturer. 

Fragrances are also used in the medical field as aromatherapy, and are an integral component of religious events such as incense sticks. The olfactory nerve is fatigued in a short time, and both good and bad odors are acclimatized, so it is a very luxurious hospitality to consider this scent, and being able to burn good incense must have been a proof of a cultured person with deep knowledge.

There is a family pattern of making tools that are said to be 10 jobs for Senke(Rikyu offsprings’ families) Chadou, so to speak. In the old days, it is imagined that there were many more craftsmen than ten occupations, but since they dared to divide them into 10 different fields and favor only one craftsman’s house, it seems very unfair in a sense, but Senke did not recognize other craftsmen, and each craftsman family had been thought as such special expectations.

Ten craftsman families are as follows:

Earth-style kilns and potters; Eiraku Zengoro 

Kamashi; Onishi Seiuemon

Tableman; Okumura Kichibei

Bamboo workman and ladle maker; Kuroda Shogen 

Cabinetmaker; Komazawa Risai

Pouch maker; Tsuchida Yuko

Metal craftsman; Nakagawa Jōeki

Lacquered papier-mache; Nakamura Sōtetsu

Tea bowl maker; Raku Kichizaemon

Senke is also a family that has been passed on for generations, but the system of Iemoto(school master) is not often seen in Western cultures, but it is rooted in all fields in Japan. The most prominent of these is the Emperor’s family, but the national body of Japan itself may actually be familiar with this family-style system. In particular, if there is no determination of the entire country to preserve, protect, and develop such culture and art, there is a possibility that it will become obsolete in various difficulties and the ups and downs of the times. Whether Japan knows it or not, I feel that they are much more conscious of this than other countries and protect it. Thanks to this, it can be said that the culture of 500 years ago can still be enjoyed, albeit with some changes in form, rejecting the challenges of each era.

〇Kaiseki cuisine: Is kaiseki cuisine a cultural art? You may feel strange, but in fact, there is a global concern that not only kaiseki cuisine but also Japan food itself may not be protected unless you have a sense of purpose. Maybe it’s just unfounded. Certainly, on the other hand, the Japan food boom has been pointed out, so although kaiseki cuisine, which plays a role in Japan food, may also develop, it may be controversial whether it is necessary to protect it. But what is Japan food? It is also true that the framework of cuisine itself is gradually becoming ambiguous in the context of cross-cultural exchange. As you know, in December 2013, Japan food was registered as a UNESCO World Intangible Heritage. It is said that it is the “culture of Japanese food” that has been registered. The characteristics of Japanese food in the registration application can be summarized in the following four points. 1) Respect for diverse and fresh ingredients and their unique flavors, 2) Nutritionally balanced diet, 3) Expression of the beauty of nature and the changing of the seasons, 4) Close involvement with annual events such as New Year’s. What can be read from this is that both everyday life and seasonal special events and holidays are required in Japanese food. 

Whether it’s your daily diet or cooking for New Year’s or ceremonial occasions, it’s consistent that Japanese food is Japanese food. And that this is culture. Four food cultures were registered before Washoku was registered as a World Intangible Culture. “French Gastronomy (2010),” “Mediterranean Cuisine (Spain, Greece, Italy, Morocco)” (2010), “Mexican Traditional Cuisine (2010),” and “Kashkak Tradition (Turkey, 2011)” were registered because of a sense of crisis that they might be lost if they are not protected. When you think about it, the fact that Japanese food has been registered as a World Intangible Heritage is not an honor or a joy, but rather that this food culture is in danger of disappearing or transforming unless the people who Japan are aware of it. Kaiseki cuisine is a food culture that expresses and is conscious of the four characteristics of Japanese cuisine.

〇 Tea room/tea hut(Chashitsu) and open field(Roji): Isn’t it your own tea room that you want to learn the tea ceremony and what you want to realize in the end? Why? There may also be self-satisfaction, ostentation, and material desires that you have created a tea room. Rikyu also claims that the tea ceremony is just a matter of making tea and taking it, but even so, it is still a special time to hold a bowl in the atmosphere and world view of the tea ceremony. What creates the time and space of this tea ceremony is this tea room and the open ground. So, is the open-air space a space for appreciating only such Zen-like artistry? Rikyu chanted.

The open field will only be something else, and it will not scatter the dust of the heart.

In this case, open ground does not just refer to a garden. It signifies the state of the tea ceremony as something outside the floating world. It is said that when you are tired of the floating world and it becomes difficult to live, you abandon that world, leave that life, and become a wabi person and engage in wabi activities, and the practice of Zen is to put a piece of muscle into that life system. However, there are times when people are seen as recluses, detached from the real world, and recluse, but this is not the case. It is not to be naïve or pessimistic, but to take refuge in the tea ceremony life to overcome these real lives, to break away from the suffering of the real world, and to create a new positive life. Some people may feel uncomfortable or allergic to the expression “refuge” because it is somewhat religious, but it may be better to express it as living with an awareness of the tea ceremony life.

Wabi-sabi

When we turn to the philosophy of the tea ceremony, we see these familiar phrases “wabi” and “sabi”. However, there are actually less than half of the Japan people who can accurately explain this wabi-sabi. I believe that this idea of “wabi” and “sabi” is the state of mind that can be connected to the aesthetic sense, aesthetic view, and way of life of Japan people.

 To quote the explanation of “wabi” from the dictionary, (I) to be troubled. Be discouraged. Discouragement. Manyoshu(the oldest anthology of tanka) (4) “Now I am despondent of my unhappy fate.” (II) To enjoy a quiet residence. This interpretation comes from the Soga ogi hakkei of Joruri(ballad drama,the Japanese-type puppet show) . (III) Quiet atmosphere. It is referred to in tea ceremonies, haiku, etc. It is written. Here, it means (3), but some people may feel that they are wrapped in smoke that they understand. Since it appears in the Manyoshu, the expression “wabi” has been around since the 8th century. It has been used among Japan people long before the budding of the tea ceremony. If it means discouragement, it was used in a completely different sense from the current usage, but how did it change to the current usage? 

 It is generally said that from the time approaching the Middle Ages (the end of the 12th century, around the time of the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate), beauty was found in the inadequate way of being that should have been unsatisfactory, leading to a new aesthetic sense that expresses the beauty of lack. Murata Jyukō (1422-1502) is said to have been the founder of “wabi-cha” and changed the trend of respecting expensive “karamono(made-in China)” in the Muromachi period to the use of more crude and mundane utensils. Jyukō was originally a monk of the Buddhism Jyōdoshu, and it is said that he came into contact with Zen philosophy under the famous Rinzai shu Ikkyu Sojun (1394-1481), who became an anime called “Ikkyu-san” that was popular in the past, and preached the unity of Zen and the tea ceremony called the Chazen Ichimi. This paradigm shift in the tea ceremony was made by the townspeople of Sakai, Takeno Jyooh (1502-1555) and Sen Rikyu (1522-1591) deepened. For example, the size of the tea room also changes, as “the floor wall is removed to make it an earthen wall, the wooden lattice is replaced with a bamboo lattice, the shoji waist board is also removed, and the floor is painted so thin that the wood grain can be seen instead of true lacquer, or it is left white wood without lacquer at all.” “From four and a half tatami mats to three and a half tatami mats to two and a half tatami mats,” the six-shaku alcove was reduced to five and four shaku, and the floor gamachi that had been painted became knotted bare wood. Shao preferred Bizen ware and Shigaraki ware for everyday use, and tried to find new beauty in everyday miscellaneous utensils and incorporate it into the tea ceremony. Wabi was defined as “honest, modest, and unpretentious.” On the other hand, Rikyu aimed to create its own natural and lean tea utensils. 

• Shaku is the scale of length; one Shaku is equivalent to 30.3cm.

It remains that the tea master Yamagami Soji (1544-1599) used the idea of wabi in the “Yamagami Soji essay”. In a sense close to wabi, “to be dutifully on the top and careful on the bottom (even if the surface is rough, the inside is polite).” It is also said that the “the poor tea lover” appreciated the familiarity with tea, that is, the “wabi suki(favor)”. 

 In any case, it seems certain that this is an era in which wabi has come to be noted not only as a shabby thing, but also as an aesthetically pleasing thing. It is said that this became more recognized by the haiku(the shortest form of poetry) and travelogues of Matsuo Basho (1644~1694), but it is also said that it had sprouted in the aesthetic sense of the common people even before that. It is believed that wabi is a unique tea person and is fostered as a pillar of the spirit of the tea ceremony from the third generation(Rikkyu’s grandson), Sen Sōtan (1578-1658). 

In this way, the idea that was preserved and deepened over 500 years was introduced to the West by Okakura Kakuzo (Tenshin) (1863-1963) in “The Book of Tea”, and the wabi spirit came to be recognized as the heart of Japan people. 

 Next, let’s take a look at “sabi”. Similarly, to quote the meaning from the dictionary, (1) it is old and quaint; Quiet and quiet. (2) In songs and stories, a withered and astringent voice. Rusty. (3) Thick and low voice. (4) One of the fundamental principles of the Shofu haiku. It is a sophisticated and pure art with a quiet taste. The serene tone of the phrase. It is explained. Originally, it means that it has deteriorated over time. The contradictory elements of the old and withered and the rich and splendid attract each other in one world and interact with each other to revitalize the world. Loneliness in the sense of loneliness is also sung in the Manyoshu in ancient times. It is said that the poet Fujiwara Toshinari (114-1204) of the late Heian period discovered the positive beauty of loneliness, and at the singing competition, which competed for the superiority of the song, he regarded the form of the song as “rust” and evaluated it. 

In addition, the idea of “sabi” seems to have come to be widely known and accepted not only by specific intellectuals but also by the general public in literature and performing arts, such as Kaneyoshi’s (1283-1352) “Tsurezuregusa” and Matsuo Basho, which was introduced in haiku, Noh theater, and wabi in the Muromachi period. In particular, Basho’s haiku became an aesthetic that further deepened the silence and had a great influence on his subsequent haiku. He explains, “In the waka of Saigyō, in the renka of Sōji, in the painting of Sesshu, in the tea of Rikyu, the thing that penetrates is one.”

In this way, many Japan people must have been exposed to the names and works of artists and cultural figures in various fields who have deepened and developed these “wabi-sabi” by the time they graduate from high school, so these explanations are not necessary and are only a reaffirmation of knowledge. However, in reality, with the exception of a few people who specialize in wabi-sabi, such as who delved into it and how it was delved into, I think it was relegated to the unconscious as a part of daily life and other studies. In the tea ceremony, I explained that sabi-sabi is the spiritual pillar of the tea ceremony, but I think that the repetitive practice of practicing and embodying “wabi-sabi” through the five senses, not just as mere knowledge, is a major difference from other cultural activities. See with your eyes, hear with your ears, smell with your nose, touch with your hands, taste with your tongue. When human intelligence and knowledge are accompanied by emotions, they change from mere knowing and understanding to becoming a part of oneself as one’s own experience, experience. It can be said that the depth of understanding of “wabi-sabi” moves to another dimension.

 It is generally referred to as the Cha-Zen Ichimi(Identity of Chado and Zen). In this article, we have explained the characteristics of many tea ceremonies, the depth of their thoughts, and their artistry. Various books also emphasize that “the tea ceremony is not only Zen”. However, if we insist that “it is not only Zen”, then we should understand that the core idea of the tea ceremony is Zen Buddhism. Maybe it was because Eisai brought tea back to China that the tea ceremony and Zen Buddhism were linked, but it’s not for such a simple reason. Of course, Eisai left behind many words about the benefits of tea, including the “Tea Regimen”. On the other hand, if it were inevitable that tea and Zen Buddhism should be paired, the Cha-Zen Ichimi would have been established in China and India earlier than in Japan, but the relationship between tea and Zen like in Japan is not found in other countries. In Japan, famous tea masters such as Jyukou Murata, Ikkyu Sojun, Takeno Jyooh, and Rikyu Koji are Zen Buddhist monks or spend much of their lives training in Zen temples. Even if you look at the books related to the tea ceremony that have been published, you will always see the phrase “tea ceremony and Zen have the same taste,” and the tea ceremony and Zen are inextricably linked. A further question is, do you understand how close you can get to Zen philosophy when you practice the tea ceremony? This also raises the question. 

Once again, I think it is important to briefly review the relationship between Buddhism, Zen, and the tea ceremony in order to start or continue the practice of the tea ceremony. However, it goes without saying that while it is easy to understand a concise introduction of profound ideas such as Buddhism and Zen, there is a risk that it will lead to a wrong understanding just because you think you understand it. Please read on with this in mind.

Cha-Zen dou Ichimi(Homogeneity of Cha-Zen), this is a word left by the third generation of Sotan as a will. It is said that when he was a child, he saw his grandfather Rikyu’s own blade. After that, he spent a long time in exile as a criminal, and even after being pardoned for his sins by the shogunate on behalf of the Tokugawa dynasty, he never appeared on the front stage of politics or history, despite repeated requests. He said, “I will enjoy myself in this bush for the rest of my life,” and he also said that he would stay in his own house in the bush and “enjoy the purity and poverty in the bowl that he carried” (from “The Tea Ceremony”). It is said that the people of that time called him “Beggar Sōtan” because of his appearance and way of life. The tea ceremony was passed from the hobby of a few rulers to the hands of many powerful people and citizens. However, the wabi-sabi tea ceremony advocated by Rikyu was not always understood by those in power at the time. Didn’t Sōtan ask the world about such a tea ceremony in his will, saying that his life and tea are the same as that of Zen?

The first Rinzai temple in Japan: Shofukuji Temple (Fukuoka)

Ming Tian is Chinese, and in Japanese it means “tomorrow”. At the Urasenke Iemoto, there is a small tea room on the first tatami table that represents the Urasenke family, which was built by Sōtan in the New Year, called “Konnichi-An”, which is known to anyone who is even a little related to the Urasenke family.

The origin of the word “today” is said to be that when Seigen Oshō, who was a Zen master of Sōtan, was visited, he left a message saying, “Please come out tomorrow” because he had something to do. In response to this, he wrote a piece of paper on the wall of the rea house, “Bhikkhu of laziness, do not expect tomorrow” and left. There is an anecdote that it was out of a sense of self-reproach that he read the words and deeply regretted not valuing today and seeking the promise of tomorrow in this world where he did not know what tomorrow would bring. It can be said that Urasenke is a school that has inherited such thoughts of Sōtan.

In this context, I dared to name it {the house for good future} in Chinese with the hope of entrusting the traditional culture of Japan to the children of tomorrow while also valuing today, and not forgetting the origin and connection of the tea ceremony in China.

Meiten-An Address: 4-10-46 Hara, Sawara-ku, Fukuoka City

Tel: 090-7380-8259

E-mail address:meitenan-info@meitenan.com 

Rehearsal Day

Wednesday 10-12pm

Saturday 10-3pm

All of them are irregular 2-3 times a month.  Transfer is possible by contacting us at the beginning of the month. About 1 hour and a half ~ 2 hours each time

Monthly fee: 6,000 yen / 2 times a month, 9000 yen / 3 times a month

Admission fee: 10,000 yen

Charcoal for charcoal: 6,000 yen in May and November (twice a year)

Other: Permit application, mediation fee, etc.

However, junior high school students and younger

Monthly fee: 5500 yen / 2 times a month, 8000 yen / 3 times a month

*Observation / experience 1000 yen (as tea and sweets)

Please bring your own practice clothes, fans, pocket paper, sashes, paper tea towels, tabi socks, etc. for practice.