茶席 Chaseki - Tea Salon at Delftwood Yule (DEC 03)

[solveig]

The tea ceremony was a major social and political activity pursued by the military elite of late medieval Japan. We will seek together to recreate the sixteenth century tea of 千利休 Sen no Rikyū. A 茶事 chaji consists of a formal meal followed in turn by 濃茶 koicha (thick tea) and then 薄茶 usucha (thin tea). The salon will commence following the mid-day feast.

With thick tea, participants share a common bowl of tea each taking three sips in turn. This style of tea is conducted in almost total silence. With thin tea, the host prepares bowls of tea for each guest individually. Each guest drinks their entire bowl of tea with at least three sips. The last sip should be quite loud. With thin tea, silence is broken once the head guest has tasted and approved the tea. Conversation should be on artistic topics.

The first sitting will consist of thick tea and will be by subscription. Please reserve a spot by the beginning of midday feast to allow proper measurement of the tea. All subsequent sittings will consist of usucha and do not require a reservaton. Thick tea guests will have preferential seating for the first usucha service. Each sitting is limited to ten guests. Please wear comfortable clothing and white socks. Please bring a folding fan with you if you have one. Please do not bring weapons into or wear jewelry in the tea room. All seating will take place after mid-day feat, and a rudementary handout will be available at the event. All sittings will cost $5.00 to cover the cost of tea and sweets.

[jutte]

This sounds delightful, and I wish I could come, but alas - too far. I realize suicha (shared thick tea) is common nowadays, if not exclusively used, but according to the Rikyu Densho and the Nampo Roku, Rikyu himself preferred to serve thick tea individually to the shokayaku, and then pair up (2 persons per bowl) for the subsequent guests, the host doing "teisho-oshoban" - mixing the koicha dregs (cha-no-ato) into a thin usucha so as to not waste tea with each bowl served. Granted, that was for a "small room" style, not hiroma, but if the guest list per seating is too long, the last guest might get cold green cement to attempt to drink

- Elmar/Jutte

[solveig]

Apr 13, 2017 6:41:22 GMT -5 jutte said:

This sounds delightful, and I wish I could come, but alas - too far. I realize suicha (shared thick tea) is common nowadays, if not exclusively used, but according to the Rikyu Densho and the Nampo Roku, Rikyu himself preferred to serve thick tea individually to the shokayaku, and then pair up (2 persons per bowl) for the subsequent guests, the host doing "teisho-oshoban" - mixing the koicha dregs (cha-no-ato) into a thin usucha so as to not waste tea with each bowl served. Granted, that was for a "small room" style, not hiroma, but if the guest list per seating is too long, the last guest might get cold green cement to attempt to drink

- Elmar/Jutte

We muddled through to the best of our limited ability and the general hub-ub of the surrounding event. For some strange reason, I was determined to perform a mini-chaji. Originally, the tea salon was supposed to be in the afternoon, but the global event schedule was re-arranged at the last moment. The tea "salon" consequently moved to earlier in the day which was difficult. I really do have to read my copy of the Nampo Roku and the Densho sometime. Unfortunately, we were under enough of a time crunch that I doubt that it would have been possible to perorm the multi-bowl koicha and gotten through as much as we did. Actually, I know why I wanted to perform some sort of chaji no matter what. I really enjoyed monthly chaji practice in Tokyo. Also, the nighttime chaji that I was invited to ranks right up there with the rotenburo in the Tohoku region which projected into a river. At the time, snow was lightly falling and the steam was rising up to meet the snow. Absolutely charming. Basically, I very much miss chaji practice. Note to non-cogniscenti. There are not a lot of opportunities for chaji practice in Japan. I joined a chaji school which advertised in Tanko (the Urasenke monthly technical journal). They have pretty much one class a month in three locations in Japan. I suppose that the students in the Tokyo branch were more or less evenly divided between Uransenke (my school) and Omotesenke (Elmar's school). Regardless, chaji is fairly rarified in the world of tea. Most chakai are not chaji.

[jutte]

Apr 13, 2017 21:25:37 GMT -5 solveig said:

... Uransenke (my school) and Omotesenke (Elmar's school). Regardless, chaji is fairly rarified in the world of tea. Most chakai are not chaji.

Well, I used to practice Omote-Senke  No longer though - I practice according to the Densho and what might be called "old style" Sado Nampo Ryu (when Kanshu Osho ws the head monk of Engaku-ji and oiemoto of the style).  Since his death in 1995, the style has been taken over by (I believe) his son, and since they had to ask for financial support from the San Senke, they had to alter their temae to not conflict (too badly).