Winter's Pleasure - The Warmth of a Winter Tea Bowl

This winter in New York has been relatively warm, and it seems like today will be even warmer. However, it's only the end of February, so it's still cold, sometimes below freezing. Lately, I've been enjoying matcha in a winter bowl, which is cylindrical shape and typically used during the coldest month of the year, February.

Winter tea bowl (Tsutsu Chawan) and Bamboo tea whisk (Chasen)

The small opening in the tea bowl is designed to keep the matcha warm and prevent it from cooling down quickly. As you carefully pour in the hot water, place the bamboo tea whisk, and fold the linen cloth, simply watching the steam slowly rising from the tea bowl warms your heart. And now, you begin to make matcha.

The Way of Tea known as the tea ceremony always reminds us of the importance of savoring the present moment. It seems like a simple concept, but it reflects the depth and spiritual richness of the Japanese people in the past.

 I believe that life today is much richer than it was in the past. However, I feel that this is different from whether the human spirit has become richer.

While I can't wait for the arrival of warm spring weather, I've also realized that some pleasures can only be enjoyed during the cold season. Perhaps one of the greatest joys of a cold winter is seeing steam rise from a tea bowl or cup, feeling its soothing warmth wrap around your hands, and enjoying a hot beverage. Even if it's snowing outside, our bodies and hearts are filled with warmth. Let's enjoy the beauty of the cold season and the simple pleasures it brings for a bit while.

February Snow in Kent, CT

The Sunken Hearth Opening, and Matcha

The beginning of November a very important season for those of us who learn of the way of tea, known as the tea ceremony.

Around this time, we have a special tea gathering to celebrate the opening of the sunken hearth, known as Robiraki in Japanese. ‘Ro (炉)’ refers to the sunken hearth, a square pit set beneath the flooring, flush with the tatami. ‘Biraki'(開き)’means to open, so Robiraki literally marks the opening of the sunken hearth.

Ukiyo-e print (浮世絵) depicting the art of the tea ceremony by Toshitaka Mizuno (水野年方 1866-1903) 

During winter, we use the sunken hearth instead of the floor brazier. The sunken hearth is an essential feature of a tea room and located almost centrally in the tea room, creating a warm atmosphere as everyone gathers around it. The Robiraki tea gathering signifies the initiation of a new cycle in the tea ceremony year. Almost two weeks ago, I attended a Robiraki tea gathering at our school, Urasenke Chanoyu Center, a delightful occasion where 25 people at each seat wore kimonos to celebrate and enjoy a bowl of matcha together.

There is another important thing in November. While the new season for green tea is in May, matcha's new season is in November. After harvesting fresh tea leaves, they age for half a year in a jar. In November, the jar is opened, and the aged tea leaves are ground using a stone mortar to make matcha powder. This marks the beginning of drinking new matcha for the season. When I visit Japan during this time, I always buy matcha for Robiraki at a small tea shop in Kyoto.

Speaking of matcha, a charming tea shop, Sorate opened in Soho just last month. The wonderful owner, Silvia, an Italian woman I met at a charity event for Ukraine last year, provided absolutely delicious matcha sourced from Uji, Kyoto.

 On Sorate’s website, Silvia shares in her "A LOVE LETTER TO JAPAN": 

“AND ITALY, MY HOME COUNTRY.

The idea for starting Sorate came to mind after a period when I felt physically and emotionally depleted by the pressures of life. 

I decided to take a solo road trip through Japan to decompress. Making my way across the Japanese countryside, I discovered that the best way to keep my feet on the ground was to practice simple daily rituals. ….”

I knew she was learning the tea ceremony, but I was deeply moved when I saw a photo of her wearing a kimono and participating in a tea gathering held at Daitoku-ji Temple in Kyoto in the hot summer. I could feel her passion for Japanese culture and matcha.

Sorate, 13 Sullivan St. Soho, NYC

Sorate has a very cozy and relaxing atmosphere, especially in the morning. I enjoy delicious matcha accompanied by the pleasant sounds of jazz and Italian language. I feel the vibrant essence of New York City, a cosmopolitan city, a true melting pot. Each person has their own roots, but one can embrace and love any culture. At our school, Urasenke Chanoyu Center, there is an American instructor who has been teaching for a very long time and is highly respected by all students, not only as a teacher but also as a person.

These days, I feel that the way of Japanese tea is not only for the Japanese people but that this spirit will be passed down to the next generation by those who truly love Japanese culture.

June "Minazuki"

Dear friends,

Early in June my friends and I had a picnic in Central Park. We were all looking forward to trying a sushi bento box that we would purchase from a new sushi market adjacent to a high-end sushi restaurant in Manhattan. One of my friends stated she would bring Japanese sweets and matcha and she said "let’s have sweets after we have sushi." I thought what a great idea we could have an open-air tea ceremony. We hadn't seen each other for almost a year and a half, so we were looking forward to the day.

The day arrived and she brought a homemade Japanese sweet called "Minazuki," which is another name for June in Japanese. Since last June I craved this delicacy so much, so the minute I saw it I expressed my happiness by saying very loud "Minazuki."

Minazuki originally came from Kyoto, and it is eaten on June 30th to pray for good health for the second half of the year. I enjoyed this sweet the first time in my early twenties, however, I wasn't impressed at all because I felt it wasn't visually appealing. After I moved to NY I missed traditional Japanese sweets, so I started making my own. The recipe for Minazuki is simple but I was not successful, consequently, I have been looking forward to this June after failing last June. 

While talking about such things, we really enjoyed having sweets, making matcha for each other, and being surrounded by beautiful green trees and grass.   Children were laughing and running around while young people were playing games. It was a very peaceful day, so much different from a year ago.   I find the taste and appearance of food are important, but the memories associated with the food make me more fond of it. This picnic made "Minazuki" even more memorable Japanese sweets for me. I wish you good health for the rest of 2021.

All the best,

Kumiko

Edited by Janice Ensminger

Spring arrival

Dear friends,

Although there still snow on the ground in Kent CT, I feel the spring air coming on. The sun is brighter and it rises earlier, and also I hear the birds singing.

Many people are waiting for spring flowers to bloom. Speaking of spring flowers, first I can imagine cherry blossoms.  When feeling a sign of spring, I always become craving a Japanese sweet called sakura-mochi, which is one of the most popular spring confections in Japan. It contains rice cake made from sticky rice flour with red bean paste inside it's wrapped in a salty leaf picked from a cherry blossom tree, which smells fragrant like the cherry blossom leaves. Sakura-mochi is only available in the spring, which make me want it more. 

You can purchase sakura-mochi at Japanese sweet shops even in NYC so I urge you try this you will enjoy it. I used to make Sakura-mochi, however, I have been unable to get the ingredients here locally this year.

Sakura-mochi

Simply said the Japanese culture savors all the changes in the seasons. In Japan, people enjoy the seasons not only with food but also poetry and kimono. Seasonal ones are more luxurious than anything else, as we can only be used at that particular time. Seasons are changing anyway. Each moment is different so we should cherish each encounter. It would be wonderful if I could make matcha for you using such a tea caddy pictured below to celebrate the arrival of spring together. I really hope such a day will come very soon.

Kamakura-bori (Sakura floating in the waves) by Hakkodo

All the best,

Kumiko

Edited by Janice Ensminger

Do you really like your teacup?

Dear Friends;

What kind of teacup do you use on a daily basis? Do you really like your teacup, or have you never even thought of it. The New York Times bestseller book The Life Changing Magic Of Tidying Up written by Marie Kondo states only you can know what kind of environment makes you happy. Your feelings are the standard for decision making – specifically, knowing what sparks joy. 

Today I am introducing my favorite teacup to you. I love it and I've used it for many years. You might look at it and think it's a bit old and worn out, but to me, it becomes more attractive the longer I use it. I use the Japanese term shibui, so please let me explain. You can see the cracking and discoloration at the bottom of the cup. They are formed into patterns called keshiki (景色) which literally means scenery.  Cracking is a state in which the glaze is finely cracked. Depending on the extent of cracking, the color brings out marks. The keshiki didn't exist when the teacup was new. A good comparison is a leather with time leather becomes more glossy and deeper in color. In Japan, they said the keshiki makes you more attached so because of the keshiki  I have grown to love my teacup. 

This particular teacup was created by the ceramic Artist, Kifumi Kawamura. Each piece he makes is original. Every time, I drink tea with this teacup I sense warmth and calmness, so even when I'm busy I can't handle it roughly because it's so special to me.

In fact, ceramics last longer than our lives, especially if we take good care. It gives you a good feeling that you have had your ceramic item for a long time. I feel it's important to surround yourself with things you love and you have had for a long time.

See the picture of my teacup. I requested a larger than normal size, so I could also use it for food. It is perfect for appetizers or desserts, especially matcha ice cream!

You may purchase a similar teacup available in two different sizes. Large 3 3/4” (9.5 cm.) shown and Medium  3 1/4” ( 8 cm.)

Please contact us for more information via the “contact page.” 

Best,

Kumiko

 Edited by Janice Ensminger

Be here, now.

Dear Friends,

I really hope you and your families are healthy and well. It's already the end of May time passes so quickly it's almost summer, and no matter what happens in the world seasons change anyway.

It seems since the shutdown I have become so easily distracted I am concerned about the future, and I have a tendency to day-dream and think of nothing in particular, so I wonder if this is happening to any of you; as a result, I intentionally try to do the same things every day with the same schedule so that I can pay attention to the result. This limited lifestyle teaches me how important it is to enjoy simple activities of everyday life.

One of my favorite activities is making a bowl of matcha. I prepare a tea bowl by pouring very hot water into the tea bowl and tossing out the hot water now dry the bowl with a cotton cloth, put matcha powder into the tea bowl add hot water, and move very quickly a bamboo whisk back and forth to dissolve and whisk the matcha powder. Now inhale the fragrant matcha. Then carefully pick up the tea bowl with your right hand to place it in the palm of your left hand, and feel the warmth of the tea bowl and appreciate it, rotate it twice clockwise, and drink the matcha. These activities create a soothing effect in me, and a calmness that has become so significant. I do it on a regular basis because it has become so important in my life.

Sometimes our lives are forced to shift to a new normal, which I can understand, but I am not sure how to adapt to. I try and focus on living in the moment with an eye on the future with a strong desire for a new wonderful world.

All the best,

Kumiko

Edited by Janice Ensminger

Every Day a Good Day!

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Dear Friends,

We tend to feel gloomy these days because it is an uncertain time for everybody. So I would like to share an interesting book. I hope it cheers you up a bit.

“Every Day a Good Day” - This book, originally written in Japanese, was very popular in Japan a few years ago. It became even more recognizable after it was adapted into a movie. I had heard of the book but hadn’t had a chance to read it until last year when I received the book as a Christmas gift.

I have been studying tea ceremonies for a while so when I saw the English subtitle, “Fifteen lessons I learned about happiness from Japanese tea culture”, I became even more intrigued.

The book says, “…. in essence, tea is nothing more than making a single bowl of tea”. That’s true. Can you imagine people spending years learning how to make a single bowl of tea? But that is the truth! I go to class to learn how to serve a bowl of matcha. But the more I learn about the Japanese tea ceremony and its depth, I realize how much more there is to study. Even so, I always feel good after my tea ceremony class.

The popularity of matcha in NYC still surprises me. It started out as a new flavor for beverages.  However, people seem to sense that matcha is not just a drink, but something more profound. This book is translated into English as well as many other languages so that people around the world might begin to feel the mystery of tea. If you are interested, please check it out. There may be different nuances in each language, but this English translation is great. You will find that learning one thing teaches you a lot. Everything is within.  We may not need many things to feel happiness. Please don’t forget to wash your mind as well as your hands!!  Every Day is a Good Day!

Best,

Kumiko

Edited by Mika Sumida