Tea Ceremony - Urasenke

The Way of Tea concerns the creation of the proper setting for the moment of enjoyment of a perfect bowl of tea. Everything that goes into the serving of tea, even the quality of the air and the space where it is served, becomes a part of its flavor. The perfect tea must therefore capture the 'flavor' of the moment -- the spirit of the season, of the occasion, of the time and the place.  

The tea ceremony which we attended had the theme of sakura, or cherry blossom (the cherry blossoms are nearing full bloom in Osaka).  We began with a supplication before the tokonoma, an alcove that displays a scroll and a budding cherry tree branch in a vase.  

Next we were served a small sweet cake flavored and colored with cherry blossoms.

The tea was prepared from matcha, or powdered tea leaves.  A small amount of matcha was placed into each individual tea bowl, using a bamboo scoop called a chashaku, then hot water was added and the mixture was whisked using a bamboo whisk known as a chasen.  

A tea bowl was placed in front of each of us.  After bowing to the bowls, we picked them up and turned them in our hands two times.  The tea was consumed in three-and-a-half sips.

In its association with Zen, tea goes beyond entertainment, medicinal value, or temple ceremony; the preparation and drinking of tea can be an expression of the Zen belief that every act of daily life can potentially lead to enlightenment. This belief manifests itself in an aesthetic which seeks beauty in the imperfect and in the simple objects of everyday life.

Haiku #3

sakura float down

stillness in a city park

pink and ashen grey

Duck Mouth

Just a quick post... 

The TV was on during breakfast with my host family this morning (grilled ham/cheese/egg/cucumber, peanut butter sandwich quartered, coffee, blueberry yogurt) and a talk show was reviewing a phenomenon called ahiru guchi, or "duck mouth."  This is a current fad in Japan where younger people (mainly women but sometimes men) purse their lips a bit for photos to approximate a "duck mouth" look.  Apparently this is attractive to someone...

(here's a link if you would like more information on how to bring "duck mouth" to your neighborhood: http://www.cnngo.com/tokyo/none/quacking-current-craze-duck-mouth-japan-093969)

Haiku #2

if i were the rain
i know which path i would choose
to reach dirty streets

S U M O !

The first sumo matches were a form of ritual dedicated to the gods, with prayers for a bountiful harvest.  They were performed together with sacred dancing and dramas within the precinct walls of shrines.  Under the peaceful reign of the Tokugawa Shogunate, which began in 1603, sumo transformed into entertainment for the rapidly expanding plebian class and became the national sport of Japan.

The sumo ring is called the dohyo, and takes its name from the buried straw rice bags which mark its circumference.  The raised dohyo area is 18 feet square, with the dohyo itself a bit over 15 feet in diameter.  The hard clay surface is 2 feet high, and is covered with a thin layer of sand.  Over the dohyo, suspended by cables from the ceiling, is a roof resembling a Shinto shrine, with four giant tassels hanging from the corners (symbolizing the seasons of the year and the ritual importance of the sumo match).

A bout is won by forcing the opponent out of the inner ring or throwing him in the dohyo.  The rikishi (or sumo wrestler) who touches the ground with any part of his body other than his feet, loses the match.  If any part of his body touches down outside the dohyo, he loses the match.  There are no weight limits or classes in sumo, so it is not uncommon for a rikishi to face an opponent who outweighs him by as much as 200 pounds.

We were lucky enough to see the last day of the spring sumo tournament in Osaka (there are only six tournaments per year, and only one in Osaka).  I ran into a former rikishi (now a manager) outside the main hall, and thought I could take him... I was wrong.

Unfortunately we weren't able to see the final match since we had to leave, but we definitely saw some amazing wrestling.

Tommy Lee Jones and Electric Toilets

If it's true that Japan is where American celebrity comes to die (Bill Murray in Lost in Translation), then I'm worried for Tommy Lee Jones.  But I also saw Leonardo DiCaprio's face on an ad, so who knows...

Vending machines are ubiquitous in Japan, and one can find machines vending 10+ types of coffee... hot with milk, cold with sugar, etc.  I haven't had the free time yet to partake but hope to before long.  When I do, I'm definitely going with the Boss...

The next image is the inspiration for Haiku #1:






crazy japanese
toilet with a microchip
which button to push? 

Actually, the graphics make the operation pretty clear.  The stop button is very important...

Welcome to Osaka!

We arrived in Osaka at around 3:45 pm, after a 12-hour flight from San Francisco.  This will be a quick blog entry, off to see the sumo championship match in a few minutes.

Here's the night view out my hotel room window. The next picture is a view of our hotel from a little shrine down the street.

Haiku to come later...

Ando: A Japanese Architect

Tadao Ando is one of Japan's best-known architects, and a native son of Osaka.  Ando's work is executed primarily in concrete, enlivened by a deep understanding of how light plays within a building.  In Ando's words: "Light gives objects existence as objects and connects space and form.  A beam of light isolated within architectural space lingers on the surfaces of objects and evokes shadows from the background.  As light varies in intensity with the shifting of time and changes of season, the appearances of objects are altered..."

Ando received the Pritzker Prize (architecture's version of the Nobel) in 1995.  Among his recent projects is the Museum of Modern Art in Fort Worth, Texas.  Some of Ando's most successful projects have been religious buildings, figural "vessels for light" designed with a purity of form that alludes to their spiritual significance.

Osaka: A Brief History

  

Osaka lies approximately 200 miles southwest of Tokyo, in the heart of the Kansai region in western Japan.  Situated at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, it is known as Japan's "water city."  With a population of 2.6 million people, Osaka is the country's third largest city, after Tokyo and Yokohama. 

Osaka was the capital of Japan during the reign of Emperor Kotoku in the seventh century, and has remained an important commercial center ever since.  The people of Osaka are often considered Japan's friendliest and most outgoing residents, and are known for their fierce independence and love of food.

And here's my driver's license from 1986...

Tokyo circa 1979

In preparation for the trip (less than 4 weeks away) I was going through some old photos from when I lived in Tokyo.  Here's one of my brother Chris and me in the family Honda Civic.