Through past articles, I have showed you that what is the culture of the tea ceremony. Then, in this , the last article, Lets think about "what is the tea ceremony". It meens that what is the form of culture of the tea ceremony and what is it for Japanese people.
Originally, the tea ceremony was a culture of foreign country. Then why this culture took root widely in Japan. The reason is not only its attraction but also one's intention. In the Japanese Warring States Period, the reward of the war to a samurai was the most important matter. Because the reward put up tht motivation of the soldiar. However, the land as a reward was limited. Therefore Nobunaga Oda was going to create new value to substitute for the land. He had his eyes on the tea ceremony which was not prosperous in those days and he protected this culture. His plan succeeded and the tea ceremony as new value was born.
In this point, the most imprtant matter is this is just "value". Then what is value? Value is a standard which decide something is good or something is bad. It makes a rank. And the rank is one of the human insticts. A thing of the reverse with the mind of the tea ceremony lets, as a result, the tea ceremony prosper.Probably, only as wabi culture, the tea ceremony would not take root in Japanese culture like this. The value made the tea ceremony one of the most famous Japanese cultures. To sum up, for Japanese, the tea ceremony was value which determined one's status, power and "value".
And I think that there is another one form. Surely, the form of the tea ceremony for Japanese people "was" value. That is a past thing. The spirit of the tea ceremony does not have a mean now. What the present tea ceremony has is a heart to enjoy that. Drinking delicious tea, eatind delicious sweets and seeing a beautiful tea ceremony room and teacups, a heart to enjoy them is essence of the modern tea ceremony.
These two form of the culture are the tea ceremony. A culture is a creature. It changes its form in any time, any period. What we have to do is protecting a culture which changes fluidly. If you have an interest in the tea ceremony through my articles, please enjoy it.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Saturday, January 25, 2014
#9 Teacup In The Tea Ceremony
In the tea ceremony, the role which tea-things play is important as well as the tea and the tea ceremony room, or more important. Because the reason that tea ceremony is not a tea party and is just tea ceremony is that one of the purposes of tea ceremony is appreciation of tea-things. The tea-things show taste, character and eye for arts, sometime the power of the owner.
When you here the word "tea-things", especially Japanese tea-things, what do you image? Most people may answer "a teacup". That is true. There is rating in Japanese tea-things called Mei-mono. And in Mei-mono rating, teacups is rated the second place. So here, in this article, I show the history of Japanese teacups and examples. By the way, the No.1 is a tea caddy.
Culture of teacups in Japan came from ancient China. Especially, the teacups which was in favor with masters of tea ceremony is called Kara-mono, means made in Kara which is one of the ancient countries of China. And, in the kara-monos, there is a special group called the Tenmoku teacups. These teacups were teacups made by ceramics and fired by using glaze called Tenmoku glaze. Tenmoku glaze's color is varies according to containt of iron. The one which contain iron more is called kakiyu, and the one which contain iron less is called ameyu. The feature of the teacup which is fired by Tenmoku glaze is its heat-retaing ability. In the tea ceremony that it is mportant treating a visitor, this property was useful very much. The teacups are very expensive now, and there is a teacup which is the national treasure.
A teacup loved in the same way as Kara-mono is the Korai teacup. When the wabi-cha spread in the tea ceremony, a simple teacup came to be gradually prefered to a gorgeous one. And it was Korai teacup made in Korea in those days to have collected populality. Comparing the photo of Tenmoku teacup with the photo of Korai teacup, you can see that Korai teacup is made with an immature technique. But people in those days said that this is beautiful. Kourai teacups are expensive now too, because these teacups are used by many masters of tea ceremony.
These are the two famous teacups of tea ceremony. If you have inerest, please check it in some way.
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| a general teacup |
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| Tenmoku teacup |
Culture of teacups in Japan came from ancient China. Especially, the teacups which was in favor with masters of tea ceremony is called Kara-mono, means made in Kara which is one of the ancient countries of China. And, in the kara-monos, there is a special group called the Tenmoku teacups. These teacups were teacups made by ceramics and fired by using glaze called Tenmoku glaze. Tenmoku glaze's color is varies according to containt of iron. The one which contain iron more is called kakiyu, and the one which contain iron less is called ameyu. The feature of the teacup which is fired by Tenmoku glaze is its heat-retaing ability. In the tea ceremony that it is mportant treating a visitor, this property was useful very much. The teacups are very expensive now, and there is a teacup which is the national treasure.
 |
| Korai teacup |
A teacup loved in the same way as Kara-mono is the Korai teacup. When the wabi-cha spread in the tea ceremony, a simple teacup came to be gradually prefered to a gorgeous one. And it was Korai teacup made in Korea in those days to have collected populality. Comparing the photo of Tenmoku teacup with the photo of Korai teacup, you can see that Korai teacup is made with an immature technique. But people in those days said that this is beautiful. Kourai teacups are expensive now too, because these teacups are used by many masters of tea ceremony.
These are the two famous teacups of tea ceremony. If you have inerest, please check it in some way.
#8 Representative Japanese Sweet
Then, let's introduce a groop of sweets called The main sweet. The main sweet is very wet food.
For example, yokan is very famous. Yokan, commomly, is made by jellifying been jam, mainly made from azuki beans, with Japanese agar. The name changes with quantity of Japanese agar, the one with much quantity of agar called kneeded yokan and the one with little quantity of agar called water yokan. In the tea ceremony, kneeded yokan is used better than water yokan. Because quantity of the water of the kneeded yokan is suitable for Japanese tea. And yokan is eaten in the everyday life. To tell the truth, I am one of the yokan lover.
If you want to eat a yokan, you shoul buy it at the famous Japanese sweet maker Toraya. A yokan made by this maker is very delicious.
The sweet which is often used in the Japanese tea ceremony is Sei-o-bo. This sweet is a kind of rice cake. And its peoccess of making is very similar. Sei-o-bo is written 西王母 in kanji. The origin of the name is a Chinese harmit. Her peach is said to give the one who eat the peach perpetual youth and longevity. So this sweet is treated as a bringer of good luck. Its taste is far from a peach in spite of its appearance. The texture of bean jam wrapped in a rice cake is very nice. It is sold in every Japanese sweets shop, please eat it.
The sweet which I introduce you is a kind of the special sweet called Kyo-gashi. Kyo-gashi means that the sweet which made in Kyoto. The characteristics of Kyo-gashi are its beauty and delicacy. There are so many kinds of Kyo-gashi, but my recommendation is Yatuhashi. Yatuhashi is representative of Kyo-gashi. Its characteristic is the dough which is made from the mixture of rice, sugar and cinnamon. Therefore the Yatuhashi has the unique flavor that other Japanese sweets do not have. In ganeral, the Yatuhashi which contain been jam is more famous than the one which doesn't contain. Origin of its name is not clear, but i is said that the origin is MIkawakuni-Yatuhashi where the stage of the Ise story which is very old story. This sweet matches the Japanese tea well. If you want to eat it, you should go to Kyoto. You do not the loss.
This is my introuction of the Japanese sweets. At next article, I introduce the tools of the tea ceremony.
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| kneeded yokan |
If you want to eat a yokan, you shoul buy it at the famous Japanese sweet maker Toraya. A yokan made by this maker is very delicious.
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| Sei-o-bo |
The sweet which is often used in the Japanese tea ceremony is Sei-o-bo. This sweet is a kind of rice cake. And its peoccess of making is very similar. Sei-o-bo is written 西王母 in kanji. The origin of the name is a Chinese harmit. Her peach is said to give the one who eat the peach perpetual youth and longevity. So this sweet is treated as a bringer of good luck. Its taste is far from a peach in spite of its appearance. The texture of bean jam wrapped in a rice cake is very nice. It is sold in every Japanese sweets shop, please eat it.
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| Yatuhashi |
This is my introuction of the Japanese sweets. At next article, I introduce the tools of the tea ceremony.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Amiri Baraka : Breaking news
The other day, one great person died. He was a writer. His name is Ameri Baraka. This article is obituary for him.
He was born Everett LeRoi Jones in New Jersey in 1934. His father worked as a postal supervisor and lift operator, and his mother was a social worker.
His radical work attracted support to many people. Of him pray its soul may rest in peace.
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| Amiri Baraka |
In 1954, he joined the US Air Force as a gunner. He reached the rank of sergeant. But after an anonymous letter to his commanding officer accusing him ob being communist led to the discovery of Soviet writings, he was put on an unimportant post and given a discharge. he left US Air Force and He came into contact with Beat Generation, Black Mountain poets and New York School poets.
In 1958, he founded Totem Press, which published Beat icons. His this work was very favorable. He also worked as editor and critic.
In 1961, a first book of poems, Preface to a Twenty Volume Suicide Note, was published. He stated in his article in1962 that the Negro was entirely misunderstood by Americans as an element of American culture. As long as the black writer was obsessed with being an accepted, middle class, Baraka wrote, he would never be able to speak his mind, and that would always lead to failure. In 1967, he adopted the Muslim name Amear Baraka, later changed to Amiri Baraka.
His Black Art Movement lasted till 1974. He distanced himself from Black nationalism and became a Marxist.
Friday, January 3, 2014
#7 Japanese sweets used in the tea ceremony
One of the things which are necessary when you drink tea in the Japanese tea ceremony is a Japanese sweets. There are many kinds of sweets. But if you want to divide them, these sweets can be distributed between two kinds mainly. The sweets having more than 70% of constant of the water is called The Main Sweets, and less than 70% is called The Dry Sweets. Today, I'll show you what the Japanese sweets are. And please know about the culture of the Japanese sweets.
In the first place, the Japanese sweets are which has been made by a premise to eat while drinking tea. What the most important matter is that not only eating only a Japanese sweet and feeling that it is delicious but also enhancing taste of the Japanese tea. Then, for this purpose, what is the thing necessary for Japanese sweets? The answer is a flavor. A flavor is not only taste simply, but also its figure, color, smell, those entireties. It is demanded that the owner who held a tea party makes use of the flavor of tea sweets. Seasonally suitable color and form, the taste that is not too weak without being too strong, timing to give a guest it, the tea sweet plays its role only after you consider all of them. Tea sweets were made by an owner of a tea party oneself in old days. However, in these days, it is common that the tea sweet is entrusted with outside. So please know only that there is such backgrounds.
Then, let's explain only a little the history if the Japanese sweet next. The origin of Japanese sweets are fruits and nuts. Rice growing came in Yayoi period, and they changed a figure from staple food into luxury foods. Fruits to just eat without processing it named The Water Sweet, and preservation food to eat with processing it named The Dry Sweet. These are the origin of current names. Afterwards,Chinese sweets came from China and had a big influence on Japanese sweets culture. This is because the width of the dish method spread by having come to use cereals. And tea ceremony comes into existence in Muromachi period. The Japanese sweet developed as a thing eaten with tea. And The Kyoto sweets which are beautiful and delicate are made in Kyoto in Edo period. The current Japanese sweet was born.
In the next article, I'll introduce you various Japanese sweets.
In the first place, the Japanese sweets are which has been made by a premise to eat while drinking tea. What the most important matter is that not only eating only a Japanese sweet and feeling that it is delicious but also enhancing taste of the Japanese tea. Then, for this purpose, what is the thing necessary for Japanese sweets? The answer is a flavor. A flavor is not only taste simply, but also its figure, color, smell, those entireties. It is demanded that the owner who held a tea party makes use of the flavor of tea sweets. Seasonally suitable color and form, the taste that is not too weak without being too strong, timing to give a guest it, the tea sweet plays its role only after you consider all of them. Tea sweets were made by an owner of a tea party oneself in old days. However, in these days, it is common that the tea sweet is entrusted with outside. So please know only that there is such backgrounds.
Then, let's explain only a little the history if the Japanese sweet next. The origin of Japanese sweets are fruits and nuts. Rice growing came in Yayoi period, and they changed a figure from staple food into luxury foods. Fruits to just eat without processing it named The Water Sweet, and preservation food to eat with processing it named The Dry Sweet. These are the origin of current names. Afterwards,Chinese sweets came from China and had a big influence on Japanese sweets culture. This is because the width of the dish method spread by having come to use cereals. And tea ceremony comes into existence in Muromachi period. The Japanese sweet developed as a thing eaten with tea. And The Kyoto sweets which are beautiful and delicate are made in Kyoto in Edo period. The current Japanese sweet was born.
In the next article, I'll introduce you various Japanese sweets.
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