Tsurigama hanging kettle |
They say
“April showers bring May flowers.” While
the sakura are in full bloom in
Japan, here in Stow, Ohio at the Snowflake Tea Room, April brings the hope for warmer
weather to blossom and the birth of spring flowers taking their first breath of
air. As the temperature rises and the
days get warmer, we prepare for the journey of the kettle in the sunken winter
hearth to a hanging kettle or tsurigama. The cast iron kettle is suspended on a chain
from the ceiling. As the kettle is being
used by the host, it swings gently giving the impression of a soft spring
breeze floating across the tatami
mats.
Many of the wagashi and higashi traditional Japanese sweets for spring mirror the look and
feel of the seasonal and stunning sakura
blossoms. These sweets are artfully
crafted and typically made from plant ingredients. Higashi
(dried sweets) are made from a rice flour, sugar and starch mixture then
pressed into molds to dry. At the tea room
we offer these Japanese confections before serving tea. They sweeten the mouth before a sip of matcha green tea which can be bitter. Since we do not add sugar to matcha, this helps to balance the flavor
of the tea.
Wagashi and higashi sweets for spring |
On April 8,
Buddha’s birthday is celebrated at Buddhist temples in Japan. The commemoration
is called Kanbutsu-e or Hana Matsuri (Flower Festival). On this day, a basin of water with a small childlike
statue of Buddha is placed in the center of a hanamido or “flower hall” that has been adorned with colorful
flowers. With arms simultaneously
pointed upward and downward, the baby Buddha statue symbolizes the words of
Buddha after birth, “I alone am
honored in heaven and on earth
.”
Kanbutsu-e celebration |
Visitors
sprinkle sweet hydrangea tea or amacha
over the head of the statue as if bathing a newborn baby. It is a symbolic gesture recreating Buddha’s
birth in the garden of Lumbini where
he was anointed after birth with pure water from heaven. In the past, this sweet tea was thought to
have magical powers. Families would
drink the tea and write spells with ink made from the tea to ward off unwanted
animals and spirits.
In the month of April, as the season changes we
also give birth to a different style of tea that incorporates a portable box or
tabi-dansu with the tea utensils
arranged inside. Tabi means travel and dansu
means chest. It is therefore fitting for
this traveling chest to be used in the tea room, for outdoor ceremonies or when
a proper tea room is not available.
When doing
tea outside of the tea room, tea master Sen
no Rikyu (1522-1591) preferred to have his utensils by his side. He is credited with inventing the box for his
travels with warlord Hideyoshi Toyotomi
(1536-1598) during times of battle in the 16th century. Made of plain palownia wood, the latched
front door and two shelves inside are removable and allow for a variety of ways
to use the box for tea ceremony. For
example, the middle shelf can be removed and used as a protective tray for the natsume or tea caddy and chasen or tea whisk versus placing the
utensils on the bare ground when outdoors.
We look
forward to our April Snow tabi-dansu
making an appearance for it is indeed a sure sign that the birth of spring is
near. We hope you will join us at the tea
room to welcome spring. Please make time
to come and enjoy a bowl of tea with us.
April style at Snowflake Tea Room |
Photo credit:
Jeanenne Gribble, tea student
Elaine Robinson, tea student
Jeanenne Gribble, tea student
Elaine Robinson, tea student
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