Reading & Research
Reading & Research · 22 January 2020
Today I have the great pleasure of releasing my translation and expansion of thought on Murata Shukō's "Letter of the Heart". I originally released this to my patrons and students last year. In doing so, I included the note that "great ideas want to be free" as stuff of this calibre needs to be out in the world, touching people's hearts and inspiring human culture - keep the internet open and free. So here it is. Set sail. I've put it into English, the defacto world tongue of the moment....
Reading & Research · 03 September 2019
The footring is the most important physical feature of a chawan. This is why potters can fail abysmally when they attempt to make a chawan - their foot ring is an afterthought. On the contrary, the footring makes the chawan for any tea person. (‘Footring’ (kōdai) is used here as a general reference to the base of the chawan: the footring and surrounding clay which includes the kōdai-waki and kōdai-uchi.)
Reading & Research · 28 August 2018
Adamu Shachu collectively works to create a broad-ranging resource for poetic names for chashaku. Following our pursuit of chanoyu as a global culture, readily transferrable to any place any time, due to chanoyu's timeless values, we source poetic names (mei) from poems, literature and songs of other cultures, not just that of Japan. All the poetic names have poetic English translations that can be used instead of the Japanese original. This is the initial release of poetic names for chashaku....
Reading & Research · 28 July 2018
Tea Tales by Kuwata Tadachika 茶道逸話 桑田忠親 #54 - A Warning About Copying Others For a kuchi-kiri tea gathering one year, Rikyu used an old, rounded kettle with great success. The Seven Daisu Masters were in attendance for this particular gathering. They took a keen interest in the kettle, enquiring about the particulars of its make and provenance while enjoying its beauty. Soon after this gathering, one of the Seven Daisu Masters hosted another event. At this tea gathering the host...
Reading & Research · 21 July 2018
Tea Tales by Kuwata Tadachika 茶道逸話 桑田忠親 #110 - Placing a Woven Flower Vase on the Floor One day, Oribe placed a woven bamboo flower vase directly on the alcove floor without sitting it on the standard thin board. When Rikyu saw this he said: “You know, from old times, teaists have placed vases on a thin board as a rule, no matter whether their make be ceramic, bamboo or woven basket. But there was always something unsatisfactory about this. Here you’ve displayed a stroke of...
Reading & Research · 18 July 2018
I have long wanted a comprehensive resource on key figures in chanoyu history in English. There's none around, so I may as well make one myself as I chug along with my translation projects! The figures in this document are those who have appeared already in the translations. The genealogy diagram at the end of the document is one I produced for another piece of work. It is not as comprehensive to include all the people that will be appearing in this running document. But I think it will help...
Reading & Research · 18 July 2018
Tea Tales by Kuwata Tadachika 茶道逸話 桑田忠親 #53 - Luxury Under the Guise of Sabi One year, during the kuchi-kiri season, Rikyu was invited for tea by a certain teaist who professed to be a ‘wabi chajin’. Accompanying Rikyu was his son-in-law, Mozuya Sōan. When they entered the roji they found an impressive, old gate. As Sōan was admiring the gate he commented: “So splendid the way in which this gate evokes the beauty of sabi.” To this Rikyu replied: “People like me...
Reading & Research · 27 February 2018
I reproduced this chajin genealogy in a translation I am currently producing for an Ueda Ryū document. It is a nice, relatively concise attempt at showing major figures in the history of Chanoyu. There seems to be a lack of these genealogies in other the roman alphabet. I hope it is of use to tea people. Full genealogy here: https://www.uedasokochanoyu.com/reading/essays-lectures-research/chajin-genealogy/