Measurements of length used in chanoyu
| Romaji | Kanji | Shaku | Millimetres |
| bu | 分 | 1/100 | 3.030 |
| sun | 寸 | 1/10 | 30.30 (3.3cm) |
| shaku | 尺 | 1 | 303.0 (30.3cm) |
Units of mass used in chanoyu
| Romaji | Kanji | Monme | Milligrams | Grams |
| fun | 分 | 1/10 | 375 | 0.375 |
| monme | 匁 | 1 | 3750 | 3.75 |
| hyakume | 百目 | 100 | 3.75x105 | 375 |
| kin | 斤 | 160 | 3.75x105 | 600 |
Tatami and tearoom floor measurements
| Dimensions of Kyōma tatami | 95.5cm by 191cm |
| Dimensions of Kyōma tatami | 37.5" by 75.2" |
| Dimensions of daime tatami |
143-145cm in length, around 3/4 of Kyōma. The width is based on the dimensions of the daisu. The rules for daisu apply to the daime tatami, adapted to a 'sō' setting |
|
Length and width of hearth |
43.5cm |
| Width of one wale (one tatami weave) | 1.5cm |
| Number of wales under a tatami rim | 2 wales = 3cm |
Amount of tea, water, etc.
| 1 serve of thin tea | 2g (3g in the past), around two chashaku scoops |
| 1 serve of thick tea | 3g (4g in the past) |
| Thin tea in thin tea caddy | Filled to 80% |
| Amount of water in iron kettle | 80% for thin tea, 70% for thick tea |
| Amount of water in fresh water container (mizusashi) | 90% or 80% for a skui lid (concave lid) |
| Amount of water in flower vase | First fill the flower vase to 80% capacity and top-up once the flowers are arranged |
| Amount of incense in incense container |
3 pieces for both neriko and jinko. If a large incense container is used, 5 pieces may be placed inside |
Measurements to do with tea and tea jars (chatsubo)
|
Amount of tencha 碾茶 (loose steamed tea leaf of the grade to become matcha) in a paper bag (inside chatsubo tea jar) |
20 monme（about 75g） |
| In the Momoyama Period ‘hantai’ (半袋) containing 10 monme (about 40g) become the normal unit of measurement when packing tea | 10 monme (about 40g) |
|
‘Kohantai’ (小半袋) |
5 monme (about 20g) |
|
Largest chatsubo (tea jar) |
7.5 kin (4.5kg) of tea (4 kin / 2.4kg is ‘seikou’ 清香 loose leaf tencha ) |
|
Koicha thick tea amount for one person |
In the past the standard was 4g, now it is 3g per person |
|
Usucha thin tea amount for one person |
Half the amount for koicha thick tea |
|
The character 「昔 Mukashi 」on names of tea
|
The 2nd of May is ‘hachi jyu hachi ya’ or ‘eighty-eighth day from the beginning of spring’. 10 days either side of the eighty-eighth day from the beginning of spring gives a total period of 21 days, and in this period tea is at its best for harvesting. The character 昔 used in tea names is a combination of the strokes used in 21st or 二十一日 in Japanese. Tea picked before May 2 is called ‘hatsu mukashi’ 初昔 (first period of 21 days) Tea picked after May 2 is called ‘ato mukashi’ 後昔 (later period of 21 days) In the Edo Period, the highest grade matcha had the name ‘hatsu mukashi’. Next was ato mukashi. Any tea producer was able to use these names for their tea. |
|
When tea is picked |
Tea is picked 5 days after the first day of summer according to the lunar calendar, therefore tea is picked around the 10th of May each year (the first day of summer according to the lunar calendar is around 6 May). |
Number of flower varieties in a flower vase
| small room (koma) 4.5 mats and under | 1 or 2 flower varieties |
| large room (hiroma) 4.5 mats and over | 2 flower varieties |
| woven basket (hana-kago) in small room (koma) 4.5 mats and under | 2 flower varieties |
| woven basket (hana-kago) in large room (koma) 4.5 mats and under | 3 flower varieties |
| woven basket (hana-kago) in October (Northern Hemisphere) / April (Southern Hemisphere) | 5 flower varieties |
Position of flower vase board
| large room (hiroma) 4.5 mats and over | 21 wales from the tatami rim |
| small room (koma) 4.5 mats and under | 17 wales from the tatami rim |
Ashes and brazier
|
‘Haochi’ kettle join |
3 sun (9mm) join is lower than the side rim of brazier |
|
Tripod feet |
1 sun, 5 bu (4.5cm) out from the ashes |
|
Distance between kettle and top of front tile |
5 bu (1.5mm) |
|
Distance of bottom of kettle and floor of charcoal bed |
3 sun (9cm) |
|
Distance between ash and front tile |
5 rin (5厘 1.5mm) a ‘hair’s width’ |
|
Distance from charcoal to bottom of kettle |
5 bu (15mm) |
Charcoal
| Charcoal name | Size for Brazier (length) | Size for Hearth (length) | Image |
| Dōzumi | 4 sun / 12cm | 5 sun / 15cm | 1 |
| Marugichō / Maruzumi | 2 sun / 6cm | 2 sun 5 bu / 7.5cm | 2 |
| Warigichō / Wari | 2 sun / 6cm | 2 sun 5 bu / 7.5cm | 3 |
| Maru kuda-zumi / Kuda | 4 sun / 12cm | 5 sun / 15cm | 4 |
| Wari kuda-zumi / Tanzaku | 4 sun / 12cm | 5 sun / 15cm | 5 |
| Tome-zumi / Ten-zumi |
Diameter same as dōzumi, thickness 1.5cm |
Diameter same as dōzumi, thickness 1.5cm |
6 |
| Shirazumi / Edazumi | 4.5 sun / 13.5cm | 5.5 sun / 16.5cm | 7 |
1
5
2
6
3
7
4
Yin & Yang lines (kane) on tatami
| Number of Yang lines (kane) on tatami (lengthways) | 5 lines (kane) |
| How many Yin spaces on tatami (lengthways) | 6 space (kane) |
| Distance between Yin & Yang lines (kane) | Around 10 wales (tatami weaves) |
Kanewari for standard orientation brazier temae
- The front edge of the ‘koita’ (small board) is placed at line 1. Line 1 represents the position 1 shaku (30.3cm) upwards from the mid-point of the tatami mat (mid point of tatami is at line 2)
- The left edge of the koita (small board) (board is 9sun, 5bu or total 30.195cm) is placed 9 wales from the tatami rim on the ‘katte’ mizuya side of the tatami. The right edge of the koita (small board) does not go to the middle of the tatami, it sits closer to the ‘katte’ (mizuya preparation room) side
- The mizusashi is place on the middle line dividing points I and A
- When using a stand, the front edge of the stand and front edge of the koita are aligned straight, and the stand is placed on the middle line dividing points I and A
- The futaoki (lid rest) is placed 3 wales in from the line U and 3 wales back from the line 1
- Your right knee comes to line 3. Line 3 is 1 sun (3.3cm) back from the tatami centre line 2. Your seat aligns to the right edge of the koita (small board), thus slightly angled left
The 7 irregularities for positioning the brazier
- The koita (small board) is positioned slightly askew towards the seat of the host
- The brazier is positioned slightly askew to the ‘katte’ mizuya side of the tatami
- The front 2 tripod feet are slightly higher than the back foot
- The front tile leans slightly to the inside of the brazier
- The front side of the iron kettle sits slightly higher than the back side
- The handle of the ‘hishaku’ bamboo ladle sits on an angle towards the seat of the host
- The seat of the host is on a slight angle towards the brazier
For specific kanewari for various chashitsu layouts, please click here to go to the kanewari page.