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home and India. Luckily all my Diwali away from home have co-incidentally
been eventful. Last year at Diwali I went Off-road driving in a
hummer at a resort and was taking part in a cardboard boat making
competition. This year it was no less. I got to attend an Ikebana
workshop and take part in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony.
My Japanese language sensei, Masako Terahara, invited her Master
Yonekura sensei to demonstrate and teach the team the traditional
arts of Ikebana (flower arranging) and Japanese Tea Ceremony.
Yonekura sensei is a very senior and respected teacher and has been
studying Ikebana and Japanese Tea Ceremony since she was a teenager.
Terahara-san now studies both arts under her tutelage.
So we all got dressed into traditional Japanese costumes,I was given
an apprentice Kimono to wear,since I was a student under training.
I have a wait to qualify to wear a real Kimono as of now.
There are many schools and styles, of Ikebana, the first of which
was founded by Buddhist priest, Ikenobo Senke in the 15th century
as an expression of the beauty of nature.
Ikebana is an art that emphasizes the Japanese appreciation of natural
beauty following specific rules that uses asymmetrical form and empty
space to create a harmonious whole.
Yonekura sensei taught the style of Moribana the most basic structure of
Ikebana, arranged in a shallow vase secured by a kenzan or metal-pronged
holder. The arrangement begins by creating a triangle...the first formed by
three branches of different heights and width.Tai is the main and tallest branch
and the foundation of the arrangement.
The middle branch is called Yo and the third and shortest branch of the triangle
is called Fuku. The triangle is again repeated with the main flower,
in our case, beautiful chrysanthemums, with the supporting stem completing
the arrangement.
I was lucky enough to get 5 flowers in my pack of flowers verses
the three that everyone got. Wow, the small pleasures of life.
Although my arrangement must have not strictly followed Ikebana principles,
it didn’t look that bad either (ya, ya I know flowers put any how would
look good, but gimme some credit for a change will ya ! )
Tea ceremony
Next we headed to set up the tea ceremony. Now the Japanese take
their tea very seriously. The Japanese emperor had a special tea room
all made of gold just for the ceremony.Tea ceremonies have to go in an
exact way and there are schools and “Tea Masters” who are well
learned in this art. We got a 6 page instructional manual with
pictures to make sure we got it right.
Japanese Tea Ceremony or sado “the way of tea” is strongly influenced
by Zen Buddhism…and is a formalized way of making and serving tea.
The host or hostess in this case, wears a kimono and for this event
all the ladies dressed accordingly.
Masoko Sensei preparing Tea for us.Matcha or powdered green tea is scooped into a bowl with a special
tea scoop, chashaku and hot water is then ladled into the bowl and
the mixture whipped until foamy with a wooden wisk, chasen.
The ceremony has many aspects, here are just some instructions for it –
1.Bow when you receive the cup of tea which is called a chawan.
2.Take the chawan with your right hand and place it in the palm of
your left hand.
3.Turn the chawan clockwise three times before you take a drink.
4.When the tea is gone, make a loud slurp to tell the host that
the tea was truly enjoyed.
5.Wipe the part of the chawan your lips touched with your right hand.
6.Turn the chawan counterclockwise and return to the host.
You get the idea how complicated or precise it has to be.
Prior to the drinking of the somewhat bitter tea, each guest is given
a Japanese sweet to eat. After all have been served, the utensils, bowls
and lacquer tea caddies are admired as part of the ceremony as they
can be very antique, priceless and irreplaceable.
The brave among us decided to sit in seeza position(sitting in the
Japanese style), while others sat on benches.
Although being an Indian you would think one could manage the
Japanese style- no way, it’s really painful after a while !
Anyways then I got to try making Japanese tea in the traditional way !
And I sucked at it ! Mixing green tea powder with a bamboo brush is
not as easy as it looks.
All in all it was a great Diwali for me !
I will always remember my Japanese Diwali !
Arigatou Yonekura sensei and Terahara sensei !!
