392 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIS  P. 
[Dec.  I,  i8g6. 
rated  a model  style  of  architecture  and  gardeuiug, 
exceedingly  simple  and  modest,  but  of  exquisite 
taste.  To  show  with  what  simplicity  and  economy 
Chanoyu  could  be  successfully  conducted,  ha  planned 
a room  of  only  two  Jo  size,  or  of  not  much  over  six 
feet  square,  and  as  utensils  he  brought  oven  rough 
looking  earthenware  pots  into  service  in  the  cere- 
mony. Oblivious  of  the  true  motives  of  the  great 
master,  the  people  after  him  prided  themselves  in 
securing  purposely  unshapely  looking  articles  at 
exorbitant  prices  ! 
Of  eight  different  schools  of  Chanoyu  now  extant, 
i.  e.,  the  Senke,  the  Yuraku,  the  Oribe,  the  Yabu- 
uchi,  the  Yenshu,  the  Sekishu,  the  Kanamori  and  the 
Sohen,  the  most  popular  iuhe  first  named,  founded 
by  llikiu.  It  goes  without  saying  that  each  school 
possesses  its  own  secret  traditions,  imparted  only  to 
the  initiated,  but  to  point  out  and  explain  their 
differences  and  characteristic  points  is  out  of  the 
question  in  these  limited  pages. 
Souho  is  the  highest  honorary  title  given  to  those  of 
special  attainment  in  this  art,  but  so  few  have  deserved 
it,  that  only  five  names  are  mentioned  in  history 
upon  whom  have  been  conferred  this  coveted  name. 
The  five  thus  honoured  were  Shuko,  Showo,  llikiu, 
Oribe  and  Yenshu,  the  first  being  the  founder  of  ihe 
so-called  Chanoyu.  the  second,  the  great  promoter  of 
the  art  in  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century,  while 
the  last  three  are  the  founders  of  their  respective 
schools.  Leaving  all  prejudice,  llikiu  was  the 
greatest  of  them  all,  and  to  him  may  be  ascribed  the 
perfection  of  the  ceremony. 
During  the  Tokugawa  dynastry,  Chanoyu  received 
such  attention  that  it  was  made  a sort  of  national 
ceremony  and  the  lord  of  each  province  used  to  support 
a professional  in  this  art  called  ■*  Ckohozu  ” or  “ tea 
priest,”  probably  so  named  from  his  clear  shaven 
head,  which  was  a charcteristic  of  Chanoyu  teachers. 
» * » 
TIIK  UTENSILS  REQUIRED  FOR  THE  PERFORMANCE  OF  THE 
CH.VNOYU  CEREMONY- 
The  famous  llikiu  once  made  the  apt  remark  that 
“ it  is  ridiculous  to  make  so  much  ado  about  costly 
utensils,  when  all  that  is  required  in  Cliinoyu  is  only 
a kettle.”  Even  the  very  cheapest  ware  answers 
the  purpose,  if  one  enters  into  a true  enjoyment  of 
the  ceremony.  Not  upon  utensils  or  external  environ- 
ment, but  upon  the  minds  of  the  participants  in  the 
ceremony,  depends  the  success  of  the  ceremony. 
There  is  an  interesting  anecdote  illustrating  this.  It 
happened  over  sixty  years  ago  that  one  day  the 
famoug  Japanese  poet  Ohikusa  Arikoto,  in  a walk  in 
disguise  though  a street  in  Kyoto,  came  across  a 
little  hut  by  the  roadside,  with  a little  patch 
of  ground  with  two  or  three  trees,  thoroughly 
sprinkled  with  water  and  looking  very  refresh- 
ing. He  saw  inside  this  humble  cottage  a man 
practising  Chanoyu  all  by  himself.  His  curiosity  be- 
deeply  aroused  at  the  strange  employment  of 
the  inmate,  he  entered  and  occostei  the  rain.  He 
was  seated  in  a little  space  of  not  more  than  six 
feet  bv  three  scrupulously  clean,  and  on  the  wall 
was  hung  a scree  i with  a rare  autograph  by  a famous 
poet.  Arikoto  entered  into  conversation  with  the 
man  on  Chanoyu,  who  finally  asked  him  if  he  would 
become  his  guest  at  a Chanoyu  meeting  early  the 
next  morning  in  the  forest  near  by.  This  strange 
invitation  was  at  once  accepted.  Next  morning  upon 
coming  to  the  appointed  place,  Arikoto  found  three 
stools  beneath  a shady  tree.  The  old  recluse  in  a 
coarse  but  clean  dress  received  his  distinguished  guest 
most  cordially,  and  went  through  the  tea  ceremony  in  a 
masterly  way,  the  utensils  employed  on  the  occasion  be- 
ing of  the  humblest  description  such  as  m.iy  be  found 
any  day  in  the  kitchen.  As  the  guest  was  about 
to  drink  the  tea  offered,  he  heard  overhead  the 
sweet  notes  of  a nightingale  much  to  the  delight  of  his 
host  It  is  said  that  the  next  day  when  a messenger 
was  despatched  with  a bounteous  present  to  the 
hermit,  he  h id  disappeared  no  one  knew  where. 
It  would  not  interest  readers  to  enumerate  all  the 
little  utensils  used  in  Ohanoyu  but  here  wo  may 
mention  some  of  the  more  common  and  necessary 
ones  to  which  I shall  havo  occasions  to  refer  in  the 
course  of  this  article* 
I.  Kama,  kettle,  and  l^uro,  a brazier  set  on  the 
mat. 
II.  Decorations  for  a Chanoyu  room — 1.  Hanging 
screen — a specimen  of  writing  is  preterred  to  a pic- 
ture. 2.  Eiower  vase.  3.  Double  folding  screen  (to  be 
placed  in  front  of  the  brazier.)  4.  Censer  stand.  5. 
Tobacco  fire-box.  G -Lt.foii,  an  old  fashioned  lamp  with 
a paper  shade. 
Ifl.  C.indle  stick?  ail  a haigiug  la  no. 
IV.  Utensils  for  ashes  and  charcoal. — 1.  Ash  shovel. 
2.  Feather  duster.  3.  Charcoal  basket.  4.  Tong.s. 
V.  Tea  set. — 1.  lea  caddy.  2.  Chasen  (beater).  3. 
Ladle.  4.  Chanha/cu  (tea  scoop).  5.  Tea  towel  (,18  in. 
by  6 in.)  6.  Napkin  (purple,  yellow,  brown  or  red 
colour).  7.  Cup.  8.  Incense  case. 
VI. — 1.  Water  bucket.  2.  Water  jar.  3.  Slop 
jar. 
VII.  — Shlf  ; Square  and  Round. 
THE  TEA  CF.RE.MONY  PROPER. 
About  a week  beforehand  invitations  should  be 
issued  stating  the  date  and  hour,  together  with  the 
names  of  the  guests  to  be  present  on  the  occasion. 
Tnose  thus  honoured  should  then  wait  upon  the  host 
a day  previous  to  the  time  of  entertainment  to  return 
thanks  for  the  invitation  received.  In  Chanoyu  meetings 
a large  number  of  iiersons  are  seldom  invited  at  a 
time,  this  probably  being  necessitated,  partly 
by  the  limited  size  of  the  room  and  partly  by  a desire 
01  preventing  the  possibility  of  confusion  which 
mignt  mar  the  enjoyment.  Usage  prescribes  the 
hours  tor  Chanoyu  meetings,  viz.,  early  dawn,  morn- 
ing, noon,  evening,  or  any  time  after  meals,  but  in 
days  of  yore  the  custom  was  to  hold  such  meetings  in 
the  early'  morning,  when  nature  was  still  in  her 
freshness  and  the  hubbub  of  the  day  had  not  yet  set 
in.  The  care  and  an.xiety  of  the  host  in  working  up  a 
Cninoyu  meeting  cau  be  better  imagined  than  descri- 
bed. He  has  personally  to  attend  to  all  the  minute 
details.  For  e.x ample,  he  should  first  of  all  see  to  it 
that  the  room  and  the  surroundings  be  properly 
swept  and  cleaned,  that  the  ladle  for  the  lavatory 
be  changed  to  a new  one,  that  in  winter  the  garden 
be  c-irpeted  with  pine  leaves,  except  on  the  stepping 
stones,  and  that  trees  as  well  as  the  ground  be  tho- 
roughly sprinkled  with  water.  When  snow  happens 
to  be  on  the  giound  the  flakes  should  not  be  swept 
away  sive  on  stepping  stones.  Then  again,  he  should 
not  forget  to  provide  the  fol'owing  articles  in  the 
waiting  room  : cushions,  tobacco  fire-boxes,  braziers 
(in  winter),  sandals,  umbrellas  and  clogs  (in  caseof  rain), 
a writing  box,  bell  and  a c.ird  giving  the  names  of  the. 
guests  to  be  invited  in  the  order  of  their  rank 
His  work  is  not  even  then  ended,  for  he  should 
keep  his  ey'es  open  to  make  sure  that  the  room 
is  properly  arranged,  set  a kettle  on  the  brazier, 
hang  a screen  on  the  tokonoma  or  place  of  honour 
and  place  the  charcoal  basket  incense  case  and  other 
necessary  articles  in  their  proper  places.  Meanwhile, 
at  the  appointed  hour  th-  guests  will  arrive  at  the 
waiting  room,  when  the  host  makes  his  appearance 
in  the  garden  and  asks  them  to  come  in  to  the 
Chanoyu  room.  The  guests  will  then  enter  the  garden, 
and  each  kneeling  before  tlie  Tsnkubaue  or  stone 
cistern,  will  wash  his  hands  and  mouth  (this  is,  how- 
ever, dispensed  with  in  a morning  meeting)  and 
then  make  his  way  towards  the  place  of  ceremony. 
Upon  gaining  the  Nijimjuchi  or  erawling-in  entrance, 
which  is  left  half  open,  the  first  guest  stoops  be- 
fore it  and  peeps  into  the  room  to  take  in  a 
general  survey,  then  enters  or  more  strictly  craws 
into  the  room  and  advances  to  the  front  of  the 
tokonoma  to  examine  the  screen.  While  doing  this 
the  second  guest  will  be  peeping  into  the  apart- 
ment following  the  first,  and  by  the  time  the  hitter 
approaches  the  side  of  the  Ro  or  fire  place  to  in- 
spect the  kettle,  the  former  will  be  before  the  toko- 
noma, thus  when  the  first  guest  takes  his  seat,  the 
second  will  bo  by  the  side  of  tno  Jto  and  the  third 
in  front  of  the  tokonoma.  The  rest  of  the  guests 
will  go  through  a similar  routine  in  their  turn.  The 
one  in  the  rear  shuts  the  door  after  him  with  a 
slight  noise  which  serves  as  a signal  that  the  guests 
have  all  entered  the  room— the  host  being  mean* 
