Basic Haiken for Thick Tea

Vocabulary:

• Tea caddy for thick tea: chaire (茶入)
• Pottery: kamamoto (窯元)
• Silk pouch with drawstrings for holding the tea caddy: shifuku (仕覆)
• Fabric: kireji (布地)
• Stitching: shitate (仕立て)

Haiken dialogue for koicha:

After all the guests drink and the first guest returns the chawan and the host sets it on the floor:

O-kyaku-sama:
“O chawan wa?”
“What kind of tea bowl is it?”

The host’s response will vary depending on the bowl.

O-kyaku-sama:
“Douzo, o-chaire o-chashaku o-shifuku no haiken onegai itashimasu?”
“May I please have a closer look at the tea caddy, tea scoop, and pouch?”

The host purifies the implements and leaves them for the guest to examine. When the host returns:

O-kyaku-sama:
“O-chaire no katachi wa?”
“What type of tea caddy is this?”

Teishu: response varies

O-kyaku-sama:
“O-kamamoto wa?”
“What type of pottery is it?”

Teishu: response varies

O-kyaku-sama:
“O-chashaku no saku wa?”
“Who made the tea scoop?”

Teishu:
“Zabousai o-iemoto de gozaimasu.”
“It was made by Zabosai, the head of the Urasenke school.”

O-kyaku-sama:
“Go-mei wa?”
“What is the name of the tea scoop?”

Teishu:
“Wakei/Buji chashaku de gozaimasu.”
“The name of the tea scoop is ”harmony/peace“ (or whatever the host chooses).”

O-kyaku-sama:
“O-shifuku no kireji wa?”
“What kind of fabric was used for the pouch?”

Teishu: response varies

O-kyaku-sama:
“O-shitate wa?”
“Who did the stitching?”

Teishu: response varies

O-kyaku-sama:
“Arigatou gozaimashita.”
“Thank you.”

Saijiki for March

These are some poetic words to use for gomei for the month of March:

• Joushi (上巳): March 3rd of the lunar calendar (one of the five annual festivals); dolls festival; peach festival (mainly for girls)
• Keichitsu (啓蟄): “awakening of insects” solar term (around March 6th, the day on which hibernating insects are said to come out of the ground)
• Shunbun (春分): the spring or vernal equinox, around March 21st
• Shanichi or Shajitsu (社日): “tsuchinoe” (fifth sign of the Chinese calendar) day that falls closest to the vernal or autumnal equinox (a day of religious significance for harvests)
• Shunsha (春社): spring “tsuchinoe” day that falls closest to the vernal equinox (a day of religious significance for harvests)
• Shungyou (春暁): dawn on a spring day
• Harunokure (春の暮): dusk on a spring day
• Oboroyo (朧夜): misty, moonlit night
• Shungetsu (春月): full moon on a spring night
• Shunpuu (春風): a spring breeze
• Shunshou (春宵): a spring evening
• Kagerou (陽炎): the shimmer of the air when the heat rises from a field on a beautiful spring day
• Haruichiban (春一番): the first storm of spring (or a strong south wind blowing for the first time since the beginning of spring)
• Haruarashi (春嵐): a spring gale blowing in February or March that makes us momentarily forget that it is spring
• Harunoyuki (春の雪): spring snow (usually of large snowflakes)
• Awayuki (淡雪): light snowfall; large flakes of snow that disappear quickly
• Yukinohate (雪の果): the last of the snow to melt in spring; the remnants of snow
• Yukima (雪間): a patch of ground not covered in snow, indicating that spring is coming, because the snow is starting to disappear
• Yukishiro (雪代): the water that flows to the sea from melting snow
• Yukinigori (雪濁り): water from melting snow that gets muddy flowing through rivers to the sea
• Natanetsuyu (菜種梅雨): a long period of rain in early spring that makes the flowers bloom
• Higan’nishi (彼岸西風): westerly wind blowing around the time of the spring equinox
• Higan (彼岸): the week of the vernal equinox, including the three days before and after the equinox iteself
• Uraraka (麗らか): the sky is clear, and the scenery is bright and calm
• Hinaga (日永): a long day in spring; the days are getting longer, with more sun
• Chijitsu (遅日): a long day in spring; the sunset is late at night, so the dusk is longer
• Wakamidori (若緑): the color of the young buds on pine trees
• Saohime (佐保姫): the goddess of spring
• Hikitsuru (引鶴): the time when the cranes return north, indicating the coming of spring
• Kigan (帰雁): the time when the geese return north, indicating the coming of spring
• Harunogan (春の雁): a goose that does not return north in the spring; the geese that are left behind
• Torigumo (鳥雲): when a bird returning north enters a cloud and becomes invisible
• Nioidori (匂い鳥): the nightingale (or sound of the nightingale)
• Shiokumi (汐干): low tide in early spring

Saijiki for February

These are some poetic words to use for gomei for the month of February:

• Setsubun (節分): last day of winter in the traditional Japanese calendar (usually February 3 or 4); holiday for end of winter (accompanied by a bean scattering ceremony)
• Risshun (立春): first day of spring (according to the traditional lunisolar calendar, around February 4th)
• Usui (雨水): “rain water” solar term (around February 18th or 19th)
• Soushun (早春): early spring
• Haruasashi (春浅し): early, superficial indications of spring, when it still remains cold
• Shunkan (春寒): cold weather that lingers into early spring
• Shunsetsu (春雪): snow that falls in spring
• Zansetsu (残雪): winter snow that does not disappear, even in the spring
• Yukima (雪間): a patch of ground not covered in snow, indicating that spring is coming, because the snow is starting to disappear
• Usurahi (薄氷): the thin ice of early spring
• Yukige (雪解): melting snow; the water from melting snow
• Suguro (末黒): “black powder” produced from the burning of fields in the spring
• Yakeyama (焼山): a mountain off of which the dried grass and scrub has been burned
• Agematsuba (上げ松葉): pine needles laid on top of moss to prevent it from freezing (I believe this word refers to the way these pine needles stick up out of the snow as it melts)
• Haruarashi (春嵐): a spring gale blowing in February or March that makes us momentarily forget that it is spring
• Nehan’nishi (涅槃西風): a westerly wind blowing from the Pure Land around the time the Buddha ascended to nirvana (or died), around February 15th
• Kaiyose (貝寄風): west wind in the early spring (traditionally on the night of the 20th day of the second month of the lunar calendar); wind that blows seashells ashore
• Kochi (東風): rough wind blowing from the east in early spring
• Fukyounohana (不香の花): a nickname for snow; literally “doesn’t smell like a flower”
• Hananoani (花の兄): a nickname for plums; literally “brother of the flower”
• Konohana (木の花): another nickname for plums; “tree flowers”
• Konohana (此の花): an elegant name for the plum

Saijiki for January

These are some poetic words to use for gomei for the month of January:

• Shoukan (小寒): The 23rd solar term (see Wikipedia entry); Literally “little cold”
• Jinjitsu (人日): The 7th of January, one of the five lunar festivals; traditionally celebrated as the day human beings were created (see Wikipedia entry); Literally “man/person day”
• Daikan (大寒): The coldest time of the year, around January 20th; literally “big cold”
• Hatsuharu (初春): beginning of spring; first month of the lunar calendar; New Year
• Matsunouchi (松の内): New Year’s Week festivities
• Matsusugi (松過ぎ): after New Year’s Week
• Nenohi (子の日): collecting herbs and pulling out young pine trees by the roots (annual event held on the first day of the rat of the New Year)
• Wakamizu (若水): first water drawn from a well on New Year’s Day
• Toso (屠蘇): spiced sake (served at New Year’s)
• Hourai (蓬莱): New Year decoration (made from food, different in different places but typically white rice); also, enchanted land of perpetual youth from Chinese mythology

Saijiki for December

A saijiki (歳時記) is an almanac of seasonal words for haiku poets. These words are also useful as names for chashaku.

Poetic words to use for gomei in the month of December or winter in general:

• Oo-yuki, taisetsu (大雪): heavy snow
• Touji (冬至): winter solstice
• Rouhatsu (臘八): the Zen name for the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, now celebrated on December 8th, the day on which the Buddha became enlightened
• Fuyugodachi (冬木立): barren trees in winter
• Fuyugomori (冬篭): hibernation; staying indoors during winter
• Tanjitsu (短日): the short days of winter
• Kogarashi (木枯し): cold, wintry wind
• Toujigayu (冬至粥): azuki bean rice gruel eaten on the day of the winter solstice (to chase away demons that spread contagious diseases)
• Toujikabocha (冬至南瓜): custom of keeping a pumpkin or squash during the winter and eating it on the day of the winter solstice
• Hatsugo’ori (初氷): first ice of winter
• Usugo’ori (薄氷): thin ice
• Hyouka (氷花): literally “ice flowers,” but referring to water that freezes on trees and other plants, making them look like they have white flowers made of ice (it’s worth doing a Google image search of this word, as it’s a beautiful phenomenon)
• Kazabana (風花): winter wind which brings scattered snowflakes or raindrops

Basic Haiken for Thin Tea

Haiken (拝見) is the close-up, ceremonial viewing of the utensils used to make tea.

Haiken dialogue for usucha:

O-kyaku-sama:
"Douzo, o-natsume o-chashaku no haiken onegai itashimasu?"
"May I please have a closer look at the tea container and tea scoop?"

The host purifies the implements and leaves them for the guest to examine. When the host returns:

O-kyaku-sama:
"O-natsume no katachi wa?"
"What type of tea container is this?"

Teishu:
"Rikyuu-gata chuu natsume de gozaimasu."
"It is a Rikyu style tea container of the middle size."

O-kyaku-sama:
"O-nuri wa?"
"What is the style of the lacquer work?"

Teishu:
"Sotetsu de gozaimasu."
"The lacquer work is in the style of the Sotetsu family."

O-kyaku-sama:
"O-chashaku no saku wa?"
"Who made the tea scoop?"

Teishu:
"Zabousai o-iemoto de gozaimasu."
"It was made by Zabosai, the head of the Urasenke school."

O-kyaku-sama:
"Go-mei wa?"
"What is the name of the tea scoop?"

Teishu:
"Wakei/Buji chashaku de gozaimasu."
"The name of the tea scoop is harmony/peace"

O-kyaku-sama:
"Arigatou gozaimashita."
"Thank you."

The type of natsume, its lacquer, and the maker and name of the tea scoop will obviously vary depending on circumstances. You can choose a gomei to reflect the season or occasion.

Aisatsu

Aisatsu are the greetings and salutations at the beginning and end of class.

Teishu (host) to sensei (teacher):
Sensei, usucha hirademae no o-keiko onegai itashimasu.
Sensei, please be so kind as to teach me the "hira" procedure for making thin tea.

Teishu to o-kyaku-sama (guests, singular or plural): O-kyaku-sama, yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.
Difficult to translate, as yoroshiku onegaishimasu is a conventional greeting, though it means something like "please take care of me." Japanese people say it to each other upon first meeting. In a tea ceremony, the host and guests say it to each other, reflecting their mutual desire to have a favorable experience.

Shokyaku (first guest) to sensei:
Sensei, kyaku no o-keiko onegai itashimasu.
Sensei, please teach me the guest role.

Shokyaku to shoban (second guest):
Go-isho-ni, yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.
Let’s enjoy tea together.

The 'go' in go-isho-ni is identical to the 'o' honorific in words like o-temae. It is generally used instead of 'o' in words of Chinese origin.

Teishu to sensei:
Sensei, usucha hirademae no o-keiko arigatou gozaimashita.

Teishu to o-kyaku-sama:
O-kyaku-sama, arigatou gozaimashita.

Shokyaku to sensei:
Sensei, kyaku no o-keiko arigatou gozaimashita.

Shokyaku to shoban:
Arigatou gozaimashita.

Basic Terms

• Host: teishu (亭主)
• Guest: o-kyaku-sama (お客様)
• Thin tea: usucha (薄茶)
• Thick tea: koicha (濃茶)
• Procedure for making tea: o-temae (お手前)
• Lesson: keiko (稽古)

In Japanese, an 'o' preceding a word is an honorific. For example, the word mizu means water. To be polite, however, you would refer to someone else’s water, perhaps when asking what they would like to drink, as o-mizu. You would not refer to your own water this way. Similarly, the word for guest is kyaku. When referring to someone else who is your guest, you call that person o-kyaku-sama, whereas, for example, when thanking your teacher for your lesson when you are a guest yourself, you would say kyaku no o-keiko arigatou gozaimashita. The -sama suffix is similar to the -san used when addressing or referring to people by name (e.g. Morita-san, Yamaguchi-san, Suzuki-san, etc.), except it is even more polite. All customers in Japan are addressed in stores, banks, etc. as o-kyaku-sama, though it is not otherwise used in normal conversation.