Hot Tea

Last week, shipment of tea was banned from four prefectures near the failed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant due to high levels of radiation:

The government banned on Thursday the shipment of green tea leaves grown in four prefectures in eastern Japan after samples were found contaminated with radioactive cesium above the permitted level.

The shipment ban covers tea leaves, including dried leaves in a processing stage, harvested in parts of Tochigi, Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures and all of Ibaraki Prefecture, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said.

-- Mainichi Daily News (Mainichi Japan) June 3, 2011

Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has mandated testing of all tea throughout Japan. Shizuoka declares it's tea to have acceptable radiation limits, and websites for tea producers in the Kyoto/Uji regions (1) (2) also state that their tea is safe. While these and other tea-producing regions of Japan may not share the fate of those in the banned areas, it is certain that this ban will increase radiation fears as well as create a tea shortage and higher prices.

Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo

"Carefully look at nature, including insects. It's a way of life."

-- From Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo

What sounded like a Saturday monster movie matinee turned out to be a charming and thoughtful examination of the relationship of insects and Japanese people and culture. A must-see for lovers of Asian culture and insects alike:

"Like a detective story, the film untangles the web of influences behind Japan’s captivation with insects. It opens in modern-day Tokyo where a single beetle recently sold for $90,000 then slips back to the early 1800s, to the first cricket-selling business and the development of haiku and other forms of insect literature and art. Through history and adventure, Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo travels all the way back in time to stories of the fabled first emperor who named Japan the 'Isle of the Dragonflies.'"

 Visit the website and view the trailer here: http://www.beetlequeen.com

Kissa Yōjōki

On the memorial day of Eisai,

Higashiyama is awash

with the steam and aroma of tea

-- Seisei

Myōan Eisai, 1141–1215

To say there would be no tea in Japan without Eisai might be an overstatement, but there can be no question that the Zen monk was vital to Japanese tea culture and the Way of Tea. Eisai brought tea seeds to Japan in 1191 when he returned from studying Chan (Zen) Buddhism in China. Through his gift of the brown nutlike seeds, tea plantings were established in Chikuzen (Kyushu), Toganō (near Kobe), Kyōto and Uji, and soon tea cultivation flourished in Japan.

Eisai promoted tea as “… miraculous medicine for health and an elixir for long life" in his book Kissa Yōjōki (How to Stay Healthy by Drinking Tea) written after his second trip to China. He popularized tea drinking with the samurai class when he demonstrated to the Shogun the efficacy of tea as a hangover remedy. In 1202, Eisai founded Kennin-ji, Kyōto’s first Zen temple.

He died on July 5, but his memorial service is now held on June 5. He is celebrated as a benefactor of the Way of Tea by the grand tea master of the Urasenke tradition at Kennin-ji.

Tea Demo, May 22

On Sunday we hosted eight lovely guests at the Ink People Center for the Arts for a lively tea ceremony demonstration.

First, Harvey-sensei demonstrated furo-usucha, with Holly and area potter Thomas Fossier as okyaku, then Holly made usucha for other guests -- two at a time -- while Harvey answered questions. It was lovely to see familiar faces and meet interesting new people.

The highlight of the day was Thomas' new chawan, fresh from a firing in Oregon last month. He's in the process of building his own kiln, which means  (we hope!) that we'll be seeing more of his beautiful work.

Chawan made by Humboldt County potter, Thomas Fossier

We used roll-up mats for our 'chashitsu' --
lightweight and portable, but impossibly wrinkly

Information table and chabana

Earthquake Relief Tea Ceremony

The Northern California Region of the Omotesenke Domonkai will host an East Japan Great Earthquake Relief Fund Chakai on Sunday May 22, 2011.

All proceeds from this Chakai will be donated to the disaster victims.

Place

Nichibei-Kai 3rd Floor, Kanso’an
1759 Sutter St.
San Francisco, California

Time

Usucha (thin tea) Seating #1 @ 12 Noon
Usucha Seating #2 @ 1 PM
Usucha Seating #3 @ 2 PM
Usucha Seating #4 @ 3 PM

All seatings will consist of 10 guests in the tearoom and 15 guests at the Ryurei (table) sitting.
Please select your desired seating and style (tearoom/table) with your application.

Fee

$20 or more per person as a donation

Application

Make checks to: Omotesenke Domonkai
Mail to: Takako Ueda
1104 Potomac Way
Modesto, CA 95355

For information contact Ueda Takako at:
Phone: 209-521-5782
Email: takakou@yahoo.com

Official (but belated) Boy's Day post

Tango no Sekku, Boy's Day
Chabana by Laura

New Beginning Gamelan Class this Summer

Gamelan Sekkar Sequoia

New beginning Gamelan community music class:

Three Sundays (June 12, 19, 26) -- from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Sharon's house in Arcata (11th & D).  Cost for the session: $20.

No previous music experience necessary, no long term commitment required, no performance expectations (unless you join the performing group!). 

All learning is hands on, without notation. 

Sharon is delighted also to report that she recently acquired some new instruments which are particularly easy for beginners -- kenong (very big pots), kempul (medium sized gongs), ketuk/kempyang, and demung.  ("Colotomics" for you music theory types -- well, except for the demung).

Please give Sharon a heads up (via comment to this post) if you or anyone you know would be interested in joining the class.

Terima kasih ("thank you" in Indonesian)