Leaf lid🍃

Summer hanging scroll "Waterfalls directly below 3,000 length". It depends on the Tang dynasty poet Li Bai's "Looking at the waterfall of Mt. Ro”. It means that the waterfalls have flowed down 3,000 feet as if you think the Milky Way has fallen from nine heavens. The sound of waterfalls can be heard so closely.

The severe heat has continued.

This time, I will introduce "leaf lid" as a tea in summer, which uses leaves for the lid of the "mizusashi" (fresh-water container).

This was the idea of Gengensai (Urasenke 11th generation), and it started with the use of Kaji leaf as a lid of "mizusashi" , which was a his favorite vase, for the tea of the Tanabata Festival (the Star Festival celebrated on July 7 or August 7). The leaves to be used as lids are often large, such as Kaji, paulownia, and lotus. In this case a confederate rose at the courtyard of my house is used, it is placed on the “mizusashi” so that the stem is facing forward. (Bottom of photo)

It makes us feel cool more to drop dew on the leaf.

When opening the lid of the “mizusashi”, take the front of the leaf with your right hand, fold it in half with your left hand, fold some leaves, stick the stems, and put it in the “kensui” (waste-water receptacle). The leaves are one-time only, there is also a teaching "not to forget to thank the leaves for giving their life to enjoy the coolness."

The pattern of tea bowl is a bamboo leaf decoration of Tanabata. It is said that bamboo grass has the meaning of dispelling evil spirits.

The state of emergency has been declared in various places since August, and my tea class is closed until mid-September.

The future can't be seen clearly and the several news hurts my heart.

"May COVID-19 would be stamped out" with a wish in the Tanabata strips of paper.