Minazuki (June）

On a rainy day, blue hydrangeas adorn the tearoom.

The hanging scroll is "心如海" (the heart like the sea).  It means that the mind is as broad and calm as the sea, a simple phrase that evokes the expansiveness of the ocean. It's a calligraphy piece by Togami Myodo of Gyokuryū-ji Temple (Ise Daitoku-ji faction).

The tea is thick tea served by the way of "tsutsumi-bukusa" (natsume wrapped in a fukusa) on a long board decorated with the “kaigu” for bamboo painting.

The “kaigu” set includes a mizusashi, a kensui, a ladle stand, and other items, all with the same design. The blue and white bamboo gives off a feeling of a cool breeze.

The "tsutsumi-bukusa" is a tea procedure in which a tea caddy (natsume) is wrapped in a fukusa and used as a tea container for thick tea. The natsume, wrapped in the fukusa, is placed in front of the mizusashi. The purple of the fukusa really stands out.

At the end of the procedure, the black medium-sized natsume removed from the fukusa and the tea scoop are presented for viewing.

The person making the tea has been practicing tea for over two years.

(Photo above)

The tea scoop has the inscription "Seseragi" (babbling) for June. It was made by Ohara Yudo of Sukyoji Temple, Tajima sect. (Photo below)

I purchased this tea scoop after listening to his lecture at the tea whisk memorial service held at the tea house in Saginuma last fall.

"Minazuki" means "water month". The hydrangeas in the courtyard are blooming freshly again this year, heralding the arrival of summer.