The Four Seasons in the Tea Ceremony
The culture of the tea ceremony places great importance on the four seasons, particularly through a practice that divides the year in half into warm and cold periods.
The Season of the Furo (Portable Hearth)
This takes place from May to October. Because it is a warm season, the brazier (kama) is placed as far away from the guests as possible. An implement called a furo—made of ceramic or metal—is filled with ash and charcoal to boil the water. At this time, the ash inside the furo is shaped beautifully to make it easier to place the charcoal and to ensure the heat transfers efficiently to boil the water.
This process is called Haigata (ash shaping). In a formal tea gathering, since the primary goal is to boil fresh water, this is a very important ritual. For the guest, viewing the host's haigata and the arrangement of the charcoal is one of the highlights, so the host’s aesthetic sense is put to the test. A special spoon called a haisaji is used to sculpt the shape of the ash.
A typical haigata is shaped so that both sides are high, while the center forms a lower valley. The line in the middle is called the Mizu-no-ki (Water Spirit/Energy); at the very end of the shaping process, five lines of a specific length are drawn. Doing this creates a sense of coolness even while handling hot charcoal.
The iron, claw-like object inside is called a Gotoku (trivet). It is placed in the ash and adjusted for height and angle so that the kettle sits in perfect balance. This task is called Kama-awase. Furthermore, the white tool in the foreground called a Maegawara (front tile) is an important tool used to prevent the heat of the charcoal from escaping.
The Season of the Ro (Sunken Hearth)
This takes place from November to April. The most prominent feature is an irori-like hole called a Robuchi, measuring 1 shaku 4 sun (approx. 42.4 cm), which is opened in the middle of the tea room. Ash and charcoal are placed inside this frame to boil the water. In the Ro season, the kettle and charcoal are larger than those used for the Furo, and they are positioned closer to where the guests sit to provide as much warmth as possible. This interior is called Rochu, and just like the Furo ash shaping, the ash inside is neatly arranged.
I have struggled with handling this ash since I was a student. While fast learners can finish in 10 minutes, in the beginning, I would spend nearly two hours in a desperate struggle to complete it.
Seasonal Differences
Among standard tools and procedures (otemae), there are some that are exclusive to either the Furo or the Ro. During the Furo period, many procedures are designed to prioritize a sense of coolness. The Ro season is the opposite, and some tools can only be used during the Ro season because they are too large to fit in a Furo.
Even in standard Hirademae (basic thin tea or thick tea procedures), the seating positions and the order of handling tools change. In May and November, during the transition between Furo and Ro, the routine was to review the basic Hirademae from the beginning. However, after a six-month gap, I often found myself in a state of having to relearn everything.
At the end of April and October, we spent time switching between the Ro and Furo. This involved swapping the middle tatami mat (the Furo mat is a standard mat, while the Ro mat has a square hole cut out for the hearth) and replacing the charcoal.
In current practice, obtaining charcoal in Japan has become extremely difficult. Even during my school days, we were told not to waste it. As a result, an increasing number of practice sessions use IH or electric heaters. However, if you ever encounter a tea ceremony or practice session that uses real charcoal, please take the opportunity to look at the haigata or rochu and enjoy the experience.
By Alan Seiya Hiromoto
