Chado Urasenke Las Vegas School

Saturday , April 4th Okeiko during Passover. The shikishi is in Hebrew and says Cherut (Freedom). During Passover we retell the Biblical story of The Exodus from Egypt. Written by my artist friend Malka Sedman.

The vase is too formal for this shikishi but was purposely done to honor the holiday.

The flowers are Tessen (clematis),the vase is zorori with the red lacquered tray that accompanies it.

The kogo is from Aachen, Germany and reminds us of the freedom the Jews sought from persecution by Hi**er.

Congratulations Miyuki on receiving your certificates.

Hina Matsuri—picture of Inuma Sensei and Mr. Sensei.

On Saturday, February 28th we celebration Miyuki who received her certificates for Daien no Shin, Shin no Gyo, and Sei Hikitsugi. Jodie and Kazuko presented the certificates. This presentation coincided with our community early Hina Matsuri (Girl’s Day) celebration. We enjoyed sakura kosen ( cherry blossom flavored water).

The guests were served a green oeach sweet named Momo Waka Hime (Young Peach Princess). Jodie made koicha (thick tea) for Miyuki. Aki made koicha for the guests.

Lunch was served and included chicken with a garlic ginger ponzu sauce, red shiso flavored rice, salmon sushi, soy picked cuxumber, and daikon mixed with yame tea. The vegetable plate included blanched snap peas, ponzu flavored sh*take mushrooms, twiated yam starch, sesame eggplant and lotus root.

Jessica made usucha (thin tea) for the guests.

On Saturday, January 3rd we celebrated Hatsugama. Kathleen Blakely Honorary Counsel General of Japan Las Vegas Representative joined us and provided remarks about the New Year and the fire horse year. The attendees were Jodie, Jeannie, Miyuki, Kuniyo, Aki, Naoto, Jessica, Aynsley, and John joined us for zenzai. A plum kosen was served in the den. Then we enjoyed zenzai in the living room. After zenzai we moved to the tea room.

The scroll read ume hokorobi setsu zen ni kaori. The fragrance of plum when the buds are opening, snow is all around. Written by the 14th generation grand tea master Tantansai. The flowers were chysanthemum and lily in a Richard Milgrim KonkoGuro Tetsuki Hanaire (with Mentori) (Konko Black Faceted Vase with Handle). Jodie laid the charcoal made by her husband John.

Miyuki utilized a kotobuki tana and made koicha using a ohi chawan with a horse pattern carved into it and an Aizu Hongoyaki kasane chawan from the Munagata kiln. The chaire was a The Kokuhaku-Yū Mimitsuki Chaire is a Black & White Glaze Tea Caddy with “ears” made by Richard Milgrim. The chashaku was made by Shoju Shoshin and named Yuetsu—Joyfulness. The shifuku was an ichimatsu pattern on Thai silk.

Kuniyo make usucha for all of the guests. The natsume was a Ryukyu lacquer with a yuna design. The chashaku was named Shojyu everlasting longevity. It has Gensh*tsu’s kao. The first chawan was an Aka Shino made by Richard Milgrim. The other chawans were Kyoyaki with a nanten pattern, Kyoyaki with a pine pattern, Mashiko, and Kutani dento utushi.

After tea we retired to the living eoom to enjoy some delicious brownies that Kathleen made.

Here are a few more Robiraki pictures.
Sorry for the continual updates.

Today we celebrated Robiraki by having Kylie’s certificate presentation ceremony. It is finally cool enough to enjoy the sunken hearth.

The students prepared the food last night with Keiko leading the kitchen. Miyuki and Jessica helped out. John and I prepared the tea room. This morning all the students helped with thr final food prep. Helpers and guests also included Seiko, Azuma, Paul, Derrick, and John.

We had a konbu kosen (seaweed flavored water) Then I presented Kylie with her Nyon, Konarai,and chabako certificates.

The scroll read Ichigo Ichie and was written by Zuiryu sanun from Takusenji temple. The scroll also says Rinsai sect Daitokuji It means we should make the most of this moment becaue we will never have this moment in time again. The flowers were purple daisies. The flower vase was an e-shino tsurihanaire made by Richard Milgrim. He used his wife Mari Sensei’a obijime to hang it on.

Miyuki prepared the charcoql(sumi). The incense container (kogo) was an usu made by the 15th generation Miraku Kamei.

Jessica brought the homemade sweets to first guest in a Richard Milgrim Oribe bowl. The sweets were named Miyage no yama ( Mountain treasures). A kasane chawan tea ceremony was presented since their were 9 guests. The tea that was served was Ikuyo no Mukashi from Ippodo. The sweets were made by the students and named Miyage no yama (treasures from th mountains)
The first tea bowl was a red raku bowl made by Seinyu (13th generation Kichizaemon). The 2nd bowl was Aizu honga yaki made by the Munagata kiln in Fukushima. The tana was Koundana, the mizusashi was made by Kogon and was Rakuzan yaki from Shimane prefecture. The lid was made by Shikkosai and the box was signed by Hounsai. The tea container was kokuhaku-yu mimitsuki chaire made by Richard Milgrim. The glaze was black with white spits that looked like snow. The chashaku is as made by Kyobi Sotsuroku and was named Furosato (country villlage). The shifuku was ichimatsu kumo donsu. The kensui was Akahda yaki made by Rakusai Onishi. The furaoki was Greenglazed and a gift from Kumiko Nakata. I do not know the kiln.

Lunch was served after thick tea. The meal was a clear broth dashi with cod, shimeji mushrooms, kabu (turnup). We also made chestnut rice, baked salmon with a ponzu sauce , gingered pork with sh*take muahrooms, daikon(radish) and kaki (persimmon) with namasu sauce, nori wrapped spinach with goma(roasted sesame seeds), oolong tea, and yuzu sake.

After lunch thin tea was made by Aki. The sweets were jellies with beautiful seasonal designs in a dust basket made to pick up leaves. The first bowl was a Tantansai konomi 4 season ninsei bowl made by Toho Tezuka. The natsume was large lack lacquered tea container with a chrysanthemum design made the the 13th generation Sotetsu. Other chawans used were a chabaiyu (tea ash) glazed bowl by Richard Milgrim. The other bowls were Bizen, Tamba(made by Tohoku), green Ohiyaki(made by Buzan). The chashaku was a wajima nuri with ginko leaves. It was named Shigure(sudden brief showers in this season). The kensui and futaoki were made by the 16th generation Takatori potter Hisako Miraku.

Making tea sweets for Robiraki. Used Willams Sonoma pie molds for the pumpkins, leaves, and acorns.