Chasen toshi is done at the opening of a procedure: hot water is poured into the bowl, the whisk placed in it and turned so the tines rise, and the guests can see that none is broken. It functions as visible evidence that what will touch their tea is in good condition.
When it is done
After the bowl has been purified and before tea is made. Water is poured, the whisk turned, the water discarded, and the bowl wiped with the linen cloth.
What happens
The whisk is turned as though tracing the character の, about three times, raising the tines. The water goes into the waste-water vessel. Where and how the whisk is held up briefly is what lets the guests see it.
Variation between schools
The number of turns and the hand movement differ in detail. Guests read both the condition of the whisk and the quality of the host's movement from this gesture.
Sources
- 茶筅通し（日本大百科全書 / 精選版 日本国語大辞典 ほか） / コトバンク
Supports: 点前で茶筅を湯に通して改める所作を指すこと
About this article
Edited by the operator of Chaen (a one-person operation) / Last updated:
Tea ceremony descriptions can vary by school and source. Where interpretations differ, this glossary avoids definitive claims and focuses on broadly shared understandings. If you notice an error, please let us know viaContact. To learn about our organization, seeAbout Chaen.
Term info
- Category
- Etiquette
Related terms
- Chasen (tea whisk)chasen
A whisk cut from a single piece of bamboo, used to mix matcha with water; treated as a consumable.
- Matchamatcha
Shade-grown green tea leaf stone-ground to a fine powder, whisked into water rather than steeped.
- Warigeiko (part practice)warigeiko
Practising individual gestures in isolation, apart from any complete procedure; the foundation of everything else.