Hassun is served late in the meal: a plain cedar tray roughly eight sun square, holding one item from the sea and one from the mountains. It is used at the point where host and guests sit together and exchange sake, and it is one of the high points of the meal. Its interest lies in fitting the season and the host's intention into a simple form — an unfinished tray holding two contrasting kinds.
Origins
The name comes from the dimensions of the tray. The arrangement of a plain wooden tray holding one sea item and one mountain item was established as a way of showing the contrast of what nature provides on an undecorated vessel. Prizing a plain vessel and a seasonal pairing is characteristic of the practice.
In practice
This is the moment when the host sits down with the guests rather than serving them, and the exchange of sake here is the most socially relaxed part of a full gathering.
Sources
- 八寸（デジタル大辞泉 / 食器・調理器具がわかる辞典） / コトバンク
Supports: 八寸が懐石で「主客が杯の献酬をする際の取り肴。また、それを数種類盛り合わせる約24センチ四方の器」であること。一汁三菜の食事後、箸洗いに続いて亭主と客が酒を酌み交わす際に用いられること
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.
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Related terms
- Chado (The Way of Tea)chado
The Japanese practice of preparing and serving powdered green tea, treated as a lifelong discipline rather than a beverage ritual.
- Wabiwabi
Finding sufficiency of mind within insufficiency and plainness; one of the root concepts of tea practice.
- Ichigo ichie (one time, one meeting)ichigo ichie
The principle that every gathering is unrepeatable, and should therefore be treated as if it will never occur again.
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A loose title for the modern comprehensive tea manuals produced as the practice entered school education.
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The plain seasonal meal served in the first half of a full gathering, whose purpose is to prepare the guest for thick tea.