Thanksgiving 2014

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving; full of family, friends, and good food.
I usually like to do a course menu on special occasions, but this year we were fortunate to celebrate the holiday over several days at multiple locations. Still, I wanted to put my ideas for the year on a plate so we prepared small dishes at home throughout the 4-day weekend. Here's how they would appear in a single dinner menu, on dishes in our home collection.

Kousen (fragrant warm drink): Kuzuyu (Hot water, slightly sweetened, and thickened with kuzu starch) served two ways, scented with Yuzu, and with Pumpkin Pie Spices.
Tea cups - Zezeyaki, Shiga Prefecture. Kabazaiku (Cherry Bark) Tray; Kakunodate, Akita.

Mukozuke Course:
-Apple cider braised Turkey Thighs served on Steamed Chinese Bun with Cranberry Hoisin Sauce and Kaiware Daikon Sprouts. Plate by George Gledhill.
-Red Curry Kabocha (Japanese Pumpkin) Soup with Coconut Milk and Lime Juice. Sendai-nuri Lacquerware.
-Haricot Verts sauteed in Miso Butter, garnished with sliced Almonds. Porcelain Mukozuke Dish by Hanako Nakazato.

Wanmori Course:
-Clear Soup; Ground Turkey and Grated Apple Meatballs in Bacon Dashi, with Bunashimeji Mushrooms and Baby Bok Choy. Sendai-nuri Lacquerware.
-Sake: Momokawa Junmai Ginjo; Forest Grove, Oregon. Guinomi by George Gledhill. Mashiko-yaki Tokkuri.

Yakimono (Grilled Dish) Course: Pan-seared Sockeye Salmon on bed of Curry Creamed Spinach with Red Quinoa. Shino-glaze Dish by Kato Kozo.

Mushimono (Steamed Dish) Course: Chawan Mushi (Steamed Egg Custard) with Turkey "Oyster" (sotl'y laisse,) Carrot, and Shiitake Mushroom. Mashiko-yaki lidded bowl on small plate by Mika Sullivan.

 Rice Course:
-Shiitake Gohan, seasoned rice with roasted Shiitake Mushrooms & Abura-age (Fried Bean Curd;) Mashiko-yaki Rice Bowl, Soeya Kiln.
-Tsukemono (pickled Daikon Radishes) on spouted bowl (katakuchi;) Mashiko-yaki, Yumito Kiln.
- Charaku Houjicha (Roasted Green Tea;) Kyo-Satsuma Tea Cup and Tea Pot.

Dessert Course: (Trio)
-Pumpkin Cheesecake Bar.
-Yuzu Ice Cream with Blueberry Dessert Wine (Samson Estate Winery; Everson, Washington.)
-Chocolate-enrobed Roasted Fig.

Tea Course:
Charaku Premium Organic Matcha. Bamboo-shaped Winter Tea Bowl by John Miller; Portland, Oregon.

10% of Tea & Book Sales to be donated to 3/11 Japan Relief.

Waves at Matsushima, one of a pair of screens, by Tawaraya Sotatsu, early 16th C.

It has been three years since the Great Tohoku Earthquake & Tsunami of Mach 11, 2011. Today, there are still an estimated 270,000 people who have yet to be able to return to their homes due to either physical damage of radiation evacuation. And this number doesn't even begin to touch the multitude of individuals, communities, and industries affected by this event. In truth; the physical, emotional, and financial health of the entire nation is in jeopardy. It's overwhelming to think of what can be done to solve the crisis, but grassroots groups of many kinds are making efforts to create solutions as best as they can on a small scale, and these tend to add up. One such group is Watari Ichigokko; a non-profit, volunteer group that provides assistance to those still displaced individuals, especially the elderly who make up a large portion of those affected.  I was introduced to this organization at the recent Smile for Japan fundraiser where I served and sold tea.

I'd like to continue to donate 10% of my retail tea sales (leaf tea and matcha) from Charaku Fine Japanese Tea and also 10% of book sales from WaSabiDou Antiques & Folk Crafts from March 11 to May 11, 2014 to Watari Ichigokko. Please help to support the cause. Hopefully, small changes can lead to big solutions.

Soma-yaki, Fukushima

Soma-yaki Tea Bowl. This Matcha Chawan (Tea Bowl) is one of a pair in my mother's house, and has an extra special significance to me this time of year. It's a souvenir bowl with the writing "Byakui Daikannon Sanpai Kinen" (Great White Kannon Pilgrimage Commemoration) written on the outside and an image of the Kannon (Goddess of Mercy) on the inside. It was probably made in the early 1950's. It's not the type of bowl that I would typically use for tea myself, as it is quite busy and decorative. It does, however, have great sentimental value in my family as a collectible of my grandmother's in Sendai, and most likely as something that my late uncle Yukio got in Soma County, Fukushima, where he worked. We don't know the whole story, but imagine that my uncle went on such a pilgrimage to the Great White Kannon statue (there's one in Sendai now, but back then the closest would probably have been in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture.) The group, maybe fellow coworkers in Fukushima, had these commemorative bowls made as a momento of the trip. This is a common practice even today for groups to commission a ready-made craft item to be engraved or painted with details of a trip or meeting (the equivalent of T-shirts here in the U.S.) My grandmother was a devotee of Kannon-sama and she was likely gifted with these bowls by my uncle. When my mother came to the States, she was given these by my grandmother. One of the pair was broken and has been poorly repaired by my father. No one remembers for sure, but Mom think it may have been my carelessness as a baby that broke it (the first of many!) Due to the nuclear radiation, the potteries of Soma are no more, the village of Namie, where Soma-yaki was primarily made, badly damaged by the earthquake and evacuated by the radiation. When I hold this bowl in my hands; I feel great respect for a folk pottery tradition over 300 years old, deep sadness for the continued plight of those effected by the Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, but also warm compassion from the image of Kannon-sama that gives us hope for the future.                                       

Smile for Japan

On March 9th, I was privileged to take part in "Smile for Japan," a 3/11 (Japan Earthquake - Tsunami) fundraising benefit in Seattle. The event featured some wonderful music by a great variety of performers; from latin marimba, to jazz, to classical, to folk, and some Japanese tunes thrown in as well. There were also hand-made craft items and food (sushi & donuts, who doesn't like both of these?) sales to benefit the cause. I served and sold tea, donating a portion of the proceeds to the event. The recipient of Smile for Japan donations is Watari Ichigoco, a NPO in Miyagi Prefecture, which supports those dislocated by the earthquake & tsunami. It's been 3 years, and many (especially elders) are still in temporary shelters. Here's their FB page (Japanese)https://www.facebook.com/watari.ichigokko.
For more info on Smile for Japan, and some photos of the event, here's their FB page, https://www.facebook.com/events/639368139443860/?previousaction=join&source=1. 

I've decided to continue to try and raise funds by donating 10% my retail tea sales proceeds to Watari Ichigoco for the next two months, until May 11th.

New Pots from John Benn

We are pleased to announce that the work of a fine Pacific NW potter, John Benn, can now be found on our WaSabiDou website, and in our showroom. The work is all wood-fired and we recently posted about 30 pieces, which includes Tea Bowls, Sake Cups, Sake Bottles (tokkuri,) and a large Vase.
Here's a bit about John and his wife, Colleen Gallagher, who is also a wonderful potter, and some images of a few of the pots:

John Benn studied with F. Carleton Ball and Ken Stevens at the U. of Puget Sound in Tacoma, and with Howard Shapiro and Sandra Simon in the MFA Program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. In 1976, he built his first wood kiln. Now, he and his wife, Colleen Gallagher, make wood-fired pottery among the pristine forests of Harstine Island at the South End of Puget Sound in Washington State. John and Colleen have been professional potters for 27 years and currently fire two wood kilns, a salt kiln and a 25-ft hybrid-anagama  kiln, on their property.  The pots are formed from locally dug native clay clays, and their kilns are fueled with wood from the surrounding forests; such as fir, alder, madrona, cherry, and maple.  Typical firings are three or more days, creating works that are truly a combined result of both man and nature. Wood-firing gives both accidents and blessings, and it is in this imperfection that the beauty of their work is found. Their commitment to wood firing is obsessive and non-intellectual. In John’s word, “We discover our pots in addition to creating them.” Regarding his Chawan, Tea Bowls, John states, “More than the sum of its parts -- line, color, weight, texture -- it is hoped that the Chawan possesses something of the potter who made it. In use it may find life and allow others to feel the awe and mystery that I felt during its creation.”

Matcha Chawan - Tea Bowl

Matcha Chawan - Tea Bowl

Guinomi - Sake Cup

Guinomi - Sake Cup

Tokkuri - Sake Decanter

Kabin - Flower Vase

Matcha Chawan - Tea Bowl

Year-End Sweets from Tokara

This is a late post, but hopefully better late than never. We were fortunate to be around when Tokaragashi in Seattle was selling "nenmatsu wagashi" (year-end Japanese sweets.) Although they don't last long in our house, I fended off the family long enough to take a few pictures to share here.
Image these with a nice bowl of Charaku Matcha!

George Gledhill On-line Exhibition

We're pleased to be showing an on-line exhibition of nearly 200 pieces of the work of Pacific Northwest potter, George Gledhill.
Many of our WaSabiDou and Charaku friends have collected George's pots over the years through our two websites and through our Seattle showroom. The large collection will only be available to view at http://www.flickr.com/photos/110543685@N07/sets, or in the showroom by appointment. It features over 40 Tea Bowls, 60 Tea Cups, 25 Sake Cups, Vases, Dishes, Plates, Incense Containers, and more. Here's a preview of some of the items. Please have a look and let me know if you have any questions.

Black Raku Tea Bowl.

 Tall, WInter Tea Bowl with Crawling Shino Glaze.

 Shino Glaze Footed Sake Cup.

 Set of Small Dessert Dishes with Ladled Glaze.

 Porcelain Sake Cups with Engraved Buddhist Knot of Eternity.

Hotei-sama, God of Contentment and Happiness, Sculpture.

FIrst Bowl of Tea 2014

       Happy New Year 2014 (C.E.) / 2556 (B.E.) / Heisei 26 
                                     Year of the Horse 
                 Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu!

Appropriately, my first bowl of matcha this year was made in a bowl with an image of galloping horses (hashiri goma.) This horse painting in the style of the Kano School has a long history of adorning the wares of Soma in Fukushima Prefecture.

Best wishes for a Happy, Healthy, Peaceful, and Prosperous New Year.
From Tatsuo Tomeoka
Charaku Fine Japanese Tea / WaSabiDou Antiques & Folk Crafts