Sumi-e and Chadou: Traditional Arts

With spring in full swing I decided it was time I finally tried some of the things I've always wanted to do, namely sumi-e and chadou.

Sumi-e literally means ink-picture and it's one of the oldest forms of art in Japan. It's also one of the most relaxing if you learn how to do it. In fact, it actually holds some similarities to the meditative quality of chadou, or tea ceremony. When you grind the ink, you grind it in the shape of the hiragana character 'no'. In chadou, this is also the way you make the final stir in the tea before you serve it to your guest (or drink it yourself).

It takes a lot of dishes to get the perfect amount of inks

I personally enjoyed it quite a bit, and was glad that the instructor invited myself, and two other students, to come to her house to practice some more. We both trained in uranosuke school of chadou, so I was able to enjoy making tea with her as well, without the cramping.

Though her tools were much higher quality than mine

Her house was very traditional, and even included the nook where you put out a seasonal display. We were still very close to Children's Day, so the scroll and flowers were relevant to the holiday.

As a calligraphy master she also wrote it herself.

Before this I was able to attend two of her workshops, even though I had only signed up for one, she was nice enough to let me come to the second fully reserved one, so I could learn some other techniques.

Did you know all bamboo has five leaves?

Even two years later, I still find myself coming back, if only to relax for a little bit.

Of course this time was with pre made sumi...

Until next time!
~Zenko~