Mizuya
Encyclopedia
Mizuya is the term for the preparation area in a Japanese tea house (chashitsu
) or attached to any venue used for the Japanese tea ceremony
. For instance, the area used for preparation during outdoor tea ceremonies is also called the mizuya. The term mizuya can also refer to purificatory fonts at shrine
s and temple
s, as well as to storage cupboards for use in kitchens. This article, however, focuses on the tea ceremony mizuya.
(room intended for the tea ceremony) that is describable as a mizuya exists at the Taian, a chashitsu designed by Sen Rikyū. Mizuya are also mentioned in writings by Sen Rikyū's chanoyu mentor, Takeno Jōō
.
, such as washing the various utensils and supplies, and boiling extra water for filling and replenishing the pot in the tea room. A mizuya is also used for the final preparation of wagashi
that will be served during a chanoyu function (such as cutting them, arranging them on dishes, and so on); for organizing, preparing, and (in some cases) storing the tea supplies; and, in the case of functions for large groups of people, for quickly preparing many bowls of tea to serve to guests.
and several buckets of fresh water, and might be located in a screened-off outdoor area with a grass
floor. A fully equipped modern indoor mizuya may rival the best-equipped kitchen
, with several sinks with hot and cold running water, an elaborate system of storage areas, cupboards, shelves and worktops, a refrigerator, stove, and microwave oven. In practice, however, most fall somewhere in between.
A typical indoor mizuya has in it a recess three or four feet wide and two feet deep, possibly with a tatami
mat in front of it, equipped with a traditional sink (a long metal tub sunk into the floor and covered with a bamboo
grate), several wooden shelves for storing tea supplies, and a board with pegs for hanging ladles and towels. Where there is no permanent built-in recessed area with these facilities, a portable unit called an okimizuya may be used. There are manufacturers of such units. Whatever the style and size of this area, it will be kept scrupulously clean and organized, each school having its preferred order of arranging the utensils.
sitting position, such as the elderly in particular.
According to A. L. Sadler, the name dōko is taken from the boxes in which strolling puppeteers kept their dolls, and was first borrowed by Sen no Rikyu
. Dōko were first placed on the floor, then hung on the wall, and finally built in.
Chashitsu
In Japanese tradition, architectural spaces designed to be used for tea ceremony gatherings are known as chashitsu ....
) or attached to any venue used for the Japanese tea ceremony
Japanese tea ceremony
The Japanese tea ceremony, also called the Way of Tea, is a Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha, powdered green tea. In Japanese, it is called . The manner in which it is performed, or the art of its performance, is called...
. For instance, the area used for preparation during outdoor tea ceremonies is also called the mizuya. The term mizuya can also refer to purificatory fonts at shrine
Shrine
A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....
s and temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
s, as well as to storage cupboards for use in kitchens. This article, however, focuses on the tea ceremony mizuya.
History
The full development of chadō (the Japanese "Way of Tea") and advent of the independent structure dedicated to and designed for use for this cultural activity is generally attributed to the sixteenth century tea master Sen Rikyū. With the development of a structure dedicated to receiving guests for this cultural activity, there naturally was the need for a "back room" area for the host to make ready the items to be used for the reception of the guests. Before this, during the early development of the Japanese tea ceremony, corners of large reception rooms were partitioned off for tea-making, and there was no specific area or space designed for the preparations. According to A.L. Sadler, the earliest extant example of a space attached to a chashitsuChashitsu
In Japanese tradition, architectural spaces designed to be used for tea ceremony gatherings are known as chashitsu ....
(room intended for the tea ceremony) that is describable as a mizuya exists at the Taian, a chashitsu designed by Sen Rikyū. Mizuya are also mentioned in writings by Sen Rikyū's chanoyu mentor, Takeno Jōō
Takeno Joo
was a master of the tea ceremony and a well-known merchant during the Sengoku period of the 16th century in Japan. His name has come down in Japanese cultural history because he followed Murata Jukō as an early proponent of wabi-cha, and was chanoyu teacher to Sen Rikyū.It is believed that the...
.
Use
As its name suggests, a mizuya provides a location for the performing of tea ceremony-related tasks involving waterWater
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
, such as washing the various utensils and supplies, and boiling extra water for filling and replenishing the pot in the tea room. A mizuya is also used for the final preparation of wagashi
Wagashi
is a traditional Japanese confectionery which is often served with tea, especially the types made of mochi, azuki bean paste, and fruits.Wagashi is typically made from natural ingredients...
that will be served during a chanoyu function (such as cutting them, arranging them on dishes, and so on); for organizing, preparing, and (in some cases) storing the tea supplies; and, in the case of functions for large groups of people, for quickly preparing many bowls of tea to serve to guests.
Facilities
The most modest modern mizuya may comprise little more than a hot-plate or electric kettleKettle
A kettle, sometimes called a tea kettle or teakettle, is a small kitchen appliance used for boiling water. Kettles can be heated either by placing on a stove, or by their own electric heating element.- Stovetop kettles :...
and several buckets of fresh water, and might be located in a screened-off outdoor area with a grass
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
floor. A fully equipped modern indoor mizuya may rival the best-equipped kitchen
Kitchen
A kitchen is a room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation.In the West, a modern residential kitchen is typically equipped with a stove, a sink with hot and cold running water, a refrigerator and kitchen cabinets arranged according to a modular design. Many households have a...
, with several sinks with hot and cold running water, an elaborate system of storage areas, cupboards, shelves and worktops, a refrigerator, stove, and microwave oven. In practice, however, most fall somewhere in between.
A typical indoor mizuya has in it a recess three or four feet wide and two feet deep, possibly with a tatami
Tatami
A is a type of mat used as a flooring material in traditional Japanese-style rooms. Traditionally made of rice straw to form the core , with a covering of woven soft rush straw, tatami are made in standard sizes, with the length exactly twice the width...
mat in front of it, equipped with a traditional sink (a long metal tub sunk into the floor and covered with a bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
grate), several wooden shelves for storing tea supplies, and a board with pegs for hanging ladles and towels. Where there is no permanent built-in recessed area with these facilities, a portable unit called an okimizuya may be used. There are manufacturers of such units. Whatever the style and size of this area, it will be kept scrupulously clean and organized, each school having its preferred order of arranging the utensils.
The special mizuya dōko
Some tea rooms may have a special type of built-in recessed mizuya cabinet called mizuya dōko (水屋洞庫). It is built into the wall of the tea room, at floor level, on the side where the host's mat is situated, and has sliding doors so that it can be closed from view of the guests. A plain dōko lacks the water drainage facility that a mizuya dōko features, and therefore functions differently than a mizuya dōko. Both dōko and mizuya dōko are innovations meant for the use of hosts who have difficulty walking and getting up and down from the seizaSeiza
Seiza is the Japanese term for the traditional formal way of sitting in Japan.- Form :To sit seiza-style, one first kneels on the floor, folding one's legs underneath one's thighs, while resting the buttocks on the heels...
sitting position, such as the elderly in particular.
According to A. L. Sadler, the name dōko is taken from the boxes in which strolling puppeteers kept their dolls, and was first borrowed by Sen no Rikyu
Sen no Rikyu
, is considered the historical figure with the most profound influence on chanoyu, the Japanese "Way of Tea", particularly the tradition of wabi-cha...
. Dōko were first placed on the floor, then hung on the wall, and finally built in.
