In Japan, they say that the New Year of Tea takes place in November and not on January 1st. This is explained by the seasonality of the tea leaves and more particularly those of tencha at the origin of the matcha. If the first harvests of sencha in May (shincha) release great freshness, an intense fragrance, and are at their highest quality that month, the tencha at the origin of the matcha, he is treated differently. After harvesting and cooking, the leaves are sealed in a small jar-shaped tea box called a chatsubo. The tencha leaves then remain to mature for six months sheltered from the summer heat, developing a characteristic depth and roundness, before being taken out in November. Thus, the time of year when tencha is freshest and at the peak of its flavor potential is in November, hence the fact that this month is synonymous with the new year of tea.
October, the month of Nagori
If we stick to this logic, October is therefore, for tea masters, the last month of the year. In Japanese it is called the month of Nagori. This term evokes nostalgia for the past year and a feeling of regret to see the season end and leave us. During this month, we drink the remains of last year's tea, which have diminished over time, and we use damaged utensils, marked by their use throughout the year.
Jusan'ya, the second moon of autumn
During the month of Nagori, we also celebrate Jusan’ya, literally “the thirteenth night” in reference to the thirteenth day of the 9th month of the lunar calendar. If Jugoya, “the fifteenth night” is particularly known because the festival of contemplation of the Tsukimi moon is celebrated there (see our article on Tsukimi), Jusan’ya, which takes place about a month later, is often less well known in France. However, it remains no less celebrated in Japan. The moon we admire that night is called the Nagori moon.
The origin of this festival dates back to the Heian period and more precisely to the year 891, when the custom of contemplating the Tsukimi full moon, coming from China, already existed. That year, a Japanese emperor named Uda is said to have declared on the evening of the thirteenth night that the moon was particularly beautiful, giving rise to the uniquely Japanese practice of looking up at the sky that night as well.
During the Heian period, the philosophy of wabi-sabi, which consists of seeing beauty in imperfect things, was particularly important among the Japanese aristocracy. The moon of the thirteenth night, which unlike that of the fifteenth night, is not quite full, was therefore naturally very appreciated.
This year, Jusan’ya night will take place on October 23.
Entering the new year: robiraki and kuchikiri
The end of October and the beginning of November are marked by a period of major cleaning in order to prepare for the coming new year. To support this renewal, we tidy up, we clean, we change the tatami mats and we take care of the maintenance of our utensils (see our blog article on cleaning and maintaining tea accessories).
Traditionally, there are two systems for heating the water used to prepare tea. From May to October, the water heats on a brazier, in Japanese furo, placed directly on the tatami. It can easily be moved and is generally placed far from guests to prevent them from getting too hot during the summer season. In November, we open the tatami to place a fireplace, in Japanese ro. This is located closer to the guests to allow them to feel more warmth in winter. The practice of installing ro is called robiraki and marks the start of winter and the new year.
To accompany this important change, many guests are invited for a large ceremony and the chatsubo (jar-shaped tea boxes) sealed 6 months earlier are opened, which contain the matured tencha leaves. This practice is called kuchikiri. The matcha is ground the same day, then prepared for guests. First we serve a koicha, matcha very thick and dedicated to occasions, followed by an usucha, matcha light and sparkling. It is one of the most solemn and important events of the year.