The first tea of Hatsugama ushers in a quiet start to the new year.

As the new year begins, the tea ceremony tradition celebrates "Hatsugama."Hatsugama is the first tea ceremony of the new year, a significant event that marks the beginning of tea practice for the year.It is held to pray for good health throughout the year and to celebrate the new spring, serving as a milestone to rededicate oneself to the year's training.While the tea year officially begins with the "Ro-biraki" (opening of the hearth) in November,Hatsugama is not merely an extension of that.It is a special gathering to renew one's spirit and correct one's posture now that the new year has arrived, while also embracing the flow of practice accumulated since the hearth season began.Amidst the festivity, there is a dignified tension, and a quiet coexistence of celebratory wishes and solemnity is the essence of Hatsugama.

In the alcove (toko), alongside a hanging scroll befitting the New Year,a "musubi-yanagi" (tied willow) adorned with red and white camellias is displayed.Flexible and resilient, willow has long been a symbol of safety and longevity,and the tied willow (musubi-yanagi) expresses the wish that human connections will continue unbroken.By adding red and white camellias,a sense of celebration, purity, and the harmony of yin and yang is created.This arrangement, unique to Hatsugama, signifies the beginning of a new year with profound meaning, without being ostentatious.During the ceremony, one's awareness is naturally drawn to the combination of utensils, each movement, and the subtle interaction between guest and host.

Precisely because it is the first gathering of the new year,one is called upon to observe the utensils more carefully than usual,to execute each movement with precision,and to be mindful of the other person's presence.

Hatsugama is not a place for extraordinary actions.Rather, it is a time to cherish the fundamentals and quietly ascertain the attitude with which one will approach the coming year's training.

The tea ceremony does not convey emotions through words,but rather rectifies the direction of the heart through movements and the atmosphere of the space.Hatsugama is also an opportunity to physically reaffirm this.

And the silent exchanges and subtle considerations shared in this gatheringnaturally extend beyond the tearoom.

A cup of tea brewed for family.

Seasonal flowers adorning the dining table.

A short message sent to a friend.

All these are connected to the core principle of "considering others and preparing the space,"which is cherished in Hatsugama.

The ties that continue to be flexibly bound, symbolized by the musubi-yanagi.

The pure and auspicious beginning indicated by the red and white camellias.

Both of these are entrusted to the Hatsugama arrangement as quiet wishes to support the coming year.Precisely because a new year has begun, I want to once again bear in mind the meaning embedded in a bowl of Hatsugama tea,and gradually confirm it through daily practice and life.

May this year,

proceed safely, without hindrance,

and with cherished connections to others.