Chashaku and Sensu

The root end of the bamboo cha-shaku, 茶杓, tea-scoop, is at the same end as the handles of both of the sen-su, 扇子, fan-of. The distance between the bamboo fushi, 節, node, and the handle end of the chashaku and the papered section of the yellow sensu. The distance between the chashaku fushi and its scoop is similar to that of the handle of the black sensu. Were the curve of the scoop to be flattened, the measurement would be the same.

The sensu is the implement of the kyaku, 客, guest, while the chashaku is the implement of the tei-shu, 亭主, house-master. The kyaku holds the sensu at the closed end, Yō,陽, while the teishu holds the chashaku at the In end, opposite the growth direction.

Although the sensu can cause wind to move, it is never used to fan oneself to get cool. In theory, it is always closed, which is Yō. To establish its function and identity, the chashaku is placed on the hakke bon, 八卦盆, eight-sign tray, on the trigram Son, 巽, Wind, directed toward the trigram, Ken, 乾, Heaven. The chashaku is therefore identified with Wind. The sensu can create wind, but does not. The chashaku transfers the tea from one container to another, so that the tea itself becomes, metaphorically, Wind. In addition, tea in its container is placed on the hakke bon on the trigram Shin, 震,Thunder.

Both the kyaku and the teishu are controllers of wind, which can be identified with a particular deity, Fū-jin, 風神, Wind-god. The companion of Fūjin is Rai-jin, 雷神, Thunder-god. These two powerful aspects of nature were born at the death of I-za-na-mi, 伊耶那美, That-wicked-what-beauty, and escaped the underworld. The chashaku moves tea which is more specifically identified with Thunder. Perhaps the kyaku represents Fūjin, and the teishu represents Raijin.