the Distinctive Features and function of the chashitsu

*the Distinctive Features and function of the chashitsu

1. the chashitsu is an exclusive space for chanoyu. Before the establishment of chanoyu, a common room was used not only for tea parties but also verse-linking parties and incense parties. However, with the establishment of chanoyu, an exclusive room for it was constructed.
2. chashitsu have a place to do temae, a display place, and a place to engage in appreciation. The place for doing temae is referred to as the temaeza. The host sits at this spot and performs the temae. A temae is performed while sitting, and so a space of 1 m^2 is required. The place where the temae is performed is near the host's entrance way, and the layout of the chashitsu decides its location.
The display place mainly is the TOKUNOMA. Usually the items displayed here are a hanging scroll(KAKEMONO; KAKEJIKU), flower container(HANAIRE), and incense burner(香炉,KORO) or incense container(香合,KOGO). In days of old, it was not uncommon for the caddy containing powered tea(茶入れ,chaire) or jar containing leaf tea (茶壷,chatsubo) to be displayed, but there are only displayed here at certain special times nowadays.
The chashitsu generally is a place for appreciating things. Sitting at their seats, the guests appreciate the TOKONOMA display., the host's temae, and the implements used. They sometimes move in front of the TOKONOMA or in front of the RO for a closer view.
The place for the appreciation of objects depends upon the size of the chashitsu; the larger the place for appreciation, and relative to this, the more guests that can be seated in the room. One TATAMI can seat from two to three people. However, even if the chashitsu is large, the guests only sit on the TATAMI around the perimeter, without sitting on the TATAMI in the middle of the room. 3. While the chashitsu serves the functions just described(2 above), and it also pursues the ideal of being as small as possible, various devices are employed so that it does not seem small or cramped.
The smallest chashitsu is only somewhat less than two TATAMI in floor space(about 3m^2). Even so, by having many windows, variation in the ceiling treatment, and so forth, it has a surprisingly comfortable feeling.
A chashitsu that is YOJOHAN, or 4.5 TATAMI in floor space, is considered the most fundamental size. If it is larger, it is categorized as HIROMA(広間,spacious room).

4. The degree of brightness in a chashittsu, as well as the direction of the light and position of the light source is minutely calculated.

The earliest chashittsu had their openings in the north side. It is said that this is because the change in light entering the room due to the movement of the sun is relatively minimal on the north side After this developmental stage in the history of the chashitus, the guest's entrance way was made small, and many windows were built into the room, and so the direction of the chashitsu ceased to be such an issue. However, the placement of the windows was still decided after giving sufficient thought to the effect of how the light would enter the room.

At night, such lighting equipment as a TANKEi(短敬木 a device in which a wick is burned using rapeseed oil) or portable candle(手燭) holder are employed. It is placed between the host and the guests, and the light source is about at the eye level of the seated people.

5. Traditionally, the designing of the chashitsu was not left to a professional architectural designer. Rather, the chajin(devoted chanoyu person) personally designed the chashitsu so that he might realize his personal conception of chanoyu. Such chanoyu devotees not only drew up ground plans, but thought up the idea of making three-dimensional standing fold-out plants called OKOSHIEZU(起し絵図), the CHAJIN(茶人) could communicate his ideas and realize the kind of Chanoyu that was his ideal.