Stories from a Tearoom Window. Shigernori Chikamatsu

      Kanaya Sotei: merchant and tea aficionado

      Ebara Jisen (ca. 1730): critic of lacquer ware

      ryo: monetary unit, equal to about one-fiftieth of a kan

      Nomura Soji: a very wealthy man

      Bishu Province: Aichi Prefecture at present

      opening the tea-leaf jar: The new tea leaves harvested in spring are sealed in the jar, which is opened in November or December. Then the leaves are ground into powder, which is kept in the caddy until it is wanted for making tea. (p. 53, 182)

9. Bamboo flower-containers.

      14. The Value of Onjoji

      Ebara Jisen had no children of his own, so he adopted his nephew, Tokusuke, brought him up, and bequeathed all his property to him. Later his family became poor. A merchant of Edo, Fuyuki by name, had desired to obtain the Onjoji flower container. Jisen had purchased it for eight hundred ryo, but Jisen’s descendants were impoverished, so they asked Fuyuki to buy it for a hundred ryo less. Fuyuki said that it would not be good to lower the price, because that might decrease the value of the utensil. Therefore, he had no wish to have the price reduced to seven hundred ryo, but would purchase it at the original price of eight hundred ryo. It was sold to Fuyuki as he desired.

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      Edo: the old name for Tokyo

      15. The Mozuya Katatsuki

      The katatsuki tea caddy named for Mozuya is a meibutsu very well known in the world. It is said to have been possessed by Oda Uraku.

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      katatsuki: chaire with protruding shoulders (p. 71)