Chaji – Kaiseki

During Kaiseki teishu will bring and serve food for each of the guest. There is a set order for the food to be brought in. This list show the chronological order:

Tray with
Miso Soup
Rice
Mukozuke. The Mukozuke is eaten after first sake serving.
Sake
Second serving of rice and soup
Nimono, main dish
Sake
Yakimono
Azukebachi (optional)
Teishu shoban
Hashi-arai / Koisuimono
/Hassun with sake, yamamono and uminomono
Oyu and Konomono
Description and Dialog

After the Aisatsu teishu slides backwards out of the room, from the door to mizuya:

Teishu

I would like to offer you a simple meal.
SOHAN O SASHIAGETAI TO ZONJIMASU
(勝手をみつくろい粗飯を差し上げたいと存じます)
or

[It is mealtime so I will {check in the back and} find something simple I can serve you to eat
JIBUN DOKI DESU NO DE (KATTE O MITSUKUROI MASHITE) SOHAN O SASHIAGETAI TO ZONJIMASU
Teishu closes the door and goes to get the first tray of food. When Teishu opens the door, the tray is in front of him. Teishu proceeds to Shokyaku to present the tray. Shokyaku slides forward to accept the tray, Shokyaku lowers it and bows while Teishu backs up and bows. (It is always the one with empty hands who moves.)

After receiving and putting down the tray, Shokyaku says to second guest

Pardon me for going ahead of you.
OSAKI NI (お先に)
Each Guest slides forward in anticipation of Teishu and repeats the actions of Shokyaku. Tsume is especially solicitous and slides furthest forward to help Teishu.

When all have received their trays, Teishu returns to the door and says

Please begin.
DOZO OHASHI O OTORIAGE O (どうぞお箸をお取り上げを)
Shokyaku answers

Thank you.
CHODAI ITASHIMASU (頂戴致します)
Teishu closes the door.

Shokyaku

Shall we begin?
SOREDEWA ITADAKIMASHO(それでは戴きましょう)
Other guests

Allow us to join you.
OSHOBAN ITASHIMASU (お相伴致します)
Guests take rice and soup lids off simultaneously and put them together, right lid on top of left. Set them to lower right of tray. Pick up bowl first then o-hashi. After finishing ichimonji and miso, put tips of o-hashi being used over left rim of tray to keep them from dirtying the tray; then, put lids back on.

As a general rule, Guests always stop eating and put the lids back on their bowls whenever Teishu is in the room.

Teishu opens door and enters. He is carrying a Choshi/Kannabe in right hand and a Haidai with Hikihai/Sakazuki in left. He sits down in front of shokyaku and say:

Teishu

May I serve you some sake?
DOZO IKKON IKAGA DESU KA(どうぞ一献如何ですか?)
(to second guest) Shokyaku

Pardon me for going ahead of you.
O-SAKI NI(お先に)
Shokyaku takes the entire stack of saucers and puts it on the tatami. Then he moves all but the bottom saucer, which he then places on his tray and returns the remaining saucers to the haidai. He sends the haidai with hikihai on down to the next guest. Shyokyaku moves mukozuke to the left on the tray before the sake is poured, so there will be a place to set it down. Shokyaku moves mukotsuke as Teishu turns stack and presents it. Teishu pours sake for Shokyaku and all guests.

After sake has been poured and Teishu leaves, mukozuke may be eaten. Notice the arrangement of shapes and colors. All sauce must be out of dish by the time the yakimono course comes around.

Teishu brings in Hanki. Inside one serving has been delineated for each guest. On top of the hanki there is a marubon and a Shamoji (paddle). Teishu sets maru bon, and shamoji to the side and opens hanki lid so that he can put shamoji inside. Then he say:

Teishu

May I serve you?
O-TSUKE ITASHIMASHO KA (おつけ致しましょう)
Shokyaku

Please leave it to us
DOZO O-MAKASE O (どうぞおまかせを)
Teishu turns rice container and sets it by Shokyaku. Then holds up the tray once more

Teishu

Would you like more soup?
O-SHIRU NO O-KAE O DOZO(お汁のお替えをどうぞ)
Shokyaku gives miso bowl to Teishu who takes it away and immediately returns for Jikyaku’s bowl. When in the kitchen with jikyaku’s bowl, he gets the refilled bowl for shokyaku and serves it before he collects third guest’s bowl…

In the meantime, Shokyaku takes lid off hanki and, turning it over so as not to spill the collected dew and careful not to touch the inside of the lid. Shokyaku passes the lid down the line to Tsume. The rice should have been placed in the hanki in distinct scoops, one for each guest. Before the hanki gets to them, the guests should take the lid off their rice bowls and set it upside down to lower right of tray. Each guest should be careful to get their scoop or their portion of rice. The hanki must be sent back empty. The hanki goes back when the Tsume is served miso soup, so there is no time later to see that everyone has the same amount of rice. Put lids back on and wait until shirukae, replenishment of the miso soup, is over. Teishu picks up hanki which has been passed down to Tsume and leaves. Guests eat for a while. As soon as guests are nearing end of rice, soup and mukotsuke, the nimono course should be ready (actually, almost immediately after last soup goes out).

Teishu uses a marubon to serve shokyaku the nimono. But may use a kayoi bon for the rest. Nimono wan is put down on teishu side of the tray and in the center of it. Teishu returns to mizuya but does not close the door.

Turning in doorway, Teishu slides tray out of sight, and says

Please begin while it is hot.
DOZO ATSUI UCHINI O-MESHIAGARI KUDASAI (どうぞ熱いうちにお召し上がり下さい)
Shokyaku

Let us partake of it together.
GOISSHO NI ITADAKIMASHO(ご一緒に戴きましょう)
and reaches for wan.

All guests together take bowl and bring them under their noses where they take the lids off together. After looking at the arrangement of the ingredients, catch the yuzu piece (or whatever is being used) if there is one, in the o-hashi, and sip the broth over the yuzu to flavor it. Then eat everything (the yuzu is optional since it is a bit strong). Put the lid back on and the nimono wan back in center far side of the tray. Continue to eat if there is anything left, except leave a bit of rice in the bowl.

Teishu will bring in sake pourer again and pour for each guest. Teishu leaves the sake pourer with tsume unless he wants to change the type of sake than he has to bring it back to mizuya.

Then Teishu will bring grilled course, yakimono, to Shokyaku; one piece per guest in the container. Nakabushi aobashi is used for serving. These are also called saibashi as a group Teishu

Please take a portion and pass the plate/bowl to the next guest.
DOZO O-TORIMAWASHI O (どうぞお取り回しを)
Being aware of the timing, optional courses, sake in tokkuri and ceramic sake cups called variously guinomi or sekihai, will be brought out here. The last hanki is brought out and the same things said as when the first time hanki was brought out. Except that shokyaku refuses the third offering of soup for everyone. Shokyaku goes away with the marubon empty.

If things are not going well in the kitchen, the sequence of courses may be altered, ie,whatever is done first, with apologies, to prevent loss of time.
Teishu sits in the doorway.

I will be in the preparation room having my meal. If you need anything, please call me by clapping your hands.
MIZUYA DE O-SHOBAN SASETE ITADAKIMASU. GOYO GA AREBA O-TE O O-NARASHIKUDASAI(水屋でお相伴させて頂きます。ご用があればお手をお鳴らし下さい)
Shokyaku

Bring out your tray and please eat with us
DOZO O-ZEN MOCHIDASHI NO UE, GO-IS’SHO NI(どうぞお持ち出しのうえ、ご一緒に)
Teishu

Thank you, but I still have some things to attend to, so I’ll eat in the back. If you need anything, please clap your hands.
KATTE NI YOJI MO GOZAIMASU NO DE, MIZUYA NO HO DE. NANIKA GO-YO GA GOZAIMASHITARA, DOZO O-TE O O-NARASHI O (勝手に用事もございますので)
Teishu closes the door (second time).

This time the hanki has much more rice in it than the first time and each guest takes as much or little as they like. Tsume does not have to finish it all but can pass it back to anyone who wants more.

When everything is eaten, except for a bit of rice, the nimono cleaned and the various ceramic utensils haikened. When haikening serving utensils tsume keeps the hashi and brings the various utensils to shokyaky, and they get passed down the line again. Tsume is also responsible for dries up juices in/on the untensils so that nothing spills while they are beeing haikened. Tsume returns them (yakimonobachi, hanki, azukebachi and azukedokkuri or sake pourer with tray, sometimes guinomi too) to door and takes the haidai to Shokyaku

Teishu or Hanto should be stationed outside door during this period, called teishu shoban, just in case anything is needed. Teishu must eat something, preferably the same food the guests have had so he or she can comment on it to them.

Teishu opens the door, removes the utensils tsume has conveniently placed within his reach and says, Teishu

I hope you are enjoying the meal. Is everything satisfactory?
O-SHOBAN ITASHIMASHITA GA FUKAGEN DE(お相伴致しましたが不加減で)
Shokyaku

Everything is excellent.
MAKOTO NI KEKKO NI ITADAKIMASHITA(誠に結構に戴きました)
Someone from kitchen should be there to help return the utensils. To one side, Teishu has kayoibon ready with kosuimono wan (small soup for rinsing mouth and chopsticks = hashiarai). If all the nimono wan will not fit on the nagabon, take the Shokyaku’s kosuimono in on marubonin then the rest on nagabon. Teishu exchanges kosui wan for nimono wan, placing the kosui wan to kamiza of the nimono, again with slight bow. Guest(s) should NOT move the kosui wan.

Teishu leaves with tray of nimonowan and at door, sits, slides tray to side, says

Please begin.
DOZO O-SUIAGE O (どうぞお吸い上げを)
Shokyaku takes up the kosuimono. Shokyaku

Shall we have it together?
GO-ISSHO NI ITADAKIMASHOU(ご一緒に戴きましょう)
All guests drink the soup and but the kosuiwan back exactly where it was; then wipe at least inside of lid.

There should be one piece of each umi no mono and yama no mono for each guest + one of each for Teishu + one or two extra pieces on the hassun tray. That way the tray is not emptied at the end. Try to avoid even numbers but if you have one extra of one type and two extra of the other type, that makes three extra. E.g. for five guests= 7 of one type and 8 of the other are required. Get nakabushi aobashi off yakimonobachi and purify for use on hassun.

Teishu brings in the hassun tray and refilled (original sake) sake pourer, sits in front of Shokyaku and says, Teishu

Would you care for some more sake?
IKKON DOZO (一献どうそ)
Teishu pours sake, then takes the lid from kosuimono bowl. Teishu

I would like to borrow this lid.
FUTA O HAISHAKU ITASHIMASU(蓋を拝借致します)
Teishu then puts one umi no mono on the lid, turns it and puts it back geza to kosui wan. For each of the guest teishu does the same. Guests should eat umi no mono immediately and replace lid on wan.

When Teishu returns to Shokyaku, Shokyaku says

I want to offer you some sake so please bring out another cup.
IK’KON SASHIAGETAI TO ZONJIMASU NO DE, DOZO, GO-BEPユPAI O MOCHIDASHI O
or

Teishu
Please allow me to join you.
DOZO ONAGARE O (どうぞお流れを)
Shokyaku

(I would offer you some sake), so please bring out another cup
GO-BEPPAI O O-MOCHIDASHI O(別盃をお持ち出しを)
Teishu

I have not prepared one, so please let me use yours
YOI GA GOZAIMASEN NODE, O-SAKAZUKI DE CHODAI SHITAI TO ZONJIMASU(用意がございませんので、その盃で頂戴致したいと存じます)
At this point, Teishu turns the hassun tray to Shokyaku and the sake pourer to Jikyaku (From this point, after EACH pouring, the sake pourer is turned to the other person involved.) Shokyaku wipes and puts his or her sakazuki on the haidai, turns it, places it out for Teishu. Then, taking out kaishi, Shokyaku places one umimono and one yamamono on it. (Note: this means the first person to get yama no mono is Teishu, be sure it is not the best piece.) Shokyaku turns the hassun back to Teishu and puts Teishu’s portion where it can be reached. Meanwhile, Teishu accepts the sakazuki and haidai, raises in kansha, takes the sakazuki and accepts sake from Jikyaku. Jikyaku turns the sake pourer to Teishu

Drinking it, Teishu wipes the sakazuki and replaces it on the haidai.

Second guest

Please allow me to join you.
DOZO O-NAGARE O(どうぞお流れを) Teishu to Shokyaku
We would like to borrow your cup for a while.
SAKAZUKI O SHIBARAKU HAISHAKU O(盃をしばらく拝借を)
Teishu pours sake for Jikyaku, then turns kannabe to third guest. Teishu serves yamamono to Shokyaku, then to Jikyaku. Jikyaku eats yama no mono but Shokyaku does not (first sake then food). Third guest poors sake for teishu, then teishu serves 3rd guest still using Shokyaku’s sakazuki. Teishu serves 3rd guest yaman no mono, and so on down the row. At Tsume., the exact same procedure is followed but after teishu has served yamamono to tsume, tsume serves another sake to Teishu. (The last one to drink of the cup is its owner). Teishu drinks, puts the hai and dai on the hassun tray and goes to Shokyaku, where Teishu says,

Teishu

Thank you for letting us borrow this for a long time.
NAGANAGA TO ARIGATO GOZAIMASHITA
(長々と有り難うございました)
Teishu pours sake for Shokyaku then, Teishu turns the sake pourer toward Shokyaku. Shokyaku pours for Teishu and while he/she is drinking, says

Shokyaku

We have had enough [ Please make this the last cup]
DOZO GO-NOHAI O (どうぞご納盃を)
Teishu

As you wish.
NOHAI SASETE ITADAKIMASU (納盃させて頂きます)
Shokyaku

May we have some hot water?
DOZO O-YU O (どうぞお湯を)
Teishu accepts this request and moves the remaining hassun no gu closer to each other in the center, sets the haidai with Shokyaku’s hikihai in the upper left and the kaishi with Teishu’s own portion of the hassun in the lower right. Then stands with sake pourer and returns to mizuya.

While Teishu is out of room, guests clean kosuimono wan and put them in the center of the far side of their trays.

Teishu returns with kayoibon, which has bowl of pickles with ryoboso (“both narrowed”) green bamboo hashi. and also yu’oke, filled with hot water and browned rice. Yu’oke is on the left side of the pickles and the spout faces towards the pickles. In front of the yu’oke on the tray is the lacquer scoop, yunoko sukui. Teishu inserts the ladle into top, stirs up the contents.

Teishu

May I serve you?
O-TSUKE ITASHIMASHO KA?(おつけいたしましょうか)
Shokyaku

Please leave it to us.
DOZO O-MAKASE O (どうぞおまかせを)
Teishu turns pickle bowl, sets it by Shokyaku.

Teishu

Please take some and pass the bowl to the next guest.
DOZO O-TORIMAWASHI O (どうぞお取り回しを)
Teishu collects kosuimono wan on empty kayoi bon with slight bow. Leaving, Teishu slides bon to side and says,

Teishu

If there is not enough hot water, please clap your hands
O-YU GA TARIMASEN TOKI WA, DOZO O-TE O O-NARASHI O(お湯が足りません時は、どうぞお手をお鳴らしを)
Teishu closes door for third time. Shokyaku passes yu’oke lid down the line to the last guest. Each Guest examining its inside surface. Holding the yu’oke on the left palm and fingers, with the thumb through the bottom of the handle, Each Guest stirs yu’oke and puts a scoop or two of browned rice and oyu in the rice bowl and pours more oyu into soup bowl. It doesn’t matter if more browned rice goes into soup bowl. Yu’oke is passed hand to hand.

When the pickles come, Each Guest takes their share (two pieces) of takuan, and the other varieties, and puts them in the muko. Using the takuan as a sponge, clean the bowls and drink the oyu, also eating the other pickles as well. When cleaning good lacquer, it is best to avoid tissues. Kaishi, crushed to make it soft may be used, or a piece of old silk. Start with the places not “dirty” such as the lids of the rice and soup bowls, the sakazuki, and o-hashi. Don’t forget tray. Return o-hashi to right rim of tray. Do inside of the bowls last. All guests turn rice bowl lids over and, excepting Shokyaku, put sakazuki in upturned lids. Return mukozuke to center. If there are sekihai/guinomi-ceramic sake cups put them on a sheet of kaishi on top of sakazuki or rice bowl lid. Tsume must finish quickly so to take yu’oke and pickle bowl back to door or to haiken. Once all have cleaned and replaced everything on their tray, Guests push o-hashi off right edge or return to center of tray front and drop them to make a signal to Teishu that everything is cleaned and ready.

Teishu should be near door and ready for signal. Opening the door, Teishu removes the utensils and says, Teishu

Although it was very simple, I hope you enjoyed the meal.
O-SOMATSU DESHITA (お粗末でした)
Shokyaku

Everything was deliciouShokyaku Thank you for your hospitality.
GOCHISOSAMA DESHITA (ご馳走様でした)
Teishu goes to Shokyaku. Shokyaku has moved tray out, picks it up, gives to Teishu Shokyaku backs up and both bow. Teishu take tray back it mizuya (again someone should be waiting to take utensils back to kitchen). Repeat with each Guest. Tsume may take tray closer to help Teishu

Nesxt Step:

Chaji/Shozumi
Unsortet kaiseki notes

Order of serving:

Tray
Meshiwan 飯椀
Shiruwan 汁椀
Mukozuke 向付
Rikyu-bashi 利休箸
Sake
Hikihai 引盃
Haidai 盃台
Kannabe  燗鍋
Rice
Hanki  飯器
Shakushi 杓子
Refill of soup
Nimono
Sake
Yakimono 焼物
Motobushi hashi
Rice (offer of more soup)
Azukebachi (optional)
Ryoubushi hashi
Teushushoban
Kosuimono / Hashiarai 箸洗
Hassun tray 八寸盆
umi no sachi 海幸
yama no sachi 山幸
Nakabushi hashi
Oyu
Konomono 香の

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