Tea Scoop Names (Mei) for November

November is an important turning point in tea practice, marked by robiraki, the opening of the hearth. Autumn foliage still remains, while Ritto and Shosetsu bring the first signs of winter, making this month suited to mei of new fire, maple leaves, passing rain, and winter preparation.

Solar Terms for November

Ritto (立冬 / Beginning of Winter)

• The seasonal point when winter begins in the traditional calendar
• It connects autumn's afterglow with the first signs of winter and the hearth season

Shosetsu (小雪 / Light Snow)

• The season when light snow may begin to fall
• It suits quiet early-winter mei such as first snow, frost, and bare winter trees

November Seasonal Motifs

Robiraki (炉開き / Opening the Hearth)

• The shift from furo to ro, using the sunken hearth for the first time that season
• November is called the New Year of tea practitioners, making Kuchikiri, Kairo, and Hatsuro fitting mei

From Late Autumn to Early Winter

• The season moves from rich autumn foliage to passing rain, cold wind, and bare winter trees
• Mei such as Kinshu, Momijigari, and Yama Nemuru can carry both color and stillness

Mei for Early November

Kuchikiri (口切 / Opening the Tea Jar)

• The ceremony of opening the tea jar and tasting the year's tea for the first time
• A formal mei that carries the feeling of the tea world's New Year

Kairo (開炉 / Opening the Hearth)

• The act of opening the hearth as the tea room shifts from furo to ro
• A fresh November mei for welcoming new fire

Hatsuro (初炉 / First Hearth)

• The first use of the hearth in the season
• It suggests new fire, new water, and a renewed state of mind

Gencho (玄猪 / Boar Day Observance)

• A custom on the Day of the Boar in the lunar tenth month, praying for health with inoko-mochi
• Because the boar is linked with water, it is also fitting for the hearth season

Ogurayama (小倉山 / Mount Ogura)

• A mountain in Saga, Kyoto, known for autumn foliage
• It also carries waka and Hyakunin Isshu associations, making it fitting for a maple tea gathering

Oharame (大原女 / Women of Ohara)

• Women from Ohara who carried brushwood or firewood into Kyoto
• Their quiet figures bring a rustic late-autumn to early-winter Kyoto atmosphere

Kinshu (錦秋 / Brocade Autumn)

• Autumn leaves spread like richly woven brocade
• A mei for the brilliant color and depth of late autumn

Tatsuta (龍田 / Tatsuta)

• A place name associated with famous autumn leaves, including the Tatsuta River and Mount Tatsuta
• It adds a classical waka atmosphere to the tea gathering

Tatsutahime (立田姫 / Princess Tatsuta)

• A goddess of autumn, associated with coloring the leaves
• A classical and vivid mei for mountains turning red and gold

Momijigari (紅葉狩 / Autumn Leaf Viewing)

• The traditional act of going out to enjoy autumn leaves
• It brings the pleasure of late-autumn mountains and fields into the tea room

Yama no Nishiki (山の錦 / Brocade of the Mountains)

• A mountain covered in autumn leaves, compared to brocade
• It expresses the rich, many-colored brilliance of autumn hills

Yama Yosou (山粧う / Mountains in Adornment)

• Mountains beautifully dressed in autumn foliage
• A mei for the moment when the whole mountain seems clothed in brocade

Mei for Mid to Late November

Hatsu Shigure (初時雨 / First Passing Rain)

• The first passing rain from late autumn into early winter
• It quietly announces the end of autumn and the beginning of winter

Kogarashi (木枯し / Withering Wind)

• A cold, strong wind blowing from late autumn into early winter
• It scatters fallen leaves and signals winter's arrival

Fuyu Kodachi (冬木立 / Winter Grove)

• Trees standing bare after shedding their leaves
• A dignified early-winter mei with stillness and austerity

Yama Nemuru (山眠る / Mountains Sleeping)

• Mountains becoming silent and still, as if asleep
• It suggests early-winter calm after the liveliness of autumn fades

Fuyu Momiji (冬紅葉 / Winter Maple Leaves)

• Maple leaves that remain vivid even after winter has begun
• A mei where late-autumn color overlaps with early-winter cold

Hatsu Shimo (初霜 / First Frost)

• The first frost of the year
• It brings a pure sense of cold mornings and winter's arrival

Senshuraku (千秋楽 / Final Day)

• A word for an ending or final day, often with an auspicious feeling
• It suits a tea gathering that marks the close of autumn and a seasonal turning point

Hatsu Gori (初氷 / First Ice)

• The first ice forming in the year
• A mei for the clear cold air around Shosetsu and early winter

Miyamaji (深山路 / Deep Mountain Path)

• A path deep in the mountains, far from human habitation
• It suits mountain scenery where autumn color fades and winter approaches