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Such a terrific drama, has to have a lot of drama in it ;-) The tea ceremony was a very aristocratic essence of social ritual. Cultivated by Emperors and Shoguns. The tea house is very stylized and austere.
I always love the reactions to this beautiful show.. especially the moment Father Alvito realizes Toranaga was the ultimate troll by placing the site of the new church right next to where the Kabuki district tea houses will be. I guess even priests need to see some “tea” and christians a place to confess after a night of Kabuki.. 😂 keep up the awesome reactions.. cant wait for y’all to complete this season!
Hiromatsu learned that Toranaga would fight under the pretense of surrender (because he told the priest to tell Osaka what he had seen.) There is a saying, "From the point of view to deceive the enemy. There are many spies in Edo, so he could not tell the truth even to his own vassals. He did not intend to commit seppuku from the beginning, but when another vassal put his hand on his sword, Hiromatsu instantly decided that he would take full responsibility and put an end to the internal conflict. Toranaga sensed this and said that he had a plan and that they should die together in Osaka so as not to let him die now, but Hiromatsu's determination was so strong that he had to act as if he was willing to die because he and Toranaga had understood each other's feelings through their conversation. It must have been difficult for him because he was the one who was in his heart. One of the most distinctive features of the hermitage teahouse, which dates back to the reign of Sen no Rikyu, is the overflow door. The entrance is approximately 60 to 70 centimeters square, and one must stoop down and make oneself small to enter. There are various theories as to the origin of the overgate, but even if the guest is a samurai of high rank, he or she must place his or her sword outside in order to pass through the overgate, and thus the tea room is an extraordinary space where the host and the guest are on equal footing beyond the rank of the host. In the tea ceremony room, we were allowed to say things as equals, so Mariko said what she really thought.
Right! Hirumatsu knew what he had to do, but it was so sad to see it. We were a bit confused about the specifics so we appreciate the explanation. Specially about the tea ceremony, we knew nothing about that! Thanks!
In the book, Buntaro is a renowned Zen Master of the formal Japanese Tea Ceremony, one of the best in the land. The Tea Ceremony is a formal ritual offered for many reasons, but the master of the ceremony prepares the communal Tea House for the ritual and changes specific things about the decor and the garden path to personalize the ceremony for their invited guests. It can be used to honor someone, it can be used to apologize to someone, it can be used to declare love, it can be used to declare loyalty, it can be used simply to invite an esteemed colleague to partake for a moment of No Thought meditation (Zen). The novel has the benefit of exposition, where the show does not linger on the details. But from what little I know (actual Japanese Tea Masters feel free to chime in and correct this), and from what little I remember of the book's description from my 17+ times reading the novel over 20 years ago, Mariko strolled through the garden and found a small arrangement on the path of flowers and leaves and branches in a very artful way which indicated where she should walk in the garden as she approached. The Tea House is communal, and may be reserved by anyone qualified to perform the ritual, so every surface has been ritually washed, and intentionally arranged. The view in the surrounding garden had a blossom arranged on the rocks with just the right amount of water sprinkled on its leaves like dewdrops. The view, the flower, the signal arrangement pointing to the view, all of this had symbolism. Mariko as a highborn educated Lady, took time to appreciate the effort on the way in, and to meditate on the view, and to interpret all of the symbols. The symbols declared to her in a personal way that her husband was meaning this to reconcile with her. When you enter the tea house, you must kneel. All in the Tea Ceremony are honored temporarily as social equals, and everyone must bow and kneel to fit through the ritual door. Once in the House, before the Tea Master arrives, she was left to contemplate the artwork on the scroll which was hung in the niche, the calligraphy of the saying or poem which was written on the scroll, and another Zen floral or natural arrangement which added to the symbolism of that already encountered on the pathway leading in. When she was ready she assumed her position for the ceremony, and Buntaro joined her formally, and began the ceremony. The iron kettle on the brazier in the floor which was used to prepare the water for the tea had special meaning, and special provenance. It had been gifted to Buntaro by his teacher and former Tea Master upon attaining recognition as a Master by himself. A kind of graduation present, and a strong link to Tradition, with a special emphasis for the uniquely Japanese cultural ceremony. The ceramic tea bowl used to prepare the matcha was also carefully selected. By tradition, like the Tea House itself, the ceramic must be imperfect by intention. Buntaro in the book used a bowl which had been made by a Master Artisan. The glaze, the uneven shape, and the unfinished bottom of the bowl, all added to the overall story being told by the symbolism of everything else in the room. In the book, after the formal proffering and consumption of the Tea, they sat in silent meditation for a good long while. Buntaro, being a Master of the ceremony, had constructed The Perfect Ceremony for the occasion, and Mariko was overwhelmed by his gift of the perfect ceremony followed by the perfect shared silence in which to complete the ritual. Before any of the antagonistic conversation, she acknowledged freely and openly that the ritual was absolutely perfect in every way, and she honored him for honoring her with the gift of "a perfect moment". Buntaro, to acknowledge the praise without boasting, solemnified the book's ceremony by declaring that since Mariko felt he had attained a perfect moment, he would have the tea kettle thrown into the sea so as never to be sullied by being used by another Tea Ceremony. Mariko convinced him instead to gift it to someone else, perhaps their son? Been a long while, sorry on that detail. And then, the ceremony over and the moment acknowledged and formally ended, they had a similar conversation to what the show portrayed. But Mariko was genuine and sincere in her praise and open admiration for her husband's great accomplishment in the Ceremony. Yet it was still not enough to move her heart in their marriage. Which destroyed Buntaro completely, as shown. There are RUclips videos about the Japanese Tea Ceremony today, as the tradition has survived (with adjustments over time) into our contemporary era today. It is a fascinating and complex ritual, and something that is uniquely Japanese in soul.
Thank you so much for that detailed description! The book sounds so beautiful in your words. We would have loved to see some more of that in the show, the message is really something to admire. Thanks again for telling us about it 🥰
Hiromatsu committed seppuku because the meeting was getting out of hand and they were fracturing. Hiromatsu brought the brewing coup to a halt so they would all stay united in defeat. It's weird, it's hard to understand and very Japanese. United, except for Yabushige who Toronaga predicted would team up with Blackthorne. Thoughts on Buntaro. There is no doubt he is abusive. I think he truly thought Mariko would appreciate that he saved her life and come to love him and I'm sure he loved her but his bitterness made him angry and cruel. I think the final rejection really broke his heart. I have some sympathy for him but not too much.
Hirumatsu was key for everything, both him and Toranaga understood, but we still can't believe it happened 😭 We feel the same for Buntaro, years of frustration, getting the cold shoulder from his wife, not really understanding what he did to receive that treatment. He exploded when he saw how she behaved with Jhon 😕 but that's still no reason to justify his actions.
@@NerdishReact Yes, tacit conversation= eye contact because there are Spy exist everywhere you know. 「敵を欺くにはまず味方から」="In fooling the enemy, first deceive your allies."
A loyal samurai serves his lord with his life. The way one dies is more important than the act of dying. In this case, Hiramatsu understood Toranaga's feelings and united his vassals by dying himself. In Japan, after a funeral, people mourn for 49 days. During this time, fighting is refrained from. The death of his son bought Toranaga time to prepare for battle. Although kaishaku may seem cruel at first glance, it was an act of mercy on the part of the samurai, as leaving the seppuku unattended would have meant long and painful experiences. The etiquette of seppuku changed during the Edo period. The kaishaku (the person who performed the beheading) was highly skilled, and some samurai even specialized in it. The kaishaku had a very difficult technique of placing the head on their lap and leaving only the skin. Such samurai secured status as officials and passed on the technique to their descendants. There were also cases where circumstances made it impossible to perform seppuku, which was considered dishonorable for the samurai. The seppuku ceremony became more lavish depending on the samurai's status. The kaishaku was chosen from friends, acquaintances, and family members who were skilled enough to perform seppuku. Finally, the real Hosokawa Tadaoki excelled in both the literary and military arts, was knowledgeable in the tea ceremony, was handsome, and loved Hosokawa Gracia dearly. However, he was an extremely tyrant who killed anyone who came through the checkpoint and went on a rampage. After he surrendered, he massacred all his enemies. At this time, he was scolded by Akechi Mitsuhide. There is an anecdote that, in a fit of jealousy, he killed a gardener who had seen his wife, but when Akechi Mitsuhide rebelled against Nobunaga, he immediately imprisoned Akechi Mitsuhide's daughter, Hosokawa Gracia, deep in the mountains and avoided the death penalty. Even during the time of imprisonment, she gave birth to one child. The Hosokawa family is a prestigious family even in modern Japan. They have even produced a prime minister. Thank you
Thank you so much for that cultural lesson! We knew little to nothing about that and we love learning about Japan and the amazing history is has. We can't wait for season 2 to learn more about it.
The Taiko's wife (lady Iyo) said to Ochiba "Look what WE have done (for the taiko)" she also called the heir "our" son. The heir was a collaboration between her and Ochiba to produce an heir. They did the "unmentionable", gave her awful drugs etc. It is not shown in the series but it is clear in the book that the heir is not the Taiko's son. Countless concubines have tried but failed. The taiko was sterile. Ochiba was so desperate to produce a son mated with a peasant that reminded her of the taiko. She then had the peasant killed to cover it up. In the book, Toronaga had his suspicion about the peasant. He saw Ochiba's kimono torn and had a bracken on the back after visiting the villages. When asked about it, Ochiba brushed it off by saying she fell off her horse. That is one of the reasons why Ochiba fears Toronaga. To her, Toronaga is a threat that can expose her. 27:03 "So you DO believe in pointless death" is a reference to episode 1 where Toronaga said to Hiromatsu that he did not believe in the pointless death of Fuji's husband and son.
Yabu couldn't possibly say ok to blackthornes offer. Mariko and anyone else that heard would be obliged to report it, and yabu knew it. He has to bank that information and maybe use it when it's useful and not publicly.
If you want to watch the show, you could do that, instead of watching a reaction where people are supposed to react and talk about what they are watching.
Check out our Patreon for exclusive content! You'd be helping us a lot! 😊
/ nerdishreact
Don't forget to LIKE 👍, COMMENT ⌨ SUBSCRIBE ✨and turn on the BELL ICON 🔔 to get notified every time we post :)
For more personal content, backstages, bloopers and more, check out our Instagram! 😁 instagram.com/nerdishreact
Such a terrific drama, has to have a lot of drama in it ;-) The tea ceremony was a very aristocratic essence of social ritual. Cultivated by Emperors and Shoguns. The tea house is very stylized and austere.
Ohh that's really cool! We knew nothing about it. It's awesome to learn all this cool stuff about the culture 🤗
I always love the reactions to this beautiful show.. especially the moment Father Alvito realizes Toranaga was the ultimate troll by placing the site of the new church right next to where the Kabuki district tea houses will be. I guess even priests need to see some “tea” and christians a place to confess after a night of Kabuki.. 😂 keep up the awesome reactions.. cant wait for y’all to complete this season!
That was so funny when I saw it the first time. Toronaga is a God tier troll.
Right?! So ironic hahaha 😂
It was too good to be true
Hiromatsu learned that Toranaga would fight under the pretense of surrender (because he told the priest to tell Osaka what he had seen.) There is a saying, "From the point of view to deceive the enemy. There are many spies in Edo, so he could not tell the truth even to his own vassals.
He did not intend to commit seppuku from the beginning, but when another vassal put his hand on his sword, Hiromatsu instantly decided that he would take full responsibility and put an end to the internal conflict. Toranaga sensed this and said that he had a plan and that they should die together in Osaka so as not to let him die now, but Hiromatsu's determination was so strong that he had to act as if he was willing to die because he and Toranaga had understood each other's feelings through their conversation. It must have been difficult for him because he was the one who was in his heart.
One of the most distinctive features of the hermitage teahouse, which dates back to the reign of Sen no Rikyu, is the overflow door. The entrance is approximately 60 to 70 centimeters square, and one must stoop down and make oneself small to enter.
There are various theories as to the origin of the overgate, but even if the guest is a samurai of high rank, he or she must place his or her sword outside in order to pass through the overgate, and thus the tea room is an extraordinary space where the host and the guest are on equal footing beyond the rank of the host.
In the tea ceremony room, we were allowed to say things as equals, so Mariko said what she really thought.
Right! Hirumatsu knew what he had to do, but it was so sad to see it. We were a bit confused about the specifics so we appreciate the explanation. Specially about the tea ceremony, we knew nothing about that! Thanks!
In the book, Buntaro is a renowned Zen Master of the formal Japanese Tea Ceremony, one of the best in the land. The Tea Ceremony is a formal ritual offered for many reasons, but the master of the ceremony prepares the communal Tea House for the ritual and changes specific things about the decor and the garden path to personalize the ceremony for their invited guests. It can be used to honor someone, it can be used to apologize to someone, it can be used to declare love, it can be used to declare loyalty, it can be used simply to invite an esteemed colleague to partake for a moment of No Thought meditation (Zen).
The novel has the benefit of exposition, where the show does not linger on the details. But from what little I know (actual Japanese Tea Masters feel free to chime in and correct this), and from what little I remember of the book's description from my 17+ times reading the novel over 20 years ago, Mariko strolled through the garden and found a small arrangement on the path of flowers and leaves and branches in a very artful way which indicated where she should walk in the garden as she approached. The Tea House is communal, and may be reserved by anyone qualified to perform the ritual, so every surface has been ritually washed, and intentionally arranged. The view in the surrounding garden had a blossom arranged on the rocks with just the right amount of water sprinkled on its leaves like dewdrops. The view, the flower, the signal arrangement pointing to the view, all of this had symbolism. Mariko as a highborn educated Lady, took time to appreciate the effort on the way in, and to meditate on the view, and to interpret all of the symbols. The symbols declared to her in a personal way that her husband was meaning this to reconcile with her.
When you enter the tea house, you must kneel. All in the Tea Ceremony are honored temporarily as social equals, and everyone must bow and kneel to fit through the ritual door. Once in the House, before the Tea Master arrives, she was left to contemplate the artwork on the scroll which was hung in the niche, the calligraphy of the saying or poem which was written on the scroll, and another Zen floral or natural arrangement which added to the symbolism of that already encountered on the pathway leading in. When she was ready she assumed her position for the ceremony, and Buntaro joined her formally, and began the ceremony. The iron kettle on the brazier in the floor which was used to prepare the water for the tea had special meaning, and special provenance. It had been gifted to Buntaro by his teacher and former Tea Master upon attaining recognition as a Master by himself. A kind of graduation present, and a strong link to Tradition, with a special emphasis for the uniquely Japanese cultural ceremony.
The ceramic tea bowl used to prepare the matcha was also carefully selected. By tradition, like the Tea House itself, the ceramic must be imperfect by intention. Buntaro in the book used a bowl which had been made by a Master Artisan. The glaze, the uneven shape, and the unfinished bottom of the bowl, all added to the overall story being told by the symbolism of everything else in the room. In the book, after the formal proffering and consumption of the Tea, they sat in silent meditation for a good long while. Buntaro, being a Master of the ceremony, had constructed The Perfect Ceremony for the occasion, and Mariko was overwhelmed by his gift of the perfect ceremony followed by the perfect shared silence in which to complete the ritual. Before any of the antagonistic conversation, she acknowledged freely and openly that the ritual was absolutely perfect in every way, and she honored him for honoring her with the gift of "a perfect moment".
Buntaro, to acknowledge the praise without boasting, solemnified the book's ceremony by declaring that since Mariko felt he had attained a perfect moment, he would have the tea kettle thrown into the sea so as never to be sullied by being used by another Tea Ceremony. Mariko convinced him instead to gift it to someone else, perhaps their son? Been a long while, sorry on that detail. And then, the ceremony over and the moment acknowledged and formally ended, they had a similar conversation to what the show portrayed. But Mariko was genuine and sincere in her praise and open admiration for her husband's great accomplishment in the Ceremony. Yet it was still not enough to move her heart in their marriage. Which destroyed Buntaro completely, as shown.
There are RUclips videos about the Japanese Tea Ceremony today, as the tradition has survived (with adjustments over time) into our contemporary era today. It is a fascinating and complex ritual, and something that is uniquely Japanese in soul.
Thank you so much for that detailed description! The book sounds so beautiful in your words.
We would have loved to see some more of that in the show, the message is really something to admire. Thanks again for telling us about it 🥰
Hiromatsu committed seppuku because the meeting was getting out of hand and they were fracturing. Hiromatsu brought the brewing coup to a halt so they would all stay united in defeat. It's weird, it's hard to understand and very Japanese.
United, except for Yabushige who Toronaga predicted would team up with Blackthorne.
Thoughts on Buntaro. There is no doubt he is abusive. I think he truly thought Mariko would appreciate that he saved her life and come to love him and I'm sure he loved her but his bitterness made him angry and cruel. I think the final rejection really broke his heart. I have some sympathy for him but not too much.
Hirumatsu was key for everything, both him and Toranaga understood, but we still can't believe it happened 😭
We feel the same for Buntaro, years of frustration, getting the cold shoulder from his wife, not really understanding what he did to receive that treatment. He exploded when he saw how she behaved with Jhon 😕 but that's still no reason to justify his actions.
you know we respect each others and choose this for future. we live hard core.
They probably had a tacit conversation like that while everything was going down.
@@NerdishReact Yes, tacit conversation= eye contact because there are Spy exist everywhere you know. 「敵を欺くにはまず味方から」="In fooling the enemy, first deceive your allies."
A loyal samurai serves his lord with his life.
The way one dies is more important than the act of dying.
In this case, Hiramatsu understood Toranaga's feelings and united his vassals by dying himself.
In Japan, after a funeral, people mourn for 49 days.
During this time, fighting is refrained from.
The death of his son bought Toranaga time to prepare for battle.
Although kaishaku may seem cruel at first glance, it was an act of mercy on the part of the samurai, as leaving the seppuku unattended would have meant long and painful experiences.
The etiquette of seppuku changed during the Edo period.
The kaishaku (the person who performed the beheading) was highly skilled, and some samurai even specialized in it.
The kaishaku had a very difficult technique of placing the head on their lap and leaving only the skin.
Such samurai secured status as officials and passed on the technique to their descendants.
There were also cases where circumstances made it impossible to perform seppuku, which was considered dishonorable for the samurai.
The seppuku ceremony became more lavish depending on the samurai's status.
The kaishaku was chosen from friends, acquaintances, and family members who were skilled enough to perform seppuku.
Finally, the real Hosokawa Tadaoki excelled in both the literary and military arts, was knowledgeable in the tea ceremony, was handsome, and loved Hosokawa Gracia dearly. However, he was an extremely tyrant who killed anyone who came through the checkpoint and went on a rampage. After he surrendered, he massacred all his enemies. At this time, he was scolded by Akechi Mitsuhide. There is an anecdote that, in a fit of jealousy, he killed a gardener who had seen his wife, but when Akechi Mitsuhide rebelled against Nobunaga, he immediately imprisoned Akechi Mitsuhide's daughter, Hosokawa Gracia, deep in the mountains and avoided the death penalty. Even during the time of imprisonment, she gave birth to one child. The Hosokawa family is a prestigious family even in modern Japan. They have even produced a prime minister.
Thank you
Thank you so much for that cultural lesson! We knew little to nothing about that and we love learning about Japan and the amazing history is has. We can't wait for season 2 to learn more about it.
@@NerdishReact If there's anything you want to know, I'll answer to the best of my ability.👍
17:00 There's more to it, but that's all part of the discussion. We don't have all the details yet but we'll get to it soon enough. 🙂
We can't wait to learn more about it!
The Taiko's wife (lady Iyo) said to Ochiba "Look what WE have done (for the taiko)" she also called the heir "our" son. The heir was a collaboration between her and Ochiba to produce an heir. They did the "unmentionable", gave her awful drugs etc. It is not shown in the series but it is clear in the book that the heir is not the Taiko's son. Countless concubines have tried but failed. The taiko was sterile. Ochiba was so desperate to produce a son mated with a peasant that reminded her of the taiko. She then had the peasant killed to cover it up. In the book, Toronaga had his suspicion about the peasant. He saw Ochiba's kimono torn and had a bracken on the back after visiting the villages. When asked about it, Ochiba brushed it off by saying she fell off her horse. That is one of the reasons why Ochiba fears Toronaga. To her, Toronaga is a threat that can expose her.
27:03 "So you DO believe in pointless death" is a reference to episode 1 where Toronaga said to Hiromatsu that he did not believe in the pointless death of Fuji's husband and son.
Ohh that makes so much more sense! Thanks for commenting 🥰
Yabu couldn't possibly say ok to blackthornes offer. Mariko and anyone else that heard would be obliged to report it, and yabu knew it. He has to bank that information and maybe use it when it's useful and not publicly.
Ohh right! Thanks!!
22:30 Toranaga really did them dirty. The courtesans deserved a better kind of neighbor.
LOOL 😆
We as viewers are proxies for not understanding Toranaga’s plans and schemes in his third/secret heart. We are as lost as his people and enemies.
Absolutely! That's such an interesting perspective to have as a viewer.
見てる間、ずーっと喋ってるな。
黙ってみられないのかな？
If you want to watch the show, you could do that, instead of watching a reaction where people are supposed to react and talk about what they are watching.