Iruka Iruka – Rokai Iru

The origin of rokanil comes from the Zen word for a tea ceremony, ``Hakuba rokan iru''. When a white horse enters the white reeds that cover the riverside, both the horse and the reeds melt into a single white. However, both horses and Roka certainly exist there. I believe that this speaks to the physicality of becoming one with nature.

When I was still in my teens, when I drank tea in the mountains on a full moon night, the complexity of my existence disappeared, and the mountain sky and moon spread out from where I was sitting, the ever-changing time. Inside, only now was there. Just as the white horse melted into the thick reeds, I too melted into the moon (nature) of that night.

For me, this experience is unforgettable, and I may be chasing a mysterious feeling that I can't capture in words.

Picking up antiques Planting flowers that bloom in the fields Using local water to drink tea

For me, they are synonymous, a real communion with nature.
In civilized time, we continue to lose our physicality. In my daily life, when I drink tea, I connect with plants, when I touch antiques, I connect with the earth. It is alive.

Iruka Kohai