Konnichiwa! Hello! *bows* Welcome to my humble tera. Please sit comfortably and join me for chawan (a bowl of tea) and wajutsu (the art of conversation).

I have chosen as my avatar Kukai, the T'ang Dynasty monk famous for bringing tea and Shingon Buddhism from China to Japan. Shingon means "true words."

In 805, during the Heian Period, monks Saicho and Kukai travelled to Tang China, brought home tea seeds, and planted them at the foot of Mt. Hiei.

Early in 823, Kukai was granted Toji, a temple situated at the entrance to Kyoto. In the winter of the same year, he received permission to use the temple exclusively for Shingon clerics, as a specialist training center for the esoteric doctrines, similar to Ch'ing-lung temple in Ch'ang-an. Toji and Mount Koya thus became the bases for Shingon in Japan. With the establishment of Mount Koya and the grant of Toji, the foundations were laid for the religious organization of the Shingon sect. Both were gifts of Emperor Saga.

Tea during Kukai's time was known as Heicha (Dancha): steamed tea leaves pounded in a tea grinder and made into balls. Tea was made by roasting the balls in fire and dissolving the powder in hot water.

As you wander through my house you will discover places that serve as my homebase for certain activities. In the Courtyard I conduct my social activities here at AncientWorlds and in the Orient. My Library is for my historical and academic pursuits. Finally, in my Study you will find my game playing scores, statistics and artifacts. Thanks for visiting my home!