Sumidemae is the tea ceremony procedure for arranging and tending the charcoal fire in the ro or furo.
There are two main forms:
shozumi (the initial charcoal arrangement)
gozumi (the later replenishment of the fire)
Although both share the same purpose, their procedures, timing within a chaji, and the utensils used differ between the ro and furo seasons.
The host performs sumidemae using utensils such as a sumitori (charcoal container), habōki (feather broom), kōgō (incense container), kan (kettle rings), and hibashi (fire tongs).
Rather than simply heating water, it creates the ideal fire for preparing tea while expressing the host’s hospitality through precise and graceful movements.