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1
Identify the yama no mono and umi no mono first. Both must be at absolute seasonal peak on the day of service — not close to peak, not early or late in the season. These two ingredients are the tray's philosophical anchors; every other element is selected in relation to them. The season is determined before the tray is composed.
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2
Wipe the cedar tray with a damp cloth immediately before service. The cedar surface contributes a clean, woody aroma that is integral to the course's sensory context. The tray is ready when its surface carries the faint, dry fragrance of cedar.
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3
Prepare each sea and mountain ingredient according to its own nature and the season's requirement. Portions are small — this is not a feeding course but a seasonal panorama. Each piece should be complete in itself: seasoned, finished, and ready to be consumed in one or two bites.
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4
Arrange the yama no mono and umi no mono on the cedar tray so that the two ingredients occupy the tray in clear, legible relationship to one another. Negative space — ma — is structural, not incidental. The arrangement is complete when the eye moves between the sea ingredient and the mountain ingredient without confusion, and open space remains on the tray. A crowded tray is a failed tray.
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5
Place any secondary seasonal accent bites on the tray in positions subordinate to the primary pair. Their role is to reinforce the season's character, not to compete with the yama/umi statement. The tray is complete when a single seasonal moment — one specific point in the year — is legible from the composition as a whole.
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6
Present the tray to the guest. Offer a brief explanation of the land and sea pairing and its seasonal connection. Leave the tray with the guest. The cedar aroma should be perceptible at the moment of presentation.