The following are rough guidelines that are generally true, but should change if the balance is weird.
Usucha (hira-demae)
When teishu places out:
- Natsume: 5 mei + 5 mei (aka one chuu-natsume lid) away from both heri.
- Chashaku: 5 mei from the natsume, 1 mei from the heri.
Upon return:
- Same relative positioning between the two, but centered on the host’s body (so much farther from the kinindatami than before).
Koicha (hira-demae)
When teishu places out:
- Chaire: 5 mei + 5 mei (aka one chuu-natsume lid) away from both heri.
- Chashaku: 5 mei from natsume, 1 mei from heri.
- Shifuku: 5 mei from chashaku.
Upon return:
- Same thing, but flipped.
Note that glenn teaches that the chashaku should be 7 sun (aka half the ro) away from the kinindatami heri, and the other two objects should be spaced on either side. I don’t do this though. Spacing is weird.
Shifuku centering
Some people (can’t remember who, ula ?) teach that the side stitch of the shifuku should line up to the center of the chashaku.
I don’t like this, and glenn has the same opinion. Shifuku should be visually balanced against the chashaku. Depending on the shape of the chaire it’s made for, the position of the side stitch can change dramatically.