Japanese tea ceremony is a series of traditional procedures for blending powdered green tea , called matcha, with hot water and serving the mixture to one or more guests. In Japan , the ceremony is often called chanoyu << TCHA noh yu >> , which means hot water for tea. To enhance the pleasure of drinking tea, the host gives thorough care and attention to all aspects of the preparation and service, including the surroundings. To many people, the ceremony embodies Japanese attitudes about hospitality and even the essence of Japanese culture.
In Japan, the tea ceremony involves a profound spiritual and aesthetic (artistic) discipline. Mastering the tea ceremony requires knowledge from a broad diversity of arts and crafts. Important areas include calligraphy , painting , ceramics , lacquering , bamboo work, metal work, wood work, textile arts, and tea house architecture . The practitioner must also develop skill in flower arrangement, incense burning, and cooking. Other important areas of knowledge include literature, history, and Zen philosophy. However, cultivation of the self and consideration for others remain more fundamental to chanoyu than skill and knowledge.
The ceremony. A formal Japanese tea ceremony may last several hours and involves many steps. The host chooses utensils and settings for the selected guests. There are various ways and orders in which a tea ceremony can take place. Typically, in the colder part of the year, the host checks the charcoal fire first and then serves a light meal, followed by confections to prepare the guests’ palates. In the warmer part of the year, the order is partially reversed—that is, a light meal is served first, followed by a charcoal ceremony and then confections. The thick tea ceremony, which is the focus of the entire gathering, begins with the cleaning and preparation of the tea serving utensils. The host cleans the tea bowl and other utensils with practiced rinsing and wiping movements. Water is boiled, often on a charcoal brazier or, in the colder part of the year, a sunken hearth, and matcha is added to a cup. The host pours hot water into the cup and whisks the mixture. The host may add more water as needed to create a thick tea.
The host presents a bowl of tea to a guest. The guest turns the bowl to drink. The guest wipes the rim of the bowl and then offers it to the next guest, who repeats these movements. After all the guests have taken a drink, they take turns admiring the bowl and return it to the host. The host again rinses the bowl and utensils. The guests may request a viewing of the tea container, the tea spoon, and the bag for the tea container. The thick tea session is followed by a more relaxed second session, in which a thinner, more watery tea is served. Before this thin tea session, the host may add more charcoal to the fire to keep the water hot. A separate bowl of tea is prepared for each guest in the thin tea session. After drinking the tea, each guest individually admires the bowl before returning it to the host. Then the host gathers the utensils, cleans them, and removes them from the tea room. The guests exit with a bow, completing the ceremony.
Today, people in Japan widely enjoy more simplified tea ceremonies. In such ceremonies, only thin tea or thick tea is served with confections.
The principles of harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility influence every aspect of chanoyu. These principles are shown in the human relationships of host and guests, the utensils used, and the environment of the ceremony. Each tea ceremony involves a unique combination of time, place, and people. Practitioners thus consider each ceremony precious, because the exact ceremony can never be repeated. In this way, the tea ceremony reflects the emphasis on the present moment seen in Zen Buddhism . Zen Buddhist teachings include the value of living every moment fully.
History. Tea was introduced to Japan from China . Scholars believe that Buddhist monks brought it back to Japan after traveling to China during the Tang dynasty (A.D. 618-907). However, tea in the Tang style, boiled in hot water with salt and other flavorings, did not become widely popular in Japan. A Japanese monk named Yohsai, also called Eisai, studied Zen Buddhism in China during the Song dynasty (A.D. 960-1279). He introduced powdered green tea whisked with hot water in a bowl. This beverage provided the basis from which Japanese chanoyu culture later developed.
The preparation and consumption of tea spread from Zen monasteries to Japan’s warrior class during the 1200’s. In the 1300’s, extravagant tea tasting banquets were held in Japan. At such gatherings, gorgeous Chinese artworks were displayed and generous prizes given to the tea drinkers with the most discerning palates. Chanoyu began to develop into an art of hospitality in the 1400’s. At first, the ceremony tended toward luxury and the appreciation of expensive Chinese utensils and artwork.
A more subdued and austere (strict and simple) tea ceremony, rich in the philosophy and aesthetics of Zen Buddhism, developed in the 1500’s. The ceremony encouraged the mingling of humble Japanese tea utensils with fancier Chinese ones, celebrating their differences and harmony. A Japanese tea master named Sen no Rikyu sought deep spirituality in all aspects of chanoyu. He did this by removing material excess and creating tea utensils of simplicity and practicality. Rikyu’s teachings are seen in the tradition of chanoyu that is practiced today.
