features

A peek into the world of the Japanese tea ceremony

10 Comments
By Amy Chavez, RocketNews24

The culture of tea in Japan goes back 1,000 years. Today, we’re going to scratch the surface with this short introduction to the wonders of the Japanese tea ceremony.

In the UK, they serve high tea. In Australia, they serve morning tea and afternoon tea. In Japan, they have "chado," literally “the Way of Tea.” In the U.S., in contrast to the Way of Tea, we had the Bay of Tea, dumping vast quantities of it into the harbor to protest England’s tax on tea. You haven’t been able to get a good cuppa in the U.S. since.

But Japan tops us all when it comes to tea and tea parties. Japanese tea ceremony is an art form that has been perfected over a thousand years. Japanese tea masters dedicate their lives to the ritual preparation of a simple bowl of tea.

In Japan the tea ceremony can be a half-day affair, lasting up to four hours—if you’re prone to spending long periods of time at the library without actually reading any books, this may be just the activity for you! Indeed, there are literally thousands of books on the Japanese ritual of tea, none of which you will probably ever read.

Origins of 'Chanoyu'

The tea ceremony, (called "chanoyu," or "chado" if you prefer, or even "sado" if you insist) was brought to Japan from China along with myriad other Chinese culture that was crammed onto a cargo boat. It’s incredible when you think about all the stuff the Japanese brought back with them from China: kanji, calligraphy and the tea ceremony being just a paltry few. I imagine Japanese Buddhist priests such as Eichu and Kukai (after having imported Buddhism) walking through the vast country of China and pointing to various things: “We’ll have some of that Shingon Buddhism, and a bit of the Bodhidarma, and by the way, give us some of that tea ceremony with a bit of calligraphy on the side!” Only after the tiny boat was full did they claim, “Anchors away!” and bring all their plunder here to Japan. In fact, Japan was the world’s first China Town. But since there were hardly any Chinese people in this country, they just called it Japan.

Even the “Seven Lucky Gods” came to Japan from China. They managed to all fit on a tiny vessel called the "takarabune," destined for the 800-km journey which we presume terminated at the port of Nagasaki.

The Japanese tea ceremony eventually developed into its own version, a four-hour event of absolute propriety, performed while wearing a traditional kimono and kneeling seiza style. You see, this is not your grandmother’s cup of tea (unless your grandmother is Japanese, in which she probably used the tea ceremony as a form of strict childhood discipline). It’s impressive that the interminable ceremony has endured to this day, despite this proclaimed age of instant gratification. There is not even a tea ceremony app.

But luckily, we now have a shorter Way of Tea. The abbreviated version came about, no doubt, because just having a cup of tea in the morning was enough to prevent people from getting to work before noon. So, just like the game of cricket, which used to play week-long tournaments but had to shorten the game in order to retain its fan base (sometimes people died before the end of a tournament), the tea ceremony now has a more casual and endurable version for those who don’t want to risk losing their lower limbs by sitting for long periods of time "seiza" style.

These shorter tea ceremonies, called "chakai," are a good introduction into the world of matcha, Japanese powdered green tea. If after this abridged version, your legs have survived the pins and needles and are still very much attached to the body, then by all means, try to sever them completely in the four-hour rendition. Try to go for one that includes a high-class "kaiseki ryori" meal. Good food is known to make leg pain more endurable.

Tea Houses

Japanese tea houses historically populated the archipelago along pilgrimage routes such as the Tokaido, Basho’s Narrow Road to the Deep North and the Kumano Kodo where travelers would stop to rest and have a cuppa.

The (reconstructed) remains of the “Sakurachaya” tea house along the Kumano Kodo are seen in the photo below. The owners of the tea house would look out to the other side of the valley for pilgrims coming over the mountain then start preparing tea and "mochi" for their arrival.

Needless to say, with the modern-day pit stops such as Starbucks, the experience of stopping for a cup of tea along the road has changed quite a bit.

Let’s look at exactly what is involved in Japanese tea ceremony. In an overt act to discipline the masses, the tea ceremony reminds us to be mindful of others, appreciative of nature, and to put our hosts above everything else. Silence and quiet talking are valued (no gossiping or complaining about work), as well as appreciation of the intricate tools used, the proscribed ceremony procedures and the value of sharing a cup of thick green liquid among friends.

Private Tea Houses

You’ll need a tea house or at least a special tea room to take part in a tea ceremony (although some are performed outside). Many of Japan’s famous gardens (the ones you have to pay to get into) have traditional Japanese tea houses and they will offer tea ceremony experiences on certain days of the year.

The tea room will contain a "tokonoma" in which will to display a calligraphy scroll and a flower arrangement. This one also displays an incense burner. The floor is traditional tatami mats which can be knelt on for the event.

Tools for making tea

There are many special tools (hundreds, actually) for making Japanese tea but here are some of the basics: A lacquered storage container for holding the green tea powder, ceramic tea bowls, and a bamboo whisk. Ceramics are specially selected according to their personality and aesthetics.

Tea Master

Of course, a tea ceremony cannot be held without a host. True tea masters dedicate their lives to perfecting each aspect of the tea ceremony, imbuing it with meaning and purpose. Monks are often trained in the art, and many of Japan’s most famous tea masters have been Buddhist monks. So you can rest easy that no matter what may happen in the world, there will be one monk who will calmly call everyone together for a sober bowl of tea before panicking.

The most recent tea ceremony I attended was surely one that would make the Guinness Book of World Records for most ephemeral tea ceremony in Japan. I attended the spring Miyako Odori geisha show in Kyoto. This traditional performance included a tea ceremony with a maiko (apprentice geisha) before the show.

When I arrived at the theater in Gion, I entered the waiting room with one hundred other people, all Japanese. The lady sitting next to me told me she lived in Kyoto and came to the spring show every year. I felt lucky to be taking part in something so Japanese, something not merely put on for foreign tourists.

Once we were let into the tea ceremony room, which was big enough to hold ballroom dances, we were directed to long low tables with "zabuton" cushions next to them to kneel on, the faithful filing into each rank as if being ushered into rows of church pews. Each place setting had a Japanese sweet. Women in kimono hurried around filling tea bowls.

Japanese sweets are served to balance the bitterness of the green tea. I took a few photos of the green sweets and the tea and when I looked up, the entire room had already finished their tea and was being herded into the performance hall. I was shocked to experience a five-minute tea ceremony. That was one whirlwind appreciation of nature, serenity and spiritual depth!

I was expecting more of something out of Matsuo Basho haiku:

A monk sips morning tea, it’s quiet, the chrysanthemum is flowering.

But all I heard was the clanking of tea bowls being cleared. When I stood to get up, with no one standing or sitting in front of me now, for the first time I was able to see where the "geiko" (geisha) had, formerly, been making tea at the front of the room with the assistance of a "maiko." But they had both already disappeared.

We were told to keep the plates the sweets had come on, probably to appease the organizer’s pangs of guilt. I felt sorry for these plates, made and painted for the sole purpose of a meaningful existence at a tea ceremony, where they would be admired and stroked, their colors complementing the season and their very character elevated to that of fine bone china. The harsh reality for these plates was that they had finished their purposeful life after just five minutes. They’ll probably never see a tea ceremony again.

It just goes to show that beauty is fleeting. And that a five-minute tea ceremony demands an app.

Read more stories from RocketNews24. -- Fancy a cuppa? We explore the UK’s unusual takes on Japanese green tea -- Video of cute Japanese cat drinking “green tea” is so classy it has us minding our table manners -- We spend a morning with an expert wagashi chef creating no-bake traditional Japanese sweets!

© Japan Today

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.


10 Comments
Login to comment

"High tea" in the UK has very little to do with tea (except that tea may be drunk at that time). It is a meal of the early evening. A quick perusal of the net would have discovered this. Afternoon tea is tea focused but that is not especially Australian either.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I was totally enthralled with the ceremony of the tea ceremony.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

I entered the waiting room with one hundred other people, all Japanese.

It sounded nice until I read this. I'm not sure how enjoyable the tea ceremony can be if it involves 100 other people. Sounds like a bit of a tourist trap to me, (albeit an exclusively Japanese one).

for the first time I was able to see where the “geiko” (geisha) had, formerly, been making tea at the front of the room with the assistance of a “maiko.” But they had both already disappeared.

They left early to go to McDonald's before it closed.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I'm sure ceramics have aesthetics but personality? Come on.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

"Japanese tea houses... along pilgrimage routes... where travelers would stop to rest... This traditional performance included a... MAIKO (apprentice GEISHA)"

Does anyone still believe that the tea ceremony is really about tea?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

"In fact, Japan was the world’s first China Town. But since there were hardly any Chinese people in this country, they just called it Japan."

Hahaha! That is the funniest (and historically accurate) description of Japan I've read recently.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I was shocked to experience a five-minute tea ceremony. That was one whirlwind appreciation of nature, serenity and spiritual depth!

I get the strong feeling that the author doesn't actually live in a big city in Japan. A whole lot of stuff takes place in only five minutes. You'd be surprised!

0 ( +2 / -2 )

@sillygirl - You'd be surprised. Any handmade good carries with it the ideas, attitudes, and personality of the artist who made it. If you don't know what to look for, it might be easy to miss, but trust me it's there. I've been collecting handmade teapots and teacups for the last ten years and each piece is distinctly its own entity. If you haven't seen it yourself, that's fine, but don't rule it out. Think of it as something to discover.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@ David R - I totally agree with a piece is embued with the personality of the artist. but different than an inanimate object having a personality.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

@sillygirl I feel like you may be taking the term too literally in this context. Of course it's different from a living being, but in the creative community it's very common to discuss the personality of inanimate works of art and design. This also points to the difficulty in discussing these ideas in general when each of us uses our various words in our own ways. It gets hard enough to define our terms in the first place that sometimes these discussions get derailed entirely before getting very far at all. :)

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites