Japanese tea ceremony

Japanese tea ceremony is a ceremonial way of preparing and drinking green tea typically in a traditional tearoom with tatami floor. The ceremony takes place in a tea house (cha-shitsu), which ideally is a small structure detached from the main house. Beyond just serving and receiving tea, one of the main purposes of the tea ceremony is for the guests to enjoy the hospitality of the host in an atmosphere distinct from the fast pace of everyday life. The tea ceremony represents purity, tranquility, respect and harmony and a lot of preparation goes into this important event.

The tradition of the Japanese tea ceremony is linked to Buddhism and it dates to the 9th century when it was taken by the Buddhist monk on his return from China. In Japan it became a status symbol among the warrior class and it started to evolve its own aesthetic.

The tea ceremony —or, directly translated, the "way of tea"—is in many ways a microcosm of the Japanese traditional sense of omotenashi, which translates as to look after guests wholeheartedly.

In the tea ceremony, every movement, every step and every moment is precisely defined. The matcha tea ceremony takes place in a designated room precisely four and a half mats in size (a tatami mat made of rice straw covers 170×85 cm or ten square feet).

Formal tea ceremony is a multi-hour event that starts with a kaiseki course meal, is followed by a bowl of thick tea and ends with a bowl of thin tea.

Every object used in the ritual is ritually cleansed, including the tea scoop, the whisk and the tea bowl. Every utensil is symbolic, and the ceremony takes place according to a specific principle. Bows are exchanged and then the first guest is given a bowl of tea. They take a sip, compliment the host on the tea, bow and then wipe the rim and pass it along to the second guest.
Japanese tea ceremony