The Japanese tea ceremony has different schools of thought, but all involve precise rituals. Guests wash their hands, eat sweets, and observe the cleaning of tea tools. The tea is brewed and served, with guests passing the bowl and bowing to the host. Afterward, the equipment is cleaned and examined before the ceremony ends.
The Japanese tea ceremony, sometimes called the tea way, is one of Japan’s most revered and treasured customs. The Westerner may mistakenly assume that there is only one type of tea ceremony. In fact, there are different schools of thought in Japan on the precise ritual of the Japanese Tea Ceremony, but they are similar enough to describe the basis of this special event.
The ceremony can be conducted indoors or outdoors. When very important guests are present, the Japanese tea ceremony almost always takes place indoors and the guests sit on tatami mats, made of bamboo. Tea ceremonies really can take place anywhere, in houses, gardens or special teahouses, and they are all seen as an essential part of Buddhism, one pausing and observing every little detail to truly be in the moment.
Every tea ceremony has a host or hostess who invariably wears a kimono. The host determines the duration of the ceremony: the longest can last over four hours. Before participating in the Japanese tea ceremony, most guests wash their hands as a sign of spiritual readiness.
Sometimes the Japanese tea ceremony first includes a light meal called kaiseki. After the meal is over, they usually leave the shelter where the tea ceremony is served until the host or hostess calls them back. The ceremony then really begins with eating little candies or sweet things. Each guest brings a sheet called kaishi, on which to place the sweets when served by the host.
What then follows in the Japanese tea ceremony is the cleaning of the tools used to make the tea. This is where different schools of thought can change the ceremony slightly. Cleaning the tea scoop, tea bowl and tea whisk is cleaned in very precise ways, with ritually prescribed movements and gestures. Guests closely observe this process and often remain quite silent during the Japanese tea ceremony.
Once all the tea implements have been cleaned, the tea is brewed, usually with green tea powder. If a thick powdered tea such as koicha is served in the beginning, another type of thin tea will follow. In many cases, all guests drink from the same bowl, although some variations may provide each guest with their own bowl or cup.
The host bows to the host with the highest honor, who first drinks from the bowl and then returns the bow to the host. The guest must then turn the bowl so that when it is presented to the next guest, the second guest’s lips do not touch the same spot on the bowl, as the first guest did. Bows are swapped each time the bowl is passed from guest to guest.
After drinking the tea ritual, the host washes all the equipment again. Guests can then ask to look at each piece, but they must be handled with extreme caution, as they are usually rare, unique, and antique pieces. Once the examination of the tea utensils is finished, the guests bow again to the host and leave. The Japanese tea ceremony is then considered complete.
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