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Japanese Tea Ceremony ( 茶の湯 )[Chanoyu]

- ジェーン

+Fancy/Helpful Vocab:

茶の湯 (Chanoyu) used to refer to the Japanese tea ceremony typically by people who are

actually studying it.

茶道 (Chado/Sado) Refers to learning the ways of the ceremony from an experienced teacher

茶事 (Chaji) Full length Tea Gathering including a meal (and sake, and an intermission

before actual tea is served) Guests are selected (formal)

茶会 (Chakai) Tea Gathering (guests are only served wagashi (sweets) before tea. Guests are not selected; anyone can attend (informal)

+Yet More Vocab: 挨拶 (Aisatsu): Greeting 茶室 (Chashitsu): Tea room 懐石 (Kaiseki): Tea Ceremony

meal 菓子 (Wagashi): Sweets served

before drinking green tea 濃茶 (Koicha): Thick tea 薄茶 (Usucha): Thin tea 抹茶 (Matcha): Powdered green

tea

+Beginnings of Tea in Japan

Tea brought over from China by the Buddhist monk Eichu Boiled tea leaves (dancha: 団茶 )

First Tea Ceremony occurred in the 8th Century Nara Period (710-794) tea plants grown in Japan

Medicinal Priests and Noblemen

Rarity in Japan from 794-1192

+Myoan Eisai Myoan Eisai High-ranking Zen Buddhist Monk

(brought Zen Buddhism to Japan). Travelled to China in 1187 Upon returning, he used tea for

religious purposes (as he’d seen during his time in China).

Kissa Yojoki (1211) First treatise written on tea. Suggests tea is a cure for all ills Increased popularity of tea in Japan

(it is no longer a rarity)

+Sen no Rikyu Born in 1522 Followed principle of “ichi-go ichi-e” (each

meeting should be treasured, for it can never be reproduced exactly the same)

Served as tea master to Oda Nobunaga, the leading daimyo in Japan. When Nobunaga was assassinated, he served as tea master to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Nobunaga’ssuccessor & military dictator of Japan.

4 Fundamental Qualities Exemplified in Tea Ceremony: Harmony (wa: 和 ) Respect (kei: 敬 ) Purity (sei: 清 ) Tranquility (jaku: 寂 )

+cont. Many behaviors in today’s Tea Ceremony are attributed

to Sen no Rikyu: A tea house built to accommodate 5 people

Most (formal) tea ceremonies have 5 guests; Shokyaku, Jikyaku, Kyaku, and the Tsume.

A separate room for tea utensils to be washed Separate entrances for the host and guests A low doorway, meant to humble guests for the ceremony

+Object of the Ceremony

Not about the actual drinking of tea.

Aesthetics Ritual Drinking tea made

from the heart

+Within the Tea House

Tatami floors/mats Sunken space in the ground for tea pot to rest (the

hearth) Scroll (kakemono)

Kakemono are written in calligraphy, often by famous calligraphers. The words on the scroll will often have something to do with The 4 Ways of Tea (harmony, respect, purity, tranquility), or a well-known saying.

Flower arrangement (chabana) Chabana is a simplified form of ikebana, an older style of

the art of flower arranging

+Tools of the Trade

Chaikin ( 茶巾 ) A rectangular, white, linen or hemp cloth used to ritually cleanse the tea

bowl. Different styles are used for thick and thin tea.

Fukusa ( 袱紗 ) A square silk cloth used for the ritual cleansing of the tea scoop and the tea

caddy, and to handle hot kettle or pot lids.

Hishaku ( 柄杓 ) This is a long bamboo ladle with a nodule in the approximate center of the

handle. It is used to transfer water to and from the iron pot and the fresh water container in certain ceremonies. Different styles are used for different ceremonies and in different seasons. A larger version is used for the ritual purification undergone by guests before entering the tea room.

Tana A general word that refers to all types of wooden or bamboo furniture used

in tea preparation; various tea elements are placed on/stored in them.

+cont. Chawan( 茶碗 )

Tea bowls; size and shape may vary on the season, style changes for thick vs. thin tea. Bowls are frequently named by their owners or creators, or by a tea master. The best bowls are those thrown by hand.

Cha-ire ( 茶入 ) and Natsume ( 棗 ) Tea caddies. Cha-ire are used for thick tea

and Natsume are used for thin tea.

Chashaku ( 茶杓 ) Tea scoops, used to scoop tea from the tea

caddie into the tea bowl. They are typically carved from a single piece of bamboo or ivory.

Chasen ( 茶筅 ) Tea whisks, carved from a single piece of

bamboo; there are thick and thin whisks for thick and thin tea.

+Steps to the Ceremony

Before the ceremony: Guests stay in a waiting room (machiai) until the host is ready for

them. The guests will walk across dewy ground (roji), symbolically ridding

themselves of the dust of the world in preparation for the ceremony.  Guests will wash their hands and mouths from water in a stone basin

(tsukubai) as a last purifying step. The host receives the guests through a small door or gate. The host greets each guest with a silent bow.  For a Chakai, guests are served Wagashi (sweets) and then the tea.

For a Chaji, a full three course meal is served. A Chaji, complete with sake and intermission before the tea is

served, can take up to four hours. Usucha is served at the end of a Chaji (ceremony unto itself).

+Making of Tea

The Japanese tea ceremony steps begin with cleaning and preparation of the tea serving utensils.  The host cleans the tea bowl, tea scoop,

and tea whisk with concentrated and graceful movements. 

Next, the host prepares the tea by adding three scoops of matcha green tea powder per guest to the tea bowl. 

Hot water is ladled into the bowl and whisked into a thin paste.  More water is added as needed to

create a soup-like tea. 

+Drinking of Tea and End of Ceremony The host presents the prepared tea bowl to one of the guests and they

exchange bows.  This first guest admires the bowl then rotates it before taking a drink. 

This is done so that the more beautiful side of the cup is facing the others in the room (at first the guests, and then the host).

The guest wipes the rim of the tea bowl then offers it to the next guess who repeats these movements. 

After all the guests have taken a drink of tea, the bowl is rinsed clean by the host.  The host will also rinse and clean the tea whisk and scoop again. 

The guests now have an opportunity to inspect the utensils used during the ceremony.  They carefully and respectfully examine the utensils, perhaps even using a cloth when delicately handling them.

  The host gathers the utensils and the guests exit with a bow completing the ceremony.

+That’s Pretty Much It

Well, in the abbreviated, simplified form.

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+Sources:

“Glossary of Utensils.” Japanese Tea Ceremony. Japanese Tea Ceremony Utensils. 04 Nov. 2011.

Liow, Ricky. “Tea Ceremony.” Ricky Liow Tea Ceremony. 02 Nov. 2011.

“Religion and Culture.” Holy Mountain Trading Company. Culture. 04 Nov. 2011.

“Sen no Riku.” Zen Stories of the Samurai. 03 Nov. 2011.

“The Japanese Tea Ceremony.” Teavana. 03 Nov. 2011.