Japanese tea ceremony 1

Japanese tea ceremony

The Japanese tea ceremony, also called the Way of
Tea, is a Japanese cultural activity involving the
ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha,
powdered green tea. In Japanese, it is called chanoyu
(茶の湯) or chadō (茶道; also pronounced sadō). The
manner in which it is performed, or the art of its
performance, is called otemae (お手前; お点前;
御手前). Zen Buddhism was a primary influence in the
development of the tea ceremony.

Tea gatherings are classified as ochakai (お茶会) or

chaji (茶事). Chakai is a relatively simple course of
hospitality that includes the service of confections, thin Tea ceremony
tea (薄茶 usucha), and perhaps a light meal (点心
tenshin). Chaji is a more formal gathering, usually with
a full-course meal (kaiseki), followed by confections, thick tea (濃茶 koicha), and thin tea. A chaji may last up to
four hours.

History
Tea was originally brought to Japan in the 9th century, by the Buddhist monk Eichū (永忠), who had returned to
Japan from China. This is the first documented evidence of tea in Japan. The entry in the Nihon Kōki states that
Eichū personally prepared and served sencha (unground Japanese green tea) to Emperor Saga who was on an
excursion in Karasaki (in present Shiga Prefecture) in the year 815. By imperial order in the year 816, tea plantations
began to be cultivated in the Kinki region of Japan.[1] However, the interest in tea in Japan faded after this.[2]
In China, tea had already been known, according to legend, for more than a thousand years. The form of tea popular
in China in the era when Eichū went for studies was "cake tea" (団茶 dancha)—tea compressed into a nugget in the
same manner as Pu-erh. This then would be ground in a mortar, and the resulting ground tea decocted together with
various other herbs and/or flavorings.[3]
The custom of drinking tea, first for medicinal, and then largely also for pleasurable reasons, was already widespread
throughout China. In the early 9th century, Chinese author Lu Yu wrote The Classic of Tea, a treatise on tea focusing
on its cultivation and preparation. Lu Yu's life had been heavily influenced by Buddhism, particularly the Zen–Chán
school. His ideas would have a strong influence in the development of the Japanese tea ceremony.[4]
Around the end of the 12th century, the style of tea preparation called "tencha" (点茶), in which matcha was placed
in a bowl, hot water poured into the bowl, and the tea and hot water whipped together, was introduced by Eisai,
another Japanese monk returning from China. He also brought tea seeds back with him, which eventually produced
tea that was of the most superb quality in all of Japan.[5]
This powdered green tea was first used in religious rituals in Buddhist monasteries. By the 13th century, when the
Kamakura Shogunate ruled the nation and the samurai warrior class ruled supreme, tea and the luxuries associated
with it became a kind of status symbol among the warrior class, and there arose tea-tasting (闘茶 tōcha) parties
wherein contestants could win extravagant prizes for guessing the best quality tea—that grown in Kyoto, deriving
from the seeds that Eisai brought from China.
The next major period in Japanese history was the Muromachi Period, pointing to the rise of Kitayama Culture
(北山文化 Kitayama bunka), centered around the elegant cultural world of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and his villa in the
Japanese tea ceremony 2

northern hills of Kyoto, and later during this period, the rise of Higashiyama Culture, centered around the cultural
world of Ashikaga Yoshimasa and his retirement villa in the eastern hills of Kyoto. This period saw the budding of
what is generally regarded as Japanese traditional culture as we know it today.
Tea ceremony developed as a "transformative practice", and began to evolve its own aesthetic, in particular that of
wabi. Wabi, meaning quiet or sober refinement, or subdued taste, "is characterized by humility, restraint, simplicity,
naturalism, profundity, imperfection, and asymmetry [emphasizing] simple, unadorned objects and architectural
space, and [celebrating] the mellow beauty that time and care impart to materials."[6] Murata Jukō is known in
chanoyu history as the early developer of this, and therefore is generally counted as the founder of the Japanese "way
of tea". He studied Zen under the monk Ikkyū, who revitalized Zen in the 15th century, and this is considered to have
influenced his concept of chanoyu.[7]
By the 16th century, tea drinking had spread to all levels of society in Japan. Sen no Rikyu, perhaps the most
well-known—and still revered—historical figure in tea ceremony, followed his master, Takeno Jōō's, concept of
ichi-go ichi-e, a philosophy that each meeting should be treasured, for it can never be reproduced. His teachings
perfected many newly developed forms in Japanese architecture and gardens, fine and applied arts, and the full
development of chadō, "the "way of tea". The principles he set forward—harmony (和 wa), respect (敬 kei), purity
(清 sei), and tranquility (寂 jaku)—are still central to tea ceremony.
Many schools of Japanese tea ceremony have evolved through the long history of chadō and are active today.

Venue
Almost any place where implements for the making and serving of the tea can be set out, and where the host can
make the tea in the presence of the seated guest(s), can be used as a venue for tea. For instance, a tea gathering can
be held outdoors, in the open air. This is known as nodate (野点). On the other hand, a tatami-floored room with
adjacent mizuya space for the host to conduct preparations of the various items to be used is required for a full chaji.
Tea rooms (chashitsu) that are designed specifically for use for the wabi style of tea developed by Sen no Rikyū are
usually small, typically 4.5 tatami. Rooms larger than 4.5 mats may be used for tea as well, particularly with larger
numbers of guests, though they are often general-purpose rooms not exclusively used for tea ceremony. Building
materials and decorations are deliberately simple and rustic in wabi style tea rooms. Sometimes chashitsu are in
free-standing buildings known in English as tea houses.

Seasons
Seasonality and the changing of the seasons are
important in tea ceremony. Traditionally the year is
divided by tea practitioners into two main seasons: the
sunken hearth (炉 ro) season, constituting the colder
months (traditionally November to April), and the
brazier (風炉 furo) season, constituting the warmer
months (traditionally May to October). For each
season, there are variations in the temae performed and
utensils and other equipment used. Ideally, the
configuration of the tatami in a 4.5 mat room changes
with the season as well.

The ro season; a host rests a bamboo ladle on an iron pot that rests
inside the ro).
Japanese tea ceremony 3

Koicha and usucha

There are two main ways of preparing matcha for tea ceremony: thick (濃茶 koicha) and thin (薄茶 usucha), with
the best quality tea leaves used in preparing thick tea. Historically, the tea leaves used as packing material for the
koicha leaves in the tea urn (茶壺 chatsubo) would be served as thin tea. Japanese historical documents about tea
ceremony that differentiate between usucha and koicha first appear in the Tenmon era (1532–55).[8] The first
documented appearance of the term koicha is in 1575.[9]
As the terms imply, koicha is a thick blend of matcha and hot water that requires about three times as much tea to the
equivalent amount of water than usucha. To prepare usucha, matcha and hot water are whipped using the tea whisk
(茶筅 chasen), while koicha is kneaded with the whisk to smoothly blend the large amount of powdered tea with the
water.
Thin tea is served to each guest in an individual bowl, while one bowl of thick tea is shared among several guests.
This style of sharing a bowl of koicha first appeared in historical documents in 1586, and is a method considered to
have been invented by Sen no Rikyū.[10]
The most important part of a chaji is the preparation and drinking of koicha, which is followed by thin tea. A chakai
may involve only the preparation and serving of thin tea (and accompanying confections), representing the more
relaxed, finishing portion of a chaji.

Equipment
Tea equipment is called chadōgu (茶道具). A wide range of chadōgu is available and different styles and motifs are
used for different events and in different seasons. All the tools for tea ceremony are handled with exquisite care.
They are scrupulously cleaned before and after each use and before storing, and some are handled only with gloved
hands.
The following are a few of the essential components:
• Chakin (茶巾). The "chakin" is a small rectangular white linen or hemp cloth mainly used to wipe the tea bowl.
• Tea bowl (茶碗 chawan). Tea bowls are available
in a wide range of sizes and styles, and different
styles are used for thick and thin tea. Shallow bowls,
which allow the tea to cool rapidly, are used in
summer; deep bowls are used in winter. Bowls are
frequently named by their creators or owners, or by
a tea master. Bowls over four hundred years old are
in use today, but only on unusually special
occasions. The best bowls are thrown by hand, and
some bowls are extremely valuable. Irregularities
and imperfections are prized: they are often featured
prominently as the "front" of the bowl.

• Tea caddy (茶器 chaki). The small lidded container

in which the powdered tea is placed for use in the
tea-making procedure ([お]手前; [お]点前;
[御]手前 [o]temae).
A 16th century black Raku ware style chawan, used for thick tea
• Tea scoop (茶杓 chashaku). Tea scoops generally
(Tokyo National Museum)
are carved from a single piece of bamboo, although
Japanese tea ceremony 4

they may also be made of ivory or wood. They are

used to scoop tea from the tea caddy into the tea
bowl. Bamboo tea scoops in the most casual style
have a nodule in the approximate center. Larger
scoops are used to transfer tea into the tea caddy in
the mizuya (preparation area), but these are not seen
by guests. Different styles and colours are used in
various tea traditions.

• Tea whisk (茶筅 chasen). This is the implement

used to mix the powdered tea with the hot water.
Tea whisks are carved from a single piece of
bamboo. There are various types. Tea whisks
Two modern "thin tea" bowls
quickly become worn and damaged with use, and
the host should use a new one when holding a
chakai or chaji.

Usual sequence of a chaji

If the gathering is held at a tea house having a waiting bench along the roji (露地), the guests will wait at the bench
until summoned by the host. They ritually purify themselves by washing their hands and rinsing their mouths with
water from a small stone basin, and proceed along the roji to the tea house. Guests remove their footwear and enter
the tea house through a small door, and proceed to view the items placed in the tokonoma scroll alcove and any tea
equipment placed ready in the room, and are then seated seiza-style on the tatami in order of prestige.
If a charcoal fire is being used to heat the water, the host will lay the fire in the presence of the guests. Following the
laying of the fire, guests are served a meal in several courses accompanied by sake, followed by a small sweet eaten
from special paper called kaishi (懐紙), which each guest carries, often in a decorative wallet or tucked into the
breast of the kimono.[11] They will then return to the waiting shelter until summoned again by the host.
The host ritually cleanses each utensil——including the tea bowl, whisk, and tea scoop——in the presence of the
guests in a precise order and using prescribed motions. The utensils are placed in an exact arrangement according to
the particular temae procedure being performed. When the preparation of the utensils is complete, the host prepares
thick tea using set movements. When the tea is ready it will either be served to the first guest by an assistant or the
guest will retrieve the bowl from the host.
Bows are exchanged between the host and the guest receiving the tea. The guest then bows to the second guest, and
raises the bowl in a gesture of respect to the host. The guest rotates the bowl to avoid drinking from its front, takes a
sip, and compliments the host on the tea. After taking a few sips, the guest wipes clean the rim of the bowl and
passes it to the second guest. The procedure is repeated until all guests have taken tea from the same bowl; each
guest has an opportunity to admire the bowl before it is returned to the host, who then cleanses the equipment and
leaves the tea room.
If a charcoal fire is being used, the host will then rekindle the fire and add more charcoal. This signifies a change
from the more formal portion of the gathering to the more casual portion, and the host will return to the tea room to
bring in a smoking set (タバコ盆 tabako-bon) and more confections, usually higashi (干菓子), to accompany the
thin tea, and possibly cushions for the guests' comfort.
The host will then proceed with the preparation of an individual bowl of thin tea to be served to each guest. While in
earlier portions of the gathering conversation is limited to a few formal comments exchanged between the first guest
and the host, in the usucha portion, after a similar ritual exchange, the guests may engage in casual conversation.
Japanese tea ceremony 5

After all the guests have taken tea, the host cleans the utensils in preparation for putting them away. The guest of
honour will request that the host allow the guests to examine some of the utensils, and each guest in turn examines
each item, including the tea caddy and the tea scoop. The items are treated with extreme care and reverence as they
may be priceless, irreplaceable, handmade antiques, and guests often use a special brocaded cloth to handle them.
The host then collects the utensils, and the guests leave the tea house. The host bows from the door, and the
ceremony is over. A tea ceremony can last up to four hours, depending on the type of ceremony performed, the
number of guests, and the types of meal and tea served.

Types of temae
There are many styles of temae (点前, also written as 手前), depending upon the occasion, season, and countless
other possible factors.

Chabako temae
Chabako temae (茶箱点前) is so called because the equipment is removed from and then replaced into a special box
known as a "chabako" (茶箱, lit. "tea box"). Chabako developed as a convenient way to prepare the necessary
equipment for making tea outdoors. There are various styles of chabako temae. The basic equipment contained in the
chabako are the tea bowl, tea whisk (kept in a special container), tea scoop and tea caddy, and linen wiping cloth in a
special container, as well as a container for little candy-like sweets. Many of the items are smaller than usual, to fit in
the box. This ceremony takes approximately 35–40 minutes.

Hakobi-demae
Hakobi-demae (運び点前) is so called because, except for the hot water kettle (and brazier if a sunken hearth is not
being used), the essential items for the tea-making, including even the fresh water container, are carried into the tea
room by the host as a part of the temae. In other temae, the water jar and perhaps other items, depending upon the
style of temae, are placed in the tea room before the guests enter.

O-Bon temae/bonryaku
o-bon temae (お盆手前), bon temae (盆手前), or bonryaku temae (盆略点前) is a simple procedure for making
usucha (thin tea). The tea bowl, tea whisk, tea scoop, chakin and tea caddy are placed on a tray, and the hot water is
prepared in a kettle called a tetsubin, which is heated on a brazier. This procedure originated in the Urasenke school.
It is usually the first temae learned, and is the easiest to perform, requiring neither much specialized equipment nor a
lot of time to complete. It may easily be done sitting at a table, or outdoors, using a thermos pot in place of the
tetsubin and portable hearth.
Japanese tea ceremony 6

Ryūrei

In the ryūrei (立礼) style, the tea is prepared with

the host seated at a special table, and the guests are
also seated at tables. It is possible, therefore, for
ryūrei-style temae to be conducted nearly
anywhere, even outdoors. The name refers to the
host's practice of performing the first and last bows
while standing. In ryūrei there is usually an
assistant who sits near the host and moves the
host's seat out of the way as needed for standing or
sitting. The assistant also serves the tea and sweets
to the guests.

Tea ceremony and calligraphy

Calligraphy, mainly in the form of hanging scrolls,
plays a central role in tea ceremony. Scrolls, often
written by famous calligraphers or Buddhist
monks, are hung in the tokonoma (scroll alcove) of
the tea room. They are selected for their
appropriateness for the occasion, including the
season and the theme of the particular get-together.
Calligraphic scrolls may feature well-known
sayings, particularly those associated with A woman holding a natsume performs a ryūrei style ceremony. Visible
Buddhism, poems, descriptions of famous places, from far left to right are the red fresh water container (its lid is on the
tana), the tea whisk, the tea bowl, the iron pot and the ladle (resting on the
or words or phrases associated with tea ceremony.
pot).
Historian and author Haga Kōshirō points out that
it is clear from the teachings of Sen Rikyū
recorded in the Nampō roku that the suitability of any particular scroll for a tea gathering depends not only on the
subject of the writing itself but also on the virtue of the writer. Further, Haga points out that Rikyū preferred to hang
bokuseki (lit., "ink traces"), the calligraphy of Zen Buddhist priests, in the tea room.[12] A typical example of a
hanging scroll in a tea room might have the kanji 和敬清寂 (wa-kei-sei-jaku, lit. "harmony", "respect", "purity", and
"tranquility"), expressing the four key principles of the Way of Tea. Some contain only a single character; in
summer, 風 (kaze, lit. "wind") would be appropriate. Hanging scrolls that feature a painting instead of calligraphy,
or a combination of both, are also used. Scrolls are sometimes placed in the waiting room as well.

Tea ceremony and flower arrangement

Chabana (茶花) is the simple style of flower arrangement used in tea ceremony. Chabana has its roots in ikebana, an
older style of Japanese flower arranging, which itself has roots in Shinto and Buddhism.
Chabana evolved from the "free-form" style of ikebana called nageire (投げ入れ), which was used by early tea
masters. Chabana is said, depending upon the source, to have been either developed or championed by Sen no
Rikyū. He is said to have taught that chabana should give the viewer the same impression that those flowers
naturally would give if they were [still] growing outdoors, in nature.
Unnatural and/or out-of-season materials are never used. Also, props and other devices are not used. The containers
in which chabana are arranged are referred to generically as hanaire (花入れ). Chabana arrangements typically
Japanese tea ceremony 7

comprise few items, and little or no filler material. In the summer, when many flowering grasses are in season in
Japan, however, it is seasonally appropriate to arrange a number of such flowering grasses in an airy basket-type
container. Unlike ikebana (which often uses shallow, wide dishes), tall, narrow hanaire are frequently used in
chabana. The containers for the flowers used in tea rooms are typically made from natural materials such as bamboo,
as well as metal or ceramic, but rarely glass.
Chabana arrangements are so simple that frequently no more than a single blossom is used; this blossom will
invariably lean towards or face the guests.[13]

Kaiseki (Cha-kaiseki)
Kaiseki (懐石) or cha-kaiseki (茶懐石) is a meal served in the context of a formal tea function. In cha-kaiseki, only
fresh seasonal ingredients are used, prepared in ways that aim to enhance their flavour. Great care is taken in
selecting ingredients and types of food, and the finished dishes are carefully presented on serving ware that is chosen
to enhance the appearance and seasonal theme of the meal. Dishes are intricately arranged and garnished, often with
real edible leaves and flowers that are to help enhance the flavor of the food. Serving ware and garnishes are as much
a part of the kaiseki experience as the food; some might argue that the aesthetic experience of seeing the food is even
more important than the physical experience of eating it.
The basic constituents of a cha-kaiseki meal are the ichijū sansai (一汁三菜) or "one soup, three side dishes", and
the rice, plus the following: suimono, hassun, yutō, and kōnomono. The one soup referred to here is usually miso
soup, and the basic three side dishes are the following:
• mukōzuke (向こう付け): foods in a dish arranged on the far side of the meal tray for each guest, which is why it
is called mukōzuke (lit., "set to the far side"). Often this might be some kind of sashimi. On the near side of the
meal tray are arranged the rice and the soup, both in lacquered lidded bowls.
• nimono (煮物): simmered foods, served in individual lidded bowls.
• yakimono (焼き物): grilled foods (usually some kind of fish), brought out in a serving dish for the guests to serve
themselves.
• suimono (吸い物): clear soup served in a small lacquered and lidded bowl, to cleanse the palate before the
exchange of saké (rice wine) between host and guests. Also referred to as kozuimono (小吸い物) or hashiarai
(箸洗い).
• hassun (八寸): a tray of tidbits from mountain and sea that the guests serve themselves to and accompanies the
round of saké (rice wine) shared by host and guests. The name derives from the size of the tray.
• yutō (湯桶): pitcher of hot water having slightly browned rice in it, which the guests serve themselves to.
• kōnomono (香の物): pickles that accompany the yutō.
Extra items that may be added to the menu are generally referred to as shiizakana (強い肴), and these attend further
rounds of sake. Because the host leaves them with the first guest, they are also referred to as azukebachi (預鉢, lit.
"bowl left in another's care").
Courses are served in small servings in individual dishes. Each diner has a small lacquered tray to him- or herself;
very important people may be provided their own low, lacquered table or several small tables.
Because cha-kaiseki generally follows traditional eating habits in Japan, meat dishes are rare.
Japanese tea ceremony 8

Tea ceremony and kimono

Many of the movements and components of tea ceremony evolved from the wearing of kimono and, although it is
not uncommon for students nowadays to wear western clothes for practice, most will practice in kimono at least
some of the time, for this is essential to learn the prescribed motions properly.
For example, certain movements are designed with long kimono sleeves in mind; certain motions are intended to
move sleeves out of the way or to prevent them from becoming dirtied in the process of making, serving or partaking
of tea. Other motions are designed to allow for the straightening of the kimono and hakama. The silk fukusa cloths
are designed to be folded and tucked into the obi (sash); when no obi is worn, a regular belt must be substituted or
the motions cannot be performed properly. Kaishi and smaller silk cloths known as kobukusa (小袱紗) are tucked
into the breast of the kimono; fans are tucked into the obi. When Western clothes are worn, the wearer must find
other places to keep these objects. The sleeves of the kimono also function as pockets, and used kaishi are folded and
placed into them.
On formal occasions the host—male or female—always wears a kimono. Proper attire for guests is kimono or
western formal wear. Most practitioners own at least one kimono suitable for wearing when hosting or participating
in tea ceremonies. For both men and women, the attire worn at a tea ceremony—whether traditional kimono or other
clothing—is usually subdued and conservative, so as not to be distracting.
Men may wear kimono only, or (for more formal occasions) a combination of kimono and hakama (a long divided or
undivided skirt worn over the kimono). Those who have earned the right may wear a kimono with a jittoku or juttoku
(十徳) jacket instead of hakama.
Women wear various styles of kimono depending on the season and the event; women generally do not wear hakama
for tea ceremony, and do not gain the right to wear a jittoku.
Lined kimono are worn by both men and women in the winter months, and unlined ones in the summer. For formal
occasions, montsuki kimono (紋付着物) (kimono with three to five family crests on the sleeves and back) are worn.
Both men and women wear white tabi (divided-toe socks).
Japanese tea ceremony 9

Tea ceremony and seiza

In that the Japanese tea ceremony is conventionally conducted sitting on tatami, seiza is integral to it. Unless it is the
ryūrei style of tea ceremony, which employs chairs and tables, both the host and guests sit in seiza throughout.
All the bows (there are three basic variations, differing mainly in depth of bow and position of the hands) performed
during tea ceremony originate in the seiza position.

Tea ceremony and tatami

Tatami are used in various ways in tea ceremony. Their
placement, for example, determines how a person
walks through the tea room, and the different seating
positions.
The use of tatami flooring has influenced the
development of tea ceremony. For instance, when
walking on tatami it is customary to shuffle, to avoid
causing disturbance. Shuffling forces one to slow
down, to maintain erect posture, and to walk quietly,
and helps one to maintain balance as the combination
of tabi and tatami makes for a slippery surface; it is
also a function of wearing kimono, which restricts
stride length. One must avoid walking on the joins
between mats, one practical reason being that that
would tend to damage the tatami. Therefore, tea
students are taught to step over such joins when
Typical winter tearoom layout in a 4.5 mat tearoom, showing
walking in the tea room. position of tatami, tokonoma, mizuya dōkō, hearth, guests and host.

The placement of tatami in tea rooms differs slightly

from the normal placement in regular Japanese-style rooms, and may also vary by season (where it is possible to
rearrange the mats). In a 4.5 mat room, the mats are placed in a circular pattern around a centre mat. Purpose-built
tea rooms have a sunken hearth in the floor which is used in winter. A special tatami is used which has a cut-out
section providing access to the hearth. In summer, the hearth is covered either with a small square of extra tatami, or,
more commonly, the hearth tatami is replaced with a full mat, totally hiding the hearth.

It is customary to avoid stepping on this centre mat whenever possible, as well as to avoid placing the hands
palm-down on it, as it functions as a kind of table: tea utensils are placed on it for viewing, and prepared bowls of tea
are placed on it for serving to the guests. To avoid stepping on it people may walk around it on the other mats, or
shuffle on the hands and knees.
Japanese tea ceremony 10

Except when walking, when moving about on the

tatami one places one's closed fists on the mats and
uses them to pull oneself forward or push backwards
while maintaining a seiza position.
There are dozens of real and imaginary lines that
crisscross any tearoom. These are used to determine the
exact placement of utensils and myriad other details;
when performed by skilled practitioners, the placement
of utensils will vary infinitesimally from ceremony to
ceremony. The lines in tatami mats (畳目 tatami-me)
are used as one guide for placement, and the joins serve
as a demarcation indicating where people should sit.
Interior view of a large tea room with tatami and tokonoma. Seen in
Tatami provide a more comfortable surface for sitting the tokonoma is a hanging scroll, flower arrangement (not chabana
seiza-style. At certain times of year (primarily during style), and incense burner.

the new year's festivities) the portions of the tatami

where guests sit may be covered with a red felt cloth.

Studying the tea ceremony

In Japan, those who wish to study the tea ceremony typically join what is known in Japanese as a "circle", which is a
generic term for a group that meets regularly to participate in a given activity. There are also tea clubs at many junior
and high schools, colleges and universities.
Classes may be held at community centres, dedicated tea schools, or at private homes. Tea schools often have widely
varied groups that all study in the same school but at different times. For example, there may be a women's group, a
group for older or younger students, and so on.
Students normally pay a monthly fee which covers tuition and the use of the school's (or teacher's) bowls and other
equipment, the tea itself, and the sweets that students serve and eat at every class. Students must be equipped with
their own fukusa, fan, kaishi paper, and kobukusa, as well as their own wallet in which to place these items. Though
western clothing is very common today, if the teacher is in the higher rank of tradition, especially an iemoto, wearing
kimono is still considered essential, especially for women. In some cases, advanced students may be given
permission to wear the school's mark in place of the usual family crests on formal montsuki kimono. This permission
usually accompanies the granting of a chamei, or "tea name", to the student.
New students typically begin by observing more advanced students as they practice. New students may be taught
mostly by more advanced students; the most advanced students are taught exclusively by the teacher. The first things
new students learn are how to correctly open and close sliding doors, how to walk on tatami, how to enter and exit
the tea room, how to bow and to whom and when to do so, how to wash, store and care for the various equipment,
how to fold the fukusa, how to ritually clean tea equipment, and how to wash and fold chakin. As they master these
essential steps, students are also taught how to behave as a guest at tea ceremonies: the correct words to say, how to
handle bowls, how to drink tea and eat sweets, how to use paper and sweet-picks, and myriad other details.
As they master the basics, students will be instructed on how to prepare the powdered tea for use, how to fill the tea
caddy, and finally, how to measure the tea and water and whisk it to the proper consistency. Once these basic steps
have been mastered, students begin to practice the simplest temae, typically beginning with O-bon temae (see
above). Only when the first ceremony has been mastered will students move on. Study is through observation and
hands on practice; students do not often take notes, and many teachers discourage the practice of note-taking.
As they master each ceremony, some schools and teachers present students with certificates at a formal ceremony.
According to the school, this certificate may warrant that the student has mastered a given temae, or may give the
Japanese tea ceremony 11

student permission to begin studying a given temae. Acquiring such certificates is often very costly; the student
typically must not only pay for the preparation of the certificate itself and for participating in the ceremony during
which it is bestowed, but is also expected to thank the teacher by presenting him or her with a gift of money. The
cost of acquiring certificates increases as the student's level increases.
Typically, each class ends with the whole group being given brief instruction by the main teacher, usually
concerning the contents of the tokonoma (the scroll alcove, which typically features a hanging scroll (usually with
calligraphy), a flower arrangement, and occasionally other objects as well) and the sweets that have been served that
day. Related topics include incense and kimono, or comments on seasonal variations in equipment or ceremony.

See also
• Culture of Japan
• Higashiyama Bunka in Muromachi period
• Tea ceremony, for tea ceremonies in other Asian countries
• Matcha, for information about the tea itself
• List of Japanese tea ceremony equipment, for a full list of equipments used

References
• "Introduction: The Art of Tea" in Urasenke Seattle Homepage. Available: http://www.urasenkeseattle.org/
page22
[1] Entry for Eichū in Genshoku Chadō Daijiten
[2] Entry for Eisai in Genshoku Chadō Daijiten
[3] Han Wei 韓偉, "Tang Dynasty Tea Utensils and Tea Culture", Chanoyu Quarterly no. 74 (1993)
[4] The Japanese Way of Tea: From Its Origins in China to Sen Rikyu Book by Sen Soshitsu XV, V. Dixon Morris; University of Hawaii Press,
1998. 236 pgs. http:/ / www. questia. com/ PM. qst?a=o& d=95933716
[5] Tsutsui Hiroichi, "Tea-drinking Customs in Japan", paper presented at the 4th International Tea Culture Festival (Seoul, 1996)
[6] "Introduction: Chanoyu, the Art of Tea" in Urasenke Seattle Homepage
[7] Genshoku Chadō Daijiten, entry for Jukō.
[8] Japanese online encyclopedia of Japanese Culture, "usucha" entry, by Japanese tea historian, Tsutsui Hiroichi (http:/ / 100. yahoo. co. jp/
detail/ 薄茶/ )
[9] Japanese online encyclopedia of Japanese Culture, "koicha" entry, by Japanese tea historian, Tsuitsui Hiroichi (http:/ / 100. yahoo. co. jp/
detail/ 濃茶/ )
[10] (http:/ / 100. yahoo. co. jp/ detail/ 濃茶/ ibid. )
[11] http:/ / www. udgw. jp/ logos/ chado/ chaji/ kaiseki. html Japanese web page with sequential photos of kaiseki portion of an actual chaji
[12] Haga Koshiro, "The Appreciation of Zen Scrolls," in Chanoyu Quarterly no. 36 (1983).
[13] Embassy of Japan in the UK (http:/ / www. uk. emb-japan. go. jp/ en/ event/ big_chabana. html)

Further reading
• Freeman, Michael. New Zen: the tea-ceremony room in modern Japanese architecture. London, 8 Books, 2007.
ISBN 978-0-9554322-0-0 (http://8books.co.uk/newzen.html)
• Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan, Vol. 3 (ISBN 0-87011-623-1), section "Azuchi-Momoyama History
(1568–1600)" by George Elison in the entry for "History of Japan", and particularly the part therein on "The
Culture of the Period".
• Morgan Pitelka, ed. Japanese Tea Culture: Art, History, and Practice. London: RoutledgeCurzon, 2003.
• Okakura Kakuzo. The Book of Tea. Tokyo, Japan: Tuttle, 1977. (http://books.google.com/
books?id=wdOV7Cwiv94C&pg=PA1)
• Sadler, A.L. Cha-No-Yu: The Japanese Tea Ceremony. Tokyo: Tuttle, 1962.
• Tanaka, Seno, Tanaka, Sendo, Reischauer, Edwin O. “The Tea Ceremony”, Kodansha International; Revised
edition, May 1, 2000. ISBN 4770025076, ISBN 978-4770025074.
Japanese tea ceremony 12

• Tsuji, Kaichi. Kaiseki: Zen Tastes in Japanese Cooking. Tokyo, New York, San Francisco: Kodansha
International Ltd., 1972. Second printing, 1981. ISBN 0-87011-173-6. Excellent reading not only for cha-kaiseki
but the Way of Tea altogether.
• Prideaux, Eric. "Tea to soothe the soul" (http://www.pripix.com/features/tea.htm). The Japan Times, May 26,
2002.
• Honda, Hiromu; Shimazu, Noriki (1993). Vietnamese and Chinese Ceramics Used in the Japanese Tea
Ceremony. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195886078.

External links
• Chaji - A Formal Tea Ceremony (http://www.japanesegardening.org/reference/chaji.html) - Tea instructor
Elliot Mitchnick describes a formal tea ceremony in this 5 part feature (English)
• Chanoyu of Santa Barbara, California (http://www.sbteahouse.com) - The official home page for the Santa
Barbara Botanical Garden Tea House and Chanoyu classes (English)
• Tea Hyakka (http://www.teahyakka.com/E.html) - A site with personal and scholarly essays on tea ceremony,
including photographs, suggestions and links (English)
• Omotesenke of Florida (http://omote-usa.org) (English)
• Urasenke Foundation Seattle Branch (http://www.urasenkeseattle.org) (English)
• Urasenke La Salle (Philadelphia) (http://www.phillytea.org) (English)
• Urasenke Foundation in Germany (http://www.teeseminar.de) - Chanoyu lessons and seminars (English)
(German)
• Chado wiki (http://wiki.chado.no) - Wiki containing information about tea ceremony, with focus on Urasenke
tradition (English)
• Japanese tea ceremony practitioner in Scotland (http://www.paperclip.org.uk/Business/
japanese_tea_ceremony.htm): pictures, information, glossary and cha ettiquette
• Urasenke Finland (http://www.urasenke-finland.org/) (Finnish)
• Japanese Tea Ceremony (http://www.japanese-tea-ceremony.net) - Vast source of information with detailed
explanation of preparation steps. (English)
• Japan National Tourism Organization (http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/indepth/history/experience/f.html)-
General explanation, including guest etiquette (English)
• The Buddhist Channel, about Eisai and his impact on the history and development of tea in Japan (http://www.
buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=44,6297,0,0,1,0)
• General scan of the history of the development of chanoyu, towards explaining the background of the Urasenke
tradition (http://www.teahyakka.com/HistElayout.html)
• Important on-line book on the early history of tea from its beginnings in China to Sen Rikyu in Japan, published
by the University of Hawaii Press (http://books.google.co.jp/books?id=MQmuSSimVyQC&pg=PA126&
lpg=PA126&dq=Shomyoji+temple+Nara&source=bl&ots=02_rrNChQK&
sig=XWeQYfVD5_noo_qa-sN1S1UpigM&hl=ja&ei=_8D-SZWPFcmSkAX__rT_BA&sa=X&
oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2#PPP1,M1)
Article Sources and Contributors 13

Article Sources and Contributors

Japanese tea ceremony  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=390311737  Contributors: 2help, 663highland, 97036, Adambro, Afghangangster, Ajshm, Alansohn, Alensha,
AlexOvShaolin, AmiDaniel, Ammatsun, Anclation, AndyZ, Antarctica32, Aphaia, Apostrophe, Asbestos, Ashot Gabrielyan, Atlant, Auric, Avono, B00P, Badger Drink, Bamse, BanyanTree,
Barrynomidorichan, Beland, Bendono, Bestlyriccollection, Betacommand, Bob f it, Bobblewik, Bobo192, Bookofjude, Bryce brisco, Bueller 007, Burn, Cacycle, Canderson7, Celarnor,
Charlesdrakew, Chitrapa, Chris 73, Clemmy, Clerks, Corruptresearcher, Cst17, D Cat2, D.brodale, DAJF, DHN, DWorley, Danny, DannyWilde, Davecrosby uk, Deathawk, DocWatson42, Dori,
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Freezingman66, Gail, Gak, Galamazoo12, Gary King, Geoff charlwood, Godfrey Daniel, Gogo Dodo, GraemeL, Graham87, Great Teacher Onizuka, Green caterpillar, Gregtrueblood, Grin,
Grouse, Gryffindor, Gveret Tered, Gwalla, HGB, Haiduc, Hakeem.gadi, Hoary, Hu, Hut 6.5, IMSoP, Instinct, Intranetusa, J.delanoy, J.smith, Jeltz, Jiang, JimVC3, Jj137, Jpatokal, Jpeizer,
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Mljtoshi, Mnewmanqc, Montrealais, Mr. Absurd, MrSomeone, Mulder416, Mushroom, Musiczlife, Mygerardromance, Naniwako, Nanshu, Nat, Nbarth, Neilc, Newkai, Nick, Nlu, Nobu Sho,
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Tksb, Tom harrison, TomK32, Tomer T, Tony Sidaway, Traxs7, Tygrrr, Versus22, Vinsfan368, WBardwin, WX, War3rd, Wikimol, Wikky Horse, Willking1979, Wmpearl, Woohookitty,
Xezbeth, Yas, Ynhockey, Youandme, Yuje, Yunfeng, Zalgo, Zantastik, ZenPractioner, Zondor, Zscout370, Zweifel, 山田青月, 399 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

File:Tea ceremony performing 2.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Tea_ceremony_performing_2.jpg  License: GNU Free Documentation License  Contributors:
EDUCA33E, Gveret Tered, JackyR, Jordi coll costa, Ranveig, Tsui, 丁, 1 anonymous edits
Image:Chado1.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Chado1.jpg  License: GNU Free Documentation License  Contributors: Adriano C., Exploding Boy
Image:Black Raku Tea Bowl.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Black_Raku_Tea_Bowl.jpg  License: unknown  Contributors: User:Chris 73
Image:chawan.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Chawan.jpg  License: unknown  Contributors: User:Exploding Boy
Image:Tea ceremony performing 1.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Tea_ceremony_performing_1.jpg  License: GNU Free Documentation License  Contributors:
Original uploader was Sdalu at en.wikipedia
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