Ceremonial Tea Drinking in Japan

Drinking tea in Japan is a rich and meaningful cultural ceremony, in which the process of making the drink is elaborately ritualized and every action has an important meaning imbued with ancient symbolism. To the uninitiated guest this can be a confusing experience, as there are so many new names to learn and meanings to try and uncover, but it will always be an elegant and intriguing introduction to Japanese culture, and an impressive display of the value historically placed upon tea.

The tea ceremony usually takes place in the chashitsu, a special room in a teahouse. Water, the symbol of purity, is brought in the mizusashi, a jar made of stone which only the host is permitted to touch. The tea is held in a ceramic box called the chaire, which at the beginning of the ceremony is tucked inside a silk bag, the shifuku. Waiting to hold the tea bowl is a stand, the tana, the design of which is specific to the occasion. Everything is placed carefully, with the tea pouch laid out before the water jar.

As the host enters the room they bring with them the tea bowl, or chawan. Within the bowl is a whisk (the chasen), a white cloth made from bleached linen (the chakin) and a scoop (the chashaku). These are placed with a water jar and bowl that signify the yang of the sun and the yin of the moon, respectively. The bowl for waste water (kensui), ladle (hishaku) and the rest for the kettle’s lid, made from green bamboo, are brought in next.

Once this is all set up the host sets to work, first purifying the tea bowl and scoop using a cloth made of silk (the fukasa). Next, the tea bowl is filled with some hot water, using the ladel. The tea whisk is cleaned in it, and the bowl is then emptied again and wiped with the linen cloth. Three scoops of tea per guest are added to the clean tea bowl. Enough hot water is added to blend into a paste with the help of the whisk. The host continues whisking while adding more water, producing a thick tea.

The bowl is passed first to the most important or highest ranking guest. They should take a drink of the tea, wipe the rim, and pass the bowl on to the next guest, who repeats this action. Every guest takes a turn until each has had some tea, when the bowl is passed back to the host.

The host then rinses the bowl and cleans the scoop and tea container.

Next, a fire is built in order to make a different sort of tea, this one a think liquid which is supposed to cleanse the palate after the first tea. This second tea is a symbol of the guest’s transition back into the real world from the spiritual ceremony they have just taken part in. Although it is rarely done in the tearooms today, it is traditional to offer guests a smoke at this point.

After the second round of tea, guests are made comfortable with soft cushions (zabuton) and teaburi on which to warm their hands, and they are given sweets called higashi.

Before leaving, guests are expected to thank their host for their skill in performing the tea ceremony, and for the attentive care which they have received.

Be sure to visit http://ChineseTeaBenefits.com for more details on tea drinking ceremonies in China!