JAPANESE TEA CEREMONY

Each step of the tea ceremony is important in its own way. Without any of them, there could not be a successful ceremony. Although there are different types of ceremonies, they all have the basic steps.

 

Before the ceremony starts, the host has to prepare by sending invitations to the guests. The guests and the host have to prepare their souls or spirits for inner peace. The tea utensils and sweets are related to the season, and the tatami mats of the cha-shitsu are cleaned. The entire cha-shitsu should be clean, the garden tended to, and the food prepared. If the ceremony involves a meal (called Kaiseki), the host needs to start preparing it in the early morning. Several fresh sweets have ingredients that go bad over time, and so they are also prepared on that day.

 

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On the day of the ceremony, the host finishes their preparations in the cha-shitsu. When the guests arrive they wait outside of the cha-shitsu to make sure the host is ready. Once everything is ready, the host invites them inside. The guests wash their hands and mouths using the tsukubai and enter the tea room. The door of the cha-shitsu is low to prevent weapons inside and so the guests bow while entering. When the guests enter, it is a sign of respect as they are bowing towards the guest and the preparations. Samurai warriors were required to remove their katana or other weapons. People have to take off their jewellery or watches, as in the tea room no one should worry about time or their wealth. Although there are no strict rules, the host and guests should be wearing kimono.

 

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Once everyone takes a seat, the host brings the tea utensils into the room and cleans them. The cleaning is done with elegant movements. While the tools are cleaned the guests can see that they are sanitary.

 

Before drinking tea, the sweets are served. The sweets that the host prepares has to be related to the season. For example, in spring, the sweets could be pink and flower-shaped. To prevent the tastes from mixing, the sweets are always eaten before the tea. When the sweets are eaten, they are on a plate and passed to the first guest. Before they take one, they have to offer the plate to the next guest, who offers to the next, and so on. Once everybody has eaten, the plate returns to the host. The tea also has to be prepared in a certain way. First, the host uses the chashaku to scoop the tea powder from the natsume or cha-ire. Usually, three scoops of the powder are used in a bowl of tea. Once the powder has been added, the host pours hot water into the bowls using a hishaku. Then, a bamboo chasen is used to whisk the tea until it is frothy and ready to drink.

 

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In a tea ceremony, there is usually a 'main guest' called the Shokyaku, who sits in the first seat near the tokonoma. The host passes the tea bowl to the Shokyaku, who turns it so that the design on it faces the host. When drinking, the Shokyaku takes the bowl in their left hand and steadies it with their right. After they drink, they pass it to the next guest. For hygiene purposes, the other guests turn the bowl to avoid drinking from where the others did.

 

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At the end of the ceremony the host cleans the utensils again. The guests inspect the tea utensils and other objects as a sign of respect toward the host and their work. They have to handle the utensils with a cloth to prevent damaging them. This part of the ceremony is known as the Haiken. After the Haiken, the ceremony is over. The host packs away everything and the guests exit by bowing through the door again.