JAPANESE TEA CEREMONY

Tea cannot be just made by mixing the powder with hot water. There are special steps and utensils that must be used during the tea ceremony. Different hosts might select different utensils, but the most common ones are the whisk, tea bowl (chawan), scoop (cha-shaku), tea caddy (cha-ire) and several others. These utensils are usually valued and are passed down through families as heirlooms. In Japanese, they are called dogū, which means tools. Tea masters or devotees often collect and use every single tea utensil there is to perform a type of ceremony called Chaji, which is a full tea ceremony with a Kaiseki meal and a lesson for students. 

 

Some of the main utensils are:

 

 

Cha-ire is a tea caddy. Their shapes can vary but they are usually tall and thin, with ivory lids. These ceramics are stored in decorative bags with embroidery called shifuku. Green tea powders are stored in cha-ire and have to be ritually cleaned with a fukusa (a type of wiping cloth) before the host scoops the green tea. There are two different types of green tea that are used during the tea ceremony. One is koicha, which is the thick type and usually drunken during the colder seasons, and the other is usucha, which is thinner and used in the warmer seasons. The cha-ire stores koicha powder. Once the tea ceremony is over, the host brings out all the utensils they used for the guests to admire. This includes the cha-ire and the shifuku.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Natsume is another type of tea caddy. The natsume is different to the cha-ire because it stores usucha. It is named after its resemblance to the natsume fruit (also known as jujube or Chinese dates). Similar to the cha-ire, it is also a high-ranking utensil which the guests admire after finishing their tea.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shifuku, which is the decorative embroidered bag that the tea caddies (cha-ire or natsume) are kept in. They are considered important and are made with high-quality materials such as gold brocades and silk. Similar to the others, they are also admired by the guests for their aesthetic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chasen, which is a bamboo tea whisk used to mix the powder with the water. Some do not consider it as a utensil, but it is still an important part of the ceremony. Chasen is carved from a single piece of bamboo. There are three types of bamboo it can be carved from; fresh, smoked or dried, and the heads are either fine, medium or rough. Different types of chasen depend on the type of tea that will be used during the ceremony. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chashaku are bamboo tea scoops. Similar to the chasen, it is also carved out of a single piece of bamboo, ivory, and sometimes wood. They are used to pour the perfect amount of green tea powder into the tea bowls. Usually, three scoops are used. Larger versions of the chashaku are used in the Mizuya preparation room or corner to pour the powder into the cha-ire or natsume. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chawan is the tea bowl used during the ceremony. It is definitely one of the most important utensils, as without it the guests wouldn't be able to drink tea. Depending on the seasons, there are different types and styles of chawan. During the colder winter seasons, they are deeper to retain the heat. In the warmer seasons, they are shallow. If a chawan is broken, they are not thrown away. Instead, they are repaired with black lacquer. Gold powder is usually mixed with the lacquer to hide it. The repaired chawan are used in a tea ceremony usually held in November.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chakin is a white rectangular tea cloth. Usually made from linen, its purpose is to carefully clean the chawan after the guests have finished drinking. Different styles of chakin are used for koicha and usucha. In the Mizuya preparation room or corner, it is placed with the chawan and later moved to near the kettle. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Furo is a portable brazier. During the spring and summer seasons it is too hot to use the ro (sunken fireplace), so the furo is used instead. They were first made from bronze, and later people started making them from iron and clay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ro is the small sunken fireplace in the tatami mats of a cha-shitsu. Contrary to the furo, ro are used during autumn and winter seasons. This is because they are an image of warmth during cold times. A ro is located in the tatami mats of a tea room and is the only object to be on the floor. Other than that, the tatami mats are bare and simple.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kama or chanoyugama are kettles that heat up the water to make tea. They are either placed on the ro or furo. Made from iron or copper, they boil the water until it is ready to be made into tea. Bamboo ladles called hishaku are used to scoop the water into the chawan. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Hishaku is a ladle made out of bamboo. The host uses it to transfer the boiled water to the chawan so they can prepare the tea. In a different ceremony it is sometimes used to transfer fresh water from a place called the Mizusashi to a chawan, but that is not done for usual tea ceremonies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hibachi means fire bowl. Although it is not used in the tea ceremony itself, it is still an important part of it. Before the ceremony starts, it keeps the sumi (charcoal) burning until the host takes it out to place in the ro or furo. A hibachi is usually placed in the Mizuya preparation room or corner, as it is not needed during the ceremony. They are either large wooden boxes or small pots.