6 Steps for a Profitable Japanese Tea Ceremony + Etiquette Suggestions
9.2K
Among the many conventional Japanese arts, the Japanese tea ceremony is likely one of the most well-known. The serene, humble picture of a sublime host in a kimono getting ready bitter inexperienced tea with a bamboo whisk the identical manner it’s been finished for hundreds of years is a window to Japan’s wealthy cultural historical past. When you’ve got the possibility to attend one your self, we will’t advocate sufficient that you just embrace this passport-worthy second!
Few—if any—phrases are exchanged throughout a standard Japanese tea ceremony (sadō 茶道 or chanoyu 茶の湯), however we guess that you just’ll be keen to speak about your expertise afterwards. Earlier than you go, be taught Japanese with the Rosetta Stone app to grasp the fundamentals of Japanese dialog.
What’s a Japanese tea ceremony?
At its core, a Japanese tea ceremony is a small gathering the place a number prepares inexperienced tea the standard manner and serves it to their visitors. Fortunately, you received’t have to know find out how to order meals in Japanese for this expertise! A tea ceremony is as a lot of an artwork kind as it’s a venue to take pleasure in matcha the way in which it was supposed.
Typically, a normal chanoyu tea ceremony will embody the next parts:
- a standard Japanese-style room (washitsu, 和室)
- an intimate setting, with solely a handful of contributors
- rustic decorations and aesthetics, channeling the which means of wabi-sabi (詫び寂び)
- freshly ready inexperienced tea (maccha, 抹茶), preceded by conventional Japanese sweets
On the far finish of fancy, a proper Japanese tea ceremony (chaji, 茶事) can last as long as 4 hours, but it surely consists of the end-all, be-all of high quality Japanese eating: kaiseki ryōri (懐石料理). You’ll discover this expertise in few different locations, comparable to a standard Japanese inn (ryokan, 旅館).
>> Discover out what luxuries await you in case you’re now questioning, “What’s a ryokan?”
Historical past of the Japanese tea ceremony
The origins of the Japanese tea ceremony date again to when tea was delivered to Japan from China within the Heian Interval (794-1185 A.D.) by Buddhist monks. For hundreds of years after, tea was primarily used for spiritual ceremonies and to serve the elite the Aristocracy. It was in the course of the Muromachi Interval (1336-1573 A.D.) that the tea ceremony you’ll be able to take part in at the moment started to take form.
The Japanese tea grasp Sen no Rikyū (born in 1522, died in 1591) is credited with being the one to good the tea ceremony and rework it into an artwork.
Amongst different particulars, he laid out three important parts:
- the 4 rules of the tea ceremony: concord (wa, 和), respect (kei, 敬), purity (sei, 清), and tranquility (jaku, 寂)
- the idea of wabi-sabi and the way its aesthetics apply to the tea ceremony
- the significance of ichi-go ichi-e, or the notion {that a} single second can by no means be replicated and should be treasured
Sen no Rikyū additionally established seven guidelines that govern how a tea ceremony needs to be held, and so they’re referred to as rikyū shichisoku (利休七測, Rikyū’s seven guidelines).
| Japanese | Romanization | English |
| 茶は服のよきように点て | cha wa fuku no yoki yō ni tate | Make satisfying tea wholeheartedly. |
| 炭は湯の湧くように置き | sumi wa yu no waku yō ni oki | Correctly place the charcoal to boil the water. |
| 花は野にあるように | hana wa no ni aru yō ni | Flowers shall be naturally organized as if in a discipline. |
| 夏は涼しく冬は暖かに | natsu wa suzushiku, fuyu wa atataka ni | Present coolness in the summertime and heat within the winter. |
| 刻限は早めに | kokugen wa hayame ni | Be ready forward of time. |
| 降らずとも雨の用意 | furazu tomo ame no yōi | Be ready for any eventuality. (Actually: Be ready in case of rain.) |
| 相客に心せよ | aikyaku ni kokoro se yo | Be attentive of your visitors. |
What are the 6 steps of a correct Japanese tea ceremony?
Relying on the fashion, season, and different components, the precise order of and steps concerned in a standard Japanese tea ceremony shall be barely totally different. However basically, most casual tea ceremonies (chakai, 茶会) comply with these steps to various ranges of intricacy. Every step can take a number of minutes, and so they contain actions by each the visitors and the tea grasp. You possibly can count on a full chakai ceremony to final roughly 45 minutes.
1. Enter the room
Visitors are proven contained in the room by the host and are proven the place to take a seat. Shortly after, when the tea grasp enters, the host will bow to the visitors and they’ll all bow again (whereas seated) in respect.
2. Pattern conventional Japanese sweets
Because the tea grasp begins getting ready the ceremony utensils, visitors are given wagashi (和菓子), or conventional Japanese sweets. They are often eaten with the offered skewer or choose, however we advise you to understand the culinary artistry earlier than you indulge. Relying on the season, totally different treats could also be served and all shall be crafted with care.
3. Clear and purify the utensils
Earlier than they will make the tea, the tea grasp should purify the utensils that shall be used to make the tea. They do that with water and a particular material referred to as a chakin (茶巾). This a part of the tea ceremony occurs in entrance of the visitors to point out the utensils are clear and to represent cleanliness and purity.
4. Make the tea
For the standard tea ceremony, two scoops of powdered inexperienced tea are blended with sizzling water utilizing a particular whisk referred to as a chasen (茶筅). This is likely one of the iconic sights and sounds of the tea ceremony.
5. Drink the tea
When the tea is prepared, the tea grasp will flip the bowl (chawan, 茶碗) till the entrance of it’s going through you, the visitor. Often, the bowl has some form of design to point out the place the entrance is. As you are taking the bowl, flip it in your arms in order that the entrance is not going through you, and take a sip. On this second, recognize the flavour and every thing that went into it!
After your sip, wipe the rim of the bowl the place your mouth touched it and go it to the subsequent visitor, who will do the identical factor. This strategy of sipping the tea is repeated for every visitor.
When you’ve got the final sip of tea, make sure to slurp it gently! It is a signal of enjoyment and isn’t thought of impolite.
6. Clear up
As soon as the chawan makes it manner again to the tea grasp, they’ll proceed to wash the bowl and the utensils used. This clear up step remains to be part of the ceremony, so stay quiet, observant, and respectful. If a number of rounds of tea are included (you may pattern thick inexperienced tea vs. skinny inexperienced tea), the tea grasp will return to creating the subsequent batch and proceed till the ceremony has concluded.
Know earlier than you go: Japanese tea ceremony etiquette
A part of taking part in a Japanese tea ceremony is realizing find out how to act or current your self when you’re there. Listed below are seven essential tips on what to do (and what to not do) at a Japanese tea ceremony.
1. Put on modest clothes
Though a kimono is the standard outfit, sporting good, modest clothes in subdued colours can be acceptable for tea ceremonies. Listed below are some examples of what to put on to a tea ceremony:
- Button-down shirt and blazer
- Slacks
- Enterprise go well with
- Costume or skirt beneath the knee (midi size or longer)
- Shirt
- Workplace-appropriate clothes
Keep away from a majority of these clothes:
- Loud colours and patterns
- Denims
- Shorts
- Sleeveless shirts
- Hats
- Equipment (e.g., watches, earrings, bracelets)
2. Put on white socks
You’ll be anticipated to take away your footwear earlier than getting into the room or constructing the place the tea ceremony is being held, leaving you in your socks. White is the popular shade, and they need to be clear with no holes or different blemishes. This additionally implies that it’s essential to completely keep away from sporting footwear with out socks in any respect—being barefoot is a no-no!
3. Don’t use fragrance or cologne
Heavy scents might be overpowering within the intimate setting by which tea ceremonies are held. It’s finest to keep away from sporting fragrance or cologne at a tea ceremony. Additionally pay attention to different lingering scents (like cigarette smoke) and do what you’ll be able to to keep away from them.
4. Flip off digital units
Simply as if you attend a symphony or different good occasion, your cellular units needs to be both turned off or on silent. Sudden seems like a loud ringtone can throw off all the environment of a tea ceremony, and it’s thought of impolite.
5. Apply find out how to sit correctly
In a standard tea ceremony, you received’t be sitting in a chair. As an alternative, you’ll sit seiza (正座) fashion. Sometimes, this implies sitting on the ground (or on a cushion) together with your legs folded below you. Because you’ll be positioned this fashion for upwards of half-hour, you might need to apply this sitting method forward of time to get used to the sensation, as it may be uncomfortable.
In case you require lodging for seating preparations, contact the institution or tea grasp forward of time to seek out out what choices you could have.
6. Keep away from small speak and chatter
Even in case you attend the tea ceremony with pals, this isn’t the time to catch up and chat. As an alternative, take within the meditative environment and take in the expertise: take heed to the sounds of the tea being ready, discover the standard decorations, savor the tea. In case you do converse, accomplish that in a delicate voice.
7. Be on time
Punctuality is a extremely valued trait in Japanese tradition, and easily being on time reveals respect to the host and different visitors. Earlier than the day of the ceremony, lookup the placement and find out how to get there, being attentive to public transportation schedules and any distance you’ll have to stroll (and perhaps look into find out how to inform time in Japanese!).
Chart of Japanese tea ceremony terminology to know
The tea ceremony comes with a few of its personal distinctive vocabulary phrases which might be helpful to know along with extra frequent Japanese meals phrases. Whilst you could not hear some (if any) of those phrases used in the course of the quiet ceremony, you may even see every of those utensils used earlier than, throughout, or after the occasion.
| Japanese | Romanization | English |
| 茶入 | chaire | tea container (for thick tea) |
| 棗 | natsume | tea container (for traditional tea) |
| 釜 | kama | kettle |
| 風炉 | furo | moveable range (utilized in sizzling climate) |
| 炉 | ro | sunken fireside (utilized in chilly climate) |
| 水指 | mizusashi | water container |
| 茶碗 | chawan | tea bowl (the place the tea is ready and served) |
| 茶筅 | chasen | brush-like whisk to combine the tea |
| 茶杓 | chashaku | tea scoop |
| 柄杓 | hishaku | ladle |
| 蓋置 | futaoki | lid relaxation |
| 建水 | kensui | bowl with water for rinsing |
| 茶巾 | chakin | tea towel (can get moist) |
| 帛紗 | fukusa | tea towel (can not get moist) |
| 懐紙 | kaishi | serviette used to serve sweets |
| 古帛紗 | kobukusa | silk wrapper to position the tea bowl on |
| 扇子 | sensu | folding fan |
| 仕服 | shifuku | ornamental pouch to guard the tea container |
Incessantly requested questions in regards to the Japanese tea ceremony
In case you’re attending your first Japanese tea ceremony, you’re certain to have questions. Whether or not it’s find out how to be taught Japanese or how lengthy you’ll be able to count on to be sitting down for a tea ceremony, different curious folks have posed these incessantly requested questions. Listed below are the solutions!
What’s the proper etiquette for a tea ceremony?
Merely put, the correct etiquette for a Japanese tea ceremony is to decorate modestly, put on socks, arrive on time, and be a quiet, respectful participant. Even in case you by chance make a fake pas, you can also make up for it by amending any conduct that was identified (like speaking too loudly).
How lengthy does a Japanese tea ceremony final?
Relying on the formality of the occasion, a tea ceremony will final round 45 minutes (for a typical, casual ceremony) or as much as 4 hours (a proper ceremony that features a meal). The previous is called chakai (茶会), whereas the latter known as chaji (茶事).
What faith is the Japanese tea ceremony?
Though the tea ceremony just isn’t an inherently spiritual expertise, it has its roots in Zen Buddhism. Inexperienced tea was utilized in spiritual ceremonies, but it surely developed right into a secular customized in the course of the Muromachi Interval (1336-1573 A.D.)
What are the 4 rules of the Japanese tea ceremony?
The 4 rules of the Japanese tea ceremony are concord (wa, 和), respect (kei, 敬), purity (sei, 清), and tranquility (jaku, 寂). Along with Sen no Rikyū’s seven guidelines, these 11 ideas are often called shiki shichisoku (四規七則).
What’s the most important factor in a Japanese tea ceremony?
The tea and its preparation are on the middle of the ceremony, however appreciating and treasuring all the expertise is probably the most vital factor. The precise circumstances (the visitors, the host, the climate) of any given tea ceremony are distinctive, and that embodiment of ichi-go ichi-e (one lifetime, one assembly) is the center of the Japanese tea ceremony.
