Culture Week - Japanese Tea Ceremony

 みんなさんこんばんは！

This evening, I attended the Japanese tea ceremony, or 茶道, at Bond Hall. I'd heard about the tea ceremony from books and games but had never seen one in person, and it was very meditative to watch Kawamura sensei and Andrea san prepare thin green tea (薄茶). Andrea san was a student who'd learned sadou in the Zen Buddhist style and helped Kawamura demonstrate. Mariko san, one of the Japanese language tutors, assisted both of them.

Thin green tea (left) vs. thick green tea (right).

I learned the tea ceremony has its origins in Zen Buddhism, and was perfected by a master named Sen no Rikyu. It is traditionally prepared on the floor on a tatami mat, but modern forms of the tea ceremony are often performed on a table and chair after Japan opened its borders to overseas visitors and houses became more westernized. According to Sen no Rikyu, tea should have a cooling effect in the summer and a warming effect in the winter. The principles of the tea ceremony are harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility (和敬清寂), which are practiced even outside the tea room. Studying the tea ceremony is less about creating the perfect cup of tea and more about mastering every detail of the aesthetics and meditative effects of serving tea to guests. 

Sen no Rikyu

During the tea ceremony, the implements are first cleaned using a little cloth folded in a special way. Matcha powder and hot water are then added to a bowl and mixed with a bamboo whisk to form a froth. Before being served their tea, guests are served sweets such as manju (まんじゅう) to lessen the bitterness of the tea. In casual settings, guests are only served sweets and tea and the ceremony is relatively quick. However, formal tea ceremonies last an average of four hours and consist of a walk through a tea garden before guests enter the tea room, read a wall scroll prepared by the host to set the tone or theme of the occasion, and are served a four course meal before their tea. The amounts of food served are very small in order to prepare guests to enjoy their tea, since caffeine can upset those with empty stomachs. After the guests are finished drinking the tea, the host collects the tea bowl and cleans it. Guests often slurp the last drink to let their host know the tea was good and they drank it all.

Wagashi (Japanese dessert) at a traditional tea ceremony.

After the tea ceremony concluded, we were given samples of Japanese snacks such as manju and rice crackers, and were also given unsweetened green tea. I watched both ceremonies, and although I couldn't tell that there was much difference between them, I noticed new details each time. For example, on my second viewing I noticed that guests cleaned the inside of the bowl with their fingers to remove bubbles before wiping their hands on a paper napkin tucked into the collar of their kimono. Kawamura sensei and Andrea san both did very well, but their hands shook during the ceremony. I hope their nerves didn't place too much strain on them because they both appeared to do a perfect job. I was very impressed by the event.

読むでありがとう！茶道は一期一会ですから、見てください。