ADVERTISEMENT
Your Japan
  • TRAVEL
  • CULTURE
  • LIFESTYLE
  • FOOD
  • HOTELS
  • SHOP
No Result
View All Result
Your Japan
  • TRAVEL
  • CULTURE
  • LIFESTYLE
  • FOOD
  • HOTELS
  • SHOP
No Result
View All Result
Your Japan
No Result
View All Result

Japanese Tea Ceremony

YourJapan Blog by YourJapan Blog
October 3, 2022
in Japanese Culture
Reading Time: 4 mins read
A A
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterPin this articleShare on LINE

The traditional Japanese tea ceremony symbolizes purity, harmony, tranquility, and respect. The origins of the Sado tea ceremony date back to the 14th century, the reign of the Muromachi period. The Japanese tea set for a tea ceremony consists of a ceramic teapot, hemispherical cups, a bamboo tea scoop, and a chasen whisk with a stand.

japanese tea ceremony

The tea ceremony in Japan became official in the 16th century through the efforts of master Sen no Rikyu. Let’s learn more about this intriguing ritual.

 

What is a Japanese Tea Ceremony

Tea ceremonies are common in the cities of Uji and Kyoto. If you want to get to a tea ceremony in Tokyo, explore the historic Asakusa district, or experience the tea ceremony in traditional parks. In everyday life, the Japanese also have a ritual drinking tea ceremony, for example, to celebrate the arrival of an important guest.

Tea aesthetics include strict conformity of the interior, dishes, dress (kimono), and tatami mats.

According to the Japanese tea ceremony etiquette there are certain times of the day:

  • 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. – noon tea drinking, the most important;
  • 6:00 am – morning, typical of summer;
  • 4:00 p.m. – sunset, in the middle of winter;
  • with the beginning of dusk – winter;
  • ceremony of cares – to serve tea after a formal reception if the guest was unable to attend;
  • tea ceremony time may not be regulated if guests arrive unannounced.

Japanese tea ceremony etiquette in Japanese culture has not changed for centuries. Food is brought first, after which everyone enjoys tea. The tea master rinses and wipes the tea whisk and tea bowl with water, pours three portions of powdered tea leaves per guest with a bamboo scoop, and pours hot water from the kettle with a ladle and gets a thick consistency of green tea.

 

Japanese Tea Ceremony Steps

japanese tea ceremony

Formal tea, also known as afternoon tea, is drunk from 11 to 12 noon. The Japanese tea ceremony begins with the gathering of guests in the waiting room. The tea master’s assistant, his right hand, escorts the guests to a Japanese garden, called the “dew point,” where they wait on a bench for the head of the house, the master of the tea ceremony. Tea culture implies that the master performs the ritual washing of hands and mouth, after which he bows to the guests. All participants wash their hands and mouths, and then enter the Japanese tea house, squatting down to enter the small door.

Inside, the basic tea ceremony steps take place:

  • guests admire the paintings, the flower arrangements, the interior decorations in the room, the style and meaning of the hanging scroll with an aphorism on the theme of Japanese tea culture, and consider the tea utensils and hearth;
  • participants are seated at the table;
  • a meal is served on tea caddy – boiled rice, miso soup, pickled vegetables or fish; the dishes are eaten with chopsticks for 2-3 hours;
  • the tea ritual includes a “first charcoal lighting” ceremony;
  • Japanese sweets – rice cakes – are served;
  • the tea house includes a waiting room, participants move there for a while;
  • a ceremony of thick Japanese tea matcha – a common cup is passed around the circle, starting with the main guest, drunk in small sips;
  • “second charcoal ignition”;
  • thin tea prepared, in individual cups of tea – this symbolizes the end of the ceremony.

At the end, the tea masters receive praise for their art from the departing guests.

YourJapan Blog
+ posts
  • YourJapan Blog
    https://itsyourjapan.com/author/bobby/
    osaka dotonbori night
    February 8, 2023
    How to Spend a Weekend in Osaka
  • YourJapan Blog
    https://itsyourjapan.com/author/bobby/
    mount fuji japan chureito
    February 4, 2023
    Japan Beyond the Crowds: 6 Underrated Destinations for First-Time Visitors
  • YourJapan Blog
    https://itsyourjapan.com/author/bobby/
    wall art
    January 17, 2023
    Gambling Anime on Netflix
  • YourJapan Blog
    https://itsyourjapan.com/author/bobby/
    jewish school
    January 8, 2023
    Best Jewish Educational programs available for a Japanese Jew
ShareTweetPinShare

Related Posts

Naoe Kanetsugu: The Warrior of Love
Japanese Culture

Naoe Kanetsugu: The Warrior of Love

January 26, 2023
ponshukan sake museum niigata
Japanese Culture

A Warm Winter at Ponshukan – Ponshukan Sake Museum Review

December 26, 2022
japan festival
Japanese Culture

To read the air in Japan [Essay]

December 18, 2022
旧犬鳴トンネル KYUSHU INUNAKI TUNNEL
Japan Travel

6 Secret Spooky Spots in Japan

November 2, 2022

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Booking.com
ADVERTISEMENT

Popular Now

Must-Try Traditional Japanese Sushi Rolls

10 Must-Try Traditional Japanese Sushi Rolls

September 1, 2022
Shimokitazawa Tokyo Street

Shimokitazawa, A Guide to Tokyo’s Hipster Neighborhood

February 20, 2022
tattoos travel japan

What is it Like to Travel Japan with Tattoos

January 29, 2023
your japan logo

Useful links

  • Submit an article
  • Advertise
  • Shop
  • Book Hotel in Japan
  • Travel Guides
  • Join our Community
Kimono girls at Kyomizudera Temple 👘 📸: @mi Kimono girls at Kyomizudera Temple 👘

📸: @mischasphotography
Anti-British propaganda poster in Japan (c. 1940s) Anti-British propaganda poster in Japan (c. 1940s).
Tokyo from above 🚁 📸: @tob_bp Tokyo from above 🚁

📸: @tob_bp
TOKYO 🌃 📸: @nissy_photogram TOKYO 🌃 

📸: @nissy_photogram
An American soldier shared his cigar and chocolate An American soldier shared his cigar and chocolate bar with his Japanese girlfriend in Tokyo, despite military regulations restricting U.S. occupation personnel in Japan from handing out rations to local civilians, 1946
Hello from Nara Prefecture 🍃 📸: @yukidon082 Hello from Nara Prefecture 🍃

📸: @yukidon0822
Follow on Instagram

Join our newsletter and get 10% off your first order on the store!

© 2023 Your Japan ∙ Contact us ∙ Affiliate disclosure ∙ Privacy Policy

No Result
View All Result
  • TRAVEL
  • CULTURE
  • LIFESTYLE
  • FOOD
  • HOTELS
  • SHOP

© 2023 Your Japan ∙ Contact us ∙ Affiliate disclosure ∙ Privacy Policy