Preparation
The tea ceremony is so important to Japanese culture that the host may spend days going over every detail to ensure that the ceremony will be perfect. Though the tea ceremony, people come to the realization that every human encounter is a singular occasion which can, and will, never occur again exactly in the same way. Thus, every aspect of tea must be savored. The proper creation of a bowl of tea involves many different forms, or "temae," which students of tea study for years. The temae range from very informal, social tea temae to ones that involve offering ritual tea to honor the spirits of the deceased, or, for religious or spiritual purposes. (Source 1)
To begin, the guests are shown into a waiting room called the "machiai." When the "hanto" - assistant to the host - is ready, he leads the guests to a water-sprinkled garden that doesn't have any flowers in it. This is called the "roji", which means "dew-ground." Here, the guests supposedly cleanse themselves from the dust of the world. Then, they sit on the waiting bench, "koshikake machiai," and wait for the host. (Source 5)
Before receiving the guests, the host purifies his hands and mouth with clean water in a stone basin called a "tsukubai". Upon meeting, the guests simply bow and the host bows back. No words are spoken. Then the host leads the hanto and the guests towards the chashitsu, where they too will purify themselves before entering. (Source 5)
To begin, the guests are shown into a waiting room called the "machiai." When the "hanto" - assistant to the host - is ready, he leads the guests to a water-sprinkled garden that doesn't have any flowers in it. This is called the "roji", which means "dew-ground." Here, the guests supposedly cleanse themselves from the dust of the world. Then, they sit on the waiting bench, "koshikake machiai," and wait for the host. (Source 5)
Before receiving the guests, the host purifies his hands and mouth with clean water in a stone basin called a "tsukubai". Upon meeting, the guests simply bow and the host bows back. No words are spoken. Then the host leads the hanto and the guests towards the chashitsu, where they too will purify themselves before entering. (Source 5)
Ceremony
Once everyone has entered the chashitsu, the guests admire the kakemono (decorative scroll) and the kettle and portable hearth that have been set out just before their arrival. If the ceremony is being held in the daytime, then it is announced by a gong. If it is taking place in the evening, then a bell is sounded instead. Then, they all sit down on the mats. When the host has seated himself, greetings are exchanged. (Source 5) Now, the host purifies the tea container, called "natsume," and the bamboo tea scoop, or "chashaku," by wiping them with a silken cloth. Next, he heats the tea bowl, "chawan," and bamboo tea whisk (not to be confused with the scoop,) "chasen," by pouring hot water into the bowl and setting the whisk inside. Then, using the scoop, the host places the macha (powdered tea) into the bowl. Hot water is added to the tea and whisked until frothy, and the it's served. While drinking, it is important the the guests use the proper tea room etiquette. The right gestures when drinking are crucial for them to remember so as not to offend the host or other guests. (Source 9)
After the guests have enjoyed their tea, the bowl, the whisk, and the scoop are cleaned. The host withdraws, and returns all the tools but the kettle to the preparation room. The tea ceremony concludes and the guests depart, full of tea and feeling refreshed by their experience. (Source 9)
After the guests have enjoyed their tea, the bowl, the whisk, and the scoop are cleaned. The host withdraws, and returns all the tools but the kettle to the preparation room. The tea ceremony concludes and the guests depart, full of tea and feeling refreshed by their experience. (Source 9)
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Shown here is a video of a woman performing part of the traditional tea ceremony. It is blurry, but you only have to watch for a little while to get a sense of the aesthetic of the performance and how precise this art form truly is. Notice the small door, and how she has to crouch down in order to enter the room. also, you can see the hearth planted un the floor, and the soft tatami mats she is sitting on.
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