Tea Ceremony in Japan

Tea Ceremony in Japan

The tea ceremony in Japan is a traditional ritual, which is influenced by Zen Buddhism. In this ceremony powdered green tea or 'matcha' is prepared ceremonially by a skilled practitioner and served to a small group of guests in a tranquil setting.

Tea drinking was introduced in Japan in the 9th Century by a Buddhist Monk, Eichu who returned from China to Japan. In China, tea drinking by then was already popular and soon became popular in Japan as well. Tea cultivation also began in Japan during this time. The main purpose of drinking tea was medicinal and then for purely pleasurable reasons. Chinese authors had also written books on tea that focused on tea cultivation and its preparation. In the 12th century, matcha, a new form of tea was introduced by Eisai. Tea drinking by the 16th century had spread to all levels of society in Japan.

A full-length formal tea ceremony in Japan involves a meal and two servings of tea. This ceremony lasts approximately for four hours, during which the host engages himself to create an aesthetic and intellectual environment and to bring peace of mind to the guests. To achieve this, the host may not only spend decades mastering the art of serving tea in front of guests but also learn to appreciate art, crafts, poetry and calligraphy, learn to arrange flowers and the garden, and learn to cook. Also, at the same time he or she must learn to grace him or her and be attentive to the need of others.

The efforts of the host are directed towards the enjoyment of the participants. The tea ceremony in Japan is also a self indulgent past time for guests. Topics of discussion during a tea ceremony in Japan involve the beauty of nature's manifestations, and manifestations of the creative force of the universe through the human endeavor. Tearoom conversations center on these subjects. Guests do not indulge in small talk or gossip and limit their conversation to topics such as the origin of utensils and beauty of natural manifestations.

The objective of a tea gathering is inspired by Zen Buddhism- top live in this moment. The entire ritual is so designed that the focus of the participants remains solely on the occasion and not to get distracted by mundane thoughts.
Some of the utensils used in a tea ceremony in Japan are chakin, fukusa, ladle, tana, tea bowl, tea caddy, tea scoop, and whisk. There are different types of tea ceremonies. The different types of tea ceremony are chabako demae, hakobi demae, bon temae, ryu-rei and so on.

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