Cultural Topic #6 Tea Ceramoney

The Japanese tea ceremony called chanoyu, chadō or sadō  literally translates as the way of tea.

Zen Buddhism and the Chinese methods of preparing powdered tea were brought to Japan in 1191 by the monk Eisai. In Japan it became an important item at Zen monasteries, Where it was used  to prevent drowsiness during long hours of meditation.  It became highly appreciated by others in the upper echelons of society during the 14th through 16th centuries. 

The four principals of tea ceremony are WA = harmony  KIE=respect SIE=purity and JAKI=tranquility.


The host/hostess shows respect to the guest by creating a tranquil and harmonious atmosphere and ritually purifying all the tea implements before preparing the tea.

Styles 

There are many styles of tea ceremony in Japan,  depending upon the school, occasion and seasons

O-Bon 
 O-bon temae or tray style. In O-bon temae, the hostess places a tea bowl, whisk, tea scoop, linen cloth and a tea jar on a special tray these items are covered by a silk handkerchief. Thin green tea is prepared on the tray while kneeling on the floor or seated at a small table. This is usually the first ceremony learned, and is the simplest to perform.


Chabako
Chabako temae  is so called because the equipment is removed from and then replaced into a special box known as a chabako or tea box. Chabako  tea boxes can vary in style from plain wood to ornate gold and lacked works of art depicting cranes pines and other auspicious imagery.

Chabako developed as a convenient way to prepare the necessary equipment for making tea outdoors. The basic equipment contained in the chabako are the tea bowl, tea whisk  tea scoop and tea caddy, and linen wiping cloth in a special container, as well as a container for little candy-like sweets. Many of the items are smaller than usual, to fit in the box. This ceremony takes approximately 35–40 minutes.

Hakobi
Except for the hot water kettle (and brazier if a sunken hearth is not being used), the essential items for the tea-making, including even the fresh water container, are carried into the tea room by the host as a part of the ceremony, .In other  ceremony,  , the water jar and perhaps other items, depending upon the style are placed in the tea room before the guests enter.

This is the style show cased at the St. Louis Japaneses festival by Professor Kimiko Gunji  of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

RyūreiThis  style  originated in the Meiji/Victorian era, initially for serving non-Japanese guests who, it was thought, would be more comfortable sitting on chairs. It has scents become popular as a way for the physicality  handicapped  to participate in tea ceramoneyIn the ryūrei style, the tea is prepared with the host seated at a special table, and the guests are also seated at tables. It is possible, therefore, for ryūrei-style tea to be conducted nearly anywhere, even outdoors. The name refers to the host's practice of performing the first and last bows while standing. In ryūrei there is usually an assistant who sits near the host and moves the host's seat out of the way as needed for standing or sitting. The assistant also serves the tea and sweets to the guests. 

Venues

An ideal  teahouse or chashitsu  is surrounded by a small garden having a path leading to the tea room. This garden is called roji  or "dewy ground." Along the path is a waiting bench for guests and a privy. There is a stone water-basin near the tea house, where the guests rinse their hands and mouths before entering the tea room through a small, square door called nijiriguchi, or "crawling-in entrance," which requires bending low to pass through and symbolically separates the small, simple, quiet inside from the crowded, overwhelming outside world. The nijiriguchi leads directly into the tea room.

The tea room has a low ceiling and no furniture: the guests and host sit seiza-style on the floor. All materials used are intentionally simple and rustic. Besides the guests' entrance, there may be several more entrances; at minimum there is an entrance for the host known as the sadōguchi, which allows access to the mizuya (prep room) Windows are generally small and covered with shōji, which allows natural light to filter in. The windows are not intended to provide a view to the outside, which would detract from the participants' concentration. There is a sunken hearth located in the tatami adjacent to the host's tatami, for use in the cold months; this hearth is covered with a plain tatami and is not visible in the warm months, when a portable brazier  is used instead.

There will be a tokonoma (scroll alcove) holding a scroll of calligraphy or brush painting, and perhaps a small, simple, flower arrangement called a chabana  but no other decoration.

St.Louis is home to one such chashitsu.  The St.Louis chashitsu, only open to the public for three day of the year, at the Japaneses festival, was a gift from Missouri's sister state of Nagano. It sits on  Nakajima "Teahouse Island" in the hart of the missouri botanical garden.

HOME