TEA CEREMONY

The Japanese tea ceremony; called Chanoyu, Sado or Ocha, is a ritual

that consists on preparing Japanese green tea called Matcha, usually
with some traditional sweets. The
ceremony is not only based in drinking
tea. In fact, the most important things
are the way the tea is served, the
placement of the utensils and the
movements the host makes to satisfy the
guests.

The first tea ceremony in Japan took place in the 8 th century.

PREPARATION OF THE TEA

There are two types of preparation: with

the Furo during summer, and with the Ro
during winter. In the summer the kettle is
placed on a brazier and in winter the
Kama is put in a sunken hearth. The
location of the utensils and the way of
finishing the ceremony are also different in each type.

MAIN
TEA
UTENSILS

Cha-ire (): Its a ceramic tea caddy where the tea is served.
They are stored in bags called Shifuku.
Chakin (): Its a white, linen piece of cloth that is used to
cleanse the Cha-ire after a guest has finished drinking.
Depending on the thickness of the tea a
different Chakin is used.
Chasen (): Its a bamboo whisk, used to
blend the tea with the water.
 Chashaku (): Its a tea scoop, very important to get the
correct tea proportions.
Hishaku (): Bamboo ladle, used to transfer
water from the iron pot to the Chawan.
Chawan (): This is the most important item.
Different chawans are used depending on the
season. It allows the tea to cool down faster in summer
and it keeps the tea hot in winter. It chawan is
named by their creators or owners. Some of
them are very old, therefore very valuable.
Nonetheless they are still in use nowadays.
Fukusa (): Its a silk cloth used to clean the Chasaku and
the Natsume and to handle a hot Kama lid.
Natsume (): Tea caddy named for its
resemblance to the Natsume fruit. It is a wooden
utensil that is regarded to be a high-ranking item. As a
result it is used in special occasions.

GUESTS EQUIPMENT

Youji (): When moist sweets are

handled before drinking tea, this sort of
forks are used to eat them without
getting your fingers sticky.
 Sensu (): Its a traditional Japanese fan
that is commonly placed in front of your
knees as a sign of politeness.
Kaishi (): Paper dish or napkin that is
used to put sweets onto it during the
ceremony.

FAMOUS TEA HOUSES

Kodaiji temple (Iho-an) tea hut: Located

in Kyoto
Katsura Rikyu Imperial Villa Shokin-tei:
Located in Katsuramisono (Kyoto)
Katsura Rikyu Imperial Villa Geppa-ro:
Located in Katsuramisono (Kyoto)

TEA ROOMS SETUP

 31

1. Kakejiku (): They are hanging scroll with some poems

or paintings on them. They sometimes show monks
calligraphy.
2. Tamaeza: Tatami which is only used by Teishu to prepare
the tea.
3. Sadouguchi (): Door that the Host uses to go into or
out of the room while carrying utensils
4. Shouji screen: Its a panel used as a kind of curtain. They
are made of paper.