BY: NICK B, LAURA C, AND ALLY Y

The Tea Ceremony

Introduction to Chado

Chado, the way of the tea, is a very complex

procedure that is an important special occasion in the

Japanese culture. This will explain when and why tea

began being made in Japan, and how it is grown. How

ritual tea ceremony is different than a regular tea party

will be understood. The details of the tea ceremony will

be revealed too, such as the utensils that were used, how

the tea room was designed, and what the special

etiquette involved in the ceremony was.

The History of Japanese Tea

Cultural diffusion brought tea from China and Korea in the seventh century.

When tea first got to Japan, only the Court Nobles and the Zen Priests drank it.

During the twelfth century, tea was starting the be used as medicine.

In 1227 tea utensils and tea ceremony rituals started to become more known in Japan.

A man from China named Do-Gen was the man to start bring the utensils and the tea ceremonies to Japan.

By the thirteenth century the warrior social class began drinking the tea, as well as some of the other social classes.

How Japanese Tea is Grown and Made

Tea was grown by individual bushes scattered around the farm.

Depending on what type of tea was growing the time that it took for the tea to grow varied.

Green tea: It is harvested young. Right after it is done harvesting, it is heated with steam for approximately thirty seconds.

Black tea: It is harvested when it’s mature and dried. To make tea a tea kettle that was filled with water was

placed over a coal fire to boil. Next, powdered tea, various spices, and various flavors

were placed into the, by now, boiling water. When the flavors of the tea were done, and the tea was

properly heated, the mixing tea was poured in beautiful cups and utensils.

A Ritual Tea Ceremony

A ritual tea ceremony involves a knowledge of the fine arts and the special etiquette that is used during the tea ceremony.

There is a certain way to pass bowls, talk and almost anything.

There is also a certain type of tea that must be served. The certain teas must be served in a special order and at the right time.

A thick creamy tea must be served when all the guests get there.

When the guests were all done with that tea and the bowl was empty, it would be passed around and examined like a piece of fine art.

Traditional Utensils used in the Tea Ceremony

The utensils that are used for making the tea could not be fancy, colorful, or artificial, they must be made out of plain and natural materials to be able to be used without be offensive to the guests.

The kettle used for heating the water is called a Kama. The lid of the Kama is called a Futaoki, it is a bamboo kettle lid.

A Mizusashi holds the water that is put in the tea, and a Chaire is a container that holds the actual tea.

A Chawan is a bowl that is used for making the tea. A Chasen is a whisk used to whisk the tea that needs

to be served foamy. A Hishaku is a bamboo water ladle that is used to

serve the tea to all of the guests.

What a Tea Room is Like

A tea room is called a chashitsu in Japanese.A tea room can not be too fancy or colorful.It needs to be a simple building, in the middle of a

very beautiful and natural garden, nothing may be artificial.

If the room has to many things on the walls, it could distract those who are meditating.

A room is usually no bigger than nine feet by nine feet.

Any scrolls that are placed in the room must be placed to one side of the room. It is placed in the center of the room it would divide the balance of the room.

Proper Etiquette in the Tea Ceremony

Before entering a tea room, guests must scoop up water with bamboo dipper to wash their hands and mouth in a water basin called a tsukubau.

You may not enter a tea room before you hear the sounds of the wooden clappers. The clappers would let you know that all the tea was ready and that the host was ready for you to come in.

When the tea was brought out in it beautiful bowl, it was passed around to each guest so that they could take three sips, clean the bowl, and then pass it on.

When the bowl was emptied, it was passed around to be examined like a piece of fine art.

No trivial gossip or flattery was permitted during the tea ceremony. It may last no longer than four hours.

Each guest must bring a napkin, paper handkerchief to handle their clogs (a type of Japanese shoe), a fan, toothpicks to pick up the pieces of cake, and a towel to wrap the cake to take home with them.

Facts to Remember

Tea originally came from China and Korea to Japan during the seventh century.

When tea first got to Japan, only the Court Nobles and the Zen Priests drank it.

A ritual tea ceremony involves a knowledge of the fine arts and the special etiquette that is used during the tea ceremony.

There is a certain way to pass bowls, talk and almost anything.The utensils that are used for making the tea could not be

fancy, colorful, or artificial, they must be made out of plain and natural materials to be able to be used without be offensive to the guests.

Before entering a tea room, guests must scoop up water with bamboo dipper to wash their hands and mouth in a water basin called a tsukubau.

You may not enter a tea room before you hear the sounds of the wooden clappers. The clappers would let you know that all the tea was ready and that the host was ready for you to come in.

Conclusion

As learned, the tea ceremony was a very

important part of Japanese life. The tea originally

came from China, and the tea ceremony originally

came from Zen Buddhism. The Japanese borrowed a

lot of their culture and ways of life from China

(including their tea). The samurai used Zen Buddhism

and the tea ceremony to try and cleanse their minds.