In the room where the Chanoyu takes place, everything is always set to a theme. Usually based on the season. The guest would arrive and enter the room by sitting on their knees, and carefully open the sliding door into the Chanoyu room. The sensei showing us how to enter, upon entering, would set something on the ground in front of her (sorry , I can't remember what it was; I want to say they were small napkins, or chopsticks maybe). She would then put her hands just below the item she laid down (and far enough apart to fit her knees in between) and carefully lifted herself up and pulled herself forward. She did this all the way across the room (after carefully turning around and closing the sliding door) where she stopped in front of a little alcove that had a vase with flowers and a hanging scroll. We were told that the guest would stop here and admire the items in place, for they were carefully selected, and chosen based upon the theme. Seen below is a picture of the little alcove, and when the sensei stopped in front of it:
The sensei then carefully continued to pull herself across the mats, where she settled down next to the utensils that are used to make the tea. The host entered at this point, and she brought a tray of sweets. This is because the sweets are eaten before the tea is given. The sweet is supposed to compliment the bitterness of the green tea. The sensei who was playing the host then sat down in front of the tea making utensils. Even though the utensils are cleaned before the ceremony, they are cleaned in front of the guest. This was a way of saying "Do not worry. I am not trying to poison you." This became an important part of the Chanoyu because the Chanoyu was first, and most commonly, practiced by the samurai. When the samurai held these ceremonies, they would not take in any weapons of them. The Chanoyu was so highly respected that it was seen as a space of peace an tranquility. Seen below are pictures of the two sensei, and the sweets:
The sweet was a type of pastry (for lack of a better word), and filled with a sweet gel like substance. I apologize for my lack of describing skills. It was definitely better than I am making it sound. Anyways, after the utensils are cleaned and the sweet is eaten, the tea is served. We were served a weaker green tea than what is sometimes served. It was slightly bitter, and we were told that the stronger green tea is much more bitter. Sorry, but I forgot to take a picture of the green tea -.-
When the tea is served, there is a very important process that is followed. The host sets it in front of the guest, the "decorated side" facing the guest. The guest receives the cup, while enjoying the decorations, and puts the cup in one hand. Then, they very carefully turn the cup with their other hand with two quarter turns so that the decoration side is facing away from the guest. After drinking the tea (which we were told that the more noise you made when drinking, or slurping sound, the more gracious you seem to the host), the guest wipes where they drank. Finally, they reverse all of the steps to return the cup to the host.
Finally, the utensils are cleaned again, and at this point, the guest may ask to see the utensils used in the tea ceremony. Below are a couple pictures of the utensils:
In both ceremonies, I noticed that the host does not drink anything. This may have just been because the ceremonies were just to show other people the ceremony. Also, the ceremony is very quiet throughout all of the actions. We were told that this is because the host and the guest are just enjoying each others company.
Sorry for the long waits in between each post. I will try to be better. But before I go, check out these links on the Japanese Tea Ceremony. I screened them to try and give you the best information as possible.
The Japanese Tea Ceremony
Teavana
Until next time, have fun, study hard, and peace out! - JapanJames
