How is the tea ceremony held in Japan? Types and features of the Japanese tea ceremony

The Land of the Rising Sun is famous for its extraordinary traditions and customs. The tea ceremony in Japan is rightfully considered a cultural asset and unique, which has rich roots and characteristics. Probably, in no other country do they treat tea so reverently as they do in Japan.

Initially, the tea ceremony was one of the most common forms of meditation among Buddhist monks. Over time, it has become an integral part of Japanese culture. At its core, the tea ceremony is a meeting of the tea master and his guests for a warm conversation and joint pastime, accompanied by tea drinking. Of course, this custom is carried out using the appropriate paraphernalia in a special tea house (chashitsu). It is located, as a rule, in a cozy corner of a specially created garden.

The Art of the Tea Ceremony

The art of the tea ceremony in Japan is inspired by the philosophy of Buddhism and is designed to bring peace of mind. Like most other elements of Japanese culture and religion, the art of tea drinking reflects the Japanese flavor and their way of life. Appropriate objects and paraphernalia, gestures and behavior of the people participating in the ceremony, as well as the symbolism of the tea ceremony in Japan - all this is passed down from generation to generation.

In the middle of the room in the tea house there is a square recess in which charcoal smolders on a special pallet. On top is a pot of hot water. Guests are seated on both sides on special pillows (zabutons). During a traditional tea party, every detail matters. So, for example, in no case should you sit cross-legged - this is considered a sign of bad taste and a manifestation of disrespect for the master of the tea ceremony. That's right - sit on your own heels with a zabuton under your knees.

Features of the tea ceremony

The mistress of the tea house or the master with a bow serves bowls of fragrant tea to the guests. She pours boiling water into porcelain dishes with a special wooden ladle, then rinses the bowl and wipes it with a napkin. Then a small pinch of ceremonial green tea "Ten-cha" is placed in the tea utensil, which is subsequently poured with boiling water. For the correct brewing of Japanese tea, a special bamboo brush is used, with the help of which the whole mixture is whipped directly to the consistency of thick sour cream. At the same time, the foam should rise to the very edges of the porcelain bowl.

Interesting facts about the tea ceremony in Japan:

• No more than five people take part in the ceremony, and the company is selected with particular scrupulousness.
• To participate in the ceremonial tea party, all guests must wear special clothing.
• Before the start, all those present gather at the entrance to the tea house in order to tune in to a sublime mood and put aside fussy thoughts and everyday mood.
• The Japanese tea ceremony can last several hours.

Traditional technique, symbols and paraphernalia, the philosophy of the tea ceremony - all this is passed down from generation to generation. Moreover, in Japan there are special educational institutions where you can take a course in this art.

Modern tea ceremony in Japan

To date, there are six varieties of the tea ceremony: at night, at sunrise, early in the morning, after dinner, evening and specialized.

Special attention deserves a special tea ceremony, which is one of a kind. It is held exclusively on especially important occasions, on the eve of an important event or during preparation for extraordinary events, that is, when all participants need to fully relax, streamline their thoughts and find peace. So, for example, several centuries ago, a special tea ceremony was an integral part of the preparation for ritual suicide. Of course, in this case, the master must be a person with strong inner qualities - after all, he had to strengthen in his guest the intention to commit such a courageous act.

Today, the art of the tea ceremony in Japan is a method of achieving meaning in life. The atmosphere in the tea house and beyond, specialized clothes and gestures, porcelain bowls and even a ladle for the Japanese tea ceremony - all this is subject to a single meaning and carries a philosophical outlook on life.

To take part in the tea ceremony means to be imbued with the culture of Japan and its unsurpassed flavor. With the help of such, at first glance, a simple procedure, you can truly relax, escape from everyday worries and truly enjoy peace and tranquility. The tea ceremony in Japan is Buddhist philosophy at its truest.

The tea ceremony in Japan is a special ritual that dates back to the Middle Ages and is revered to this day.

The Buddhist monks created the tea ceremony, and soon it became an integral part of Japanese culture, glorifying it all over the world.

Japanese tea ceremony

In general terms, the tea ceremony is a meeting of the tea master and his guests according to certain rules for collective relaxation, contemplation of the beauty hidden in ordinary things, conversations during which tea drinking took place. The ceremony is held in a specially furnished room and represents actions carried out in a certain order.

tea ceremony photo

How to have a tea ceremony

Before the beginning of the sacrament, the guests are placed in a room where small cups of boiling water are brought to them in order to arouse in the guests the anticipation of the subsequent ceremony as a wonderful and cozy event.

The guests then walk through the tea garden tyaniva to the chashitsu tea house along the stone-covered roji path, which looks like a mountain path and creates a natural feeling. This transition has a special meaning - a departure from the hustle and bustle of life, petty worries, worries and misfortunes.

Looking at the garden, the participants of the ceremony are predisposed to spiritual contemplation and cleanse their thoughts from everyday worries.

When the guests reach the tea house, the host comes out to them. At the end of a calm, moderate greeting, visitors go to a nearby well and perform a bathing ceremony. Water is scooped up with a small ladle with a long handle, the ceremony participant washes his face, hands, rinses his mouth, then washes the handle of the scoop. The ceremony of washing means the establishment of bodily and spiritual purity.

Then the guests enter the tea house through a small entrance, which marks the edge of the ordinary, vain world, and take off their shoes. The small size of the entrance makes the guests bend, which means their equality at the time of the ceremony - any person should bow, regardless of origin, wealth or position.

The Art of the Tea Ceremony in Japan

Before the visit of the participants of the tea party, the host kindles a fire in the hearth, puts a cauldron of water over it and places a tokonoma (a scroll with a saying that sets the theme of the ceremony), a bouquet of flowers and an incense burner in a special niche near the entrance.

Tokonoma photo

Entering the house after the guests, the owner bows and sits next to the hearth, opposite the rest of the participants in the ceremony. Not far from the owner are the items needed for tea drinking: a wooden chest with tea, a bowl and a mixer made of bamboo. Before tea drinking, guests are served kaiseki - a simple, low-calorie but gourmet meal that will not satiate, but relieve hunger. The word "kaiseki" comes from a heated stone, which in ancient times, Buddhist monks put in their bosoms to alleviate hunger. Before the tea party itself, “omogashi” are distributed - sweets for tea.

At the end of the meal, the ceremony participants leave the tea house for a short time to take a walk in the garden before the main tea drinking ceremony. While the guests are outside, instead of a scroll, the host puts an aesthetic bouquet of flowers or branches into the tokonoma chabana. This composition is based on the rule of unity of contrasts, for example, it can be a pine branch, which represents reliability and strength, next to a camellia flower, which denotes sensitivity and fragility.

After the participants return to the house, the main part of the ceremony begins - the host prepares and drinks thick powdered green tea. The preparation of tea takes place in absolute silence. All the actions and movements of the host are precisely worked out and measured, the master moves in rhythm with his breathing, the guests are attentively watching the sacrament, listening to the sounds of boiling water and the crackle of a burning hearth. This is the most meditative stage of the tea ceremony. Tea is poured into a rough ceramic bowl, then it is filled with boiling water, and the tea is stirred with a bamboo stirrer until fully cooked.

Dishes for the Japanese tea ceremony photo

The host bows to the participants in the ceremony and passes the cup of thick tea to the senior guest. The guest puts a fucus silk handkerchief on his left palm, takes the cup with his right hand, puts it on his left palm and takes a sip of tea. After that, he lowers the fucus on the mat, wipes the edges of the bowl and gives it to the next in order. Each guest sips tea in the same way.

Drinking tea from a common bowl represents the unity of the participants in the ceremony. When the guests empty the bowl, it will again go from hand to hand empty, so that everyone carefully examines the bowl, recognizes its shape, and again feels it in his hand.

Then the host prepares light tea for each tea party in separate small cups. There comes a time for a conversation, the topic of which is the inscription on the scroll in tokonoma, the elegance of the composition of flowers, the cup for tea, the tea prepared by the master.

After the end of the conversations, the owner asks for forgiveness and leaves the tea house, marking the end of the ceremony. The guests take a last look at the decorations, symbols and utensils used for making tea, the flowers in the tokonoma, which opened at the end of the tea party and symbolize the time spent by the guests together.

When the guests leave the tea house, the owner stands next to the entrance and silently bows to those leaving the ceremony. Then the owner is in the tea house for some time, mentally returning to the past tea party and thinking about the feelings caused by it. After that, the master takes out the dishes, removes the flower arrangement, cleans the tatami and leaves the tea house.

Tea ceremony in Japan video

An interesting video about the Japanese tea ceremony with translator's comments.

Genre of the article - Culture of Japan

Joint tea drinking, held in the form of a certain ritual, was born in Japan in the distant Middle Ages as one of the practical meditations of Buddhist monks, and later spread to other areas of Japanese life. The main goal of the Japanese tea ceremony is a meeting of the tea master with his guests for a conversation, joint relaxation with leisurely tea drinking and enjoyment of peace and beauty.

Several types of traditional Japanese tea drinking

1. Special - such a ceremony is held if there is a certain reason: a meeting of friends, a holiday, and earlier - preparation for battle, etc.
2. Tea drinking at sunrise - it is held from 3-4 o'clock until 6 o'clock in the morning.
3. Morning tea ceremony - held at 6 o'clock. Especially popular in the heat, as at this time of day it is still cool.
4. Afternoon tea - starts at 13:00. Cakes can be served with tea.
5. Evening ceremony - at 18 pm.
6. Night - starts around midnight and can last until 4 am. It is most often performed when the sky is illuminated by the moon.

Venue for Japanese tea ceremony

A special place is set up for the classic Japanese ceremonial tea drinking. Usually this is a small tea garden (tyaniva), in which a tea house (chashitsu) and auxiliary buildings are built: an entrance hall, a pavilion for gathering guests. The tyaniva garden simulates a mountain slope with evergreens, moss and ancient dim lanterns. A path leads to the house, lined with the most ordinary stones imitating a mountain path. The whole area is usually fenced and you can enter the ceremony through heavy wooden gates.

The chashitsu house is a simple, modestly furnished room, consisting of one room with a narrow and low entrance and several high windows. A small entrance is made so that everyone who enters can bow, and also leave behind the walls of the house not only weapons, but all worldly concerns. The most important part of the chashitsu is a niche in the wall - the tokonoma, equipped just opposite the entrance. Flowers, a censer with incense are placed in the tokonoma, and a scroll with a saying prepared for the ceremony is hung out. Tea is prepared in a bronze hearth located in the center of the room.

How is the tea ceremony in Japan

Guests invited to the tea party pass through the open gate to the tea garden, change their shoes in the hallway and gather in one pavilion where they are served small bowls of hot water. Then the guests walk along the stone path to the tea house, admiring the garden along the way and freeing their minds from everyday affairs. At the house, guests are met by the owner - a tea master, here a ceremony of greeting and washing takes place at a stone well located nearby. Each person who comes with the help of a ladle washes his face, hands, rinses his mouth and rinses the handle of the ladle, leaving it to the next guest. Now guests can take off their shoes at the doorstep and go inside the house. First, everyone should study the tokonoma saying scroll and understand the theme of the tea party. A little later, after the guests, the host enters. While the water in the cauldron heats up, those who come are served a light treat - kaiseki, after which the guests go out to warm up, and the owner changes the scroll in tokonoma for a symbolic composition made up of tree branches or flowers.

Then the ceremony participants return to the house, and the tea master begins to prepare thick green tea from the powder. First, everyone is invited to drink the finished drink from one bowl, and then each guest is served a separate cup of tea. The brewing and the first drinking of tea takes place in complete silence, and when everyone receives their cup of tea, the conversation begins. Sweets are served with tea. When the conversation ends, the owner, having apologized, leaves the house - this means that the ceremony is over. The guests once again inspect the tokonoma and the hearth and leave the house. The tea master bows to everyone who leaves, and then returns to the chasitsa, sits inside for a short time, immersing himself in the sensations of the ceremony, and then tidies up the house, takes the dishes and flowers...

Interestingly, the dishes intended for Japanese tea drinking are thoroughly washed, but do not scrape off the stubborn tea coating and keep traces of all previous ceremonies - traces of time.
Do not be upset if you cannot arrange a Japanese tea ceremony in accordance with all the rules - in the absence of opportunities, a separate room or even just a table is allowed.

Hello, dear readers - seekers of knowledge and truth!

What could be better than a cup of aromatic tea in a series of everyday activities? Just a cup of fragrant tea somewhere in the Japanese expanses! So, today we will plunge into the atmosphere of harmony and tranquility, and at the same time we will learn everything about tea drinking in Japan.

Today's article will tell why making tea for the Japanese is a real art, how it came to their homeland, in what cases ceremonies are held where tea mysteries take place. You will also learn the names of all these numerous cups and teapots, how the master of the tea ritual embodies his talents. The answers to these questions and other interesting facts are in the article below.

The path of tea

The Japanese tea ceremony is called sado" or " tyado” and means “the way of tea”, “tea art”. And this is not an exaggeration at all - in order to master the art, future masters study for a long time, comprehend all the subtleties associated with tea.

The tea ceremony is a traditional Japanese ritual characterized by extraordinary aesthetics and complexity. It can be called a sacrament that takes place between the participants, a special form of communication and unity of souls.

During tea drinking, people enjoy the aesthetics of the surrounding world, slowly talk, relax and are filled with harmony. The ritual takes place in a special room and follows strict rules that have remained unchanged for many centuries.

Today in Japan there are more than fifty major schools that teach the art of the tea ceremony. They have spread all over the world - they have offices in twenty states, including Russia.

The tradition of drinking tea came to Japanese lands from the mainland, or rather, from China, where people from time immemorial appreciated the tart taste of the drink and grew entire plantations. But while the inhabitants of China put principles into the ritual, the Japanese identified it with, so the ceremonies here were held simply, naturally, in a calm atmosphere.

Japanese ritual tea drinking adheres to several rules:

• respect and mutual respect of guests and the master;
• a sense of harmony in everything: both in the objects used and in the attitude of the characters;
• calm, serene mood;
• pure thoughts, actions, sensations.

Historical digression

Judging by historical references, tea reached the Japanese shores around the 7th-8th century. It was brought by Buddhist monks from China, who made tea drinking a part of their practice.

The Buddhist teaching spread, and with it its traditions. Buddhists drank tea during meditation practices, bestowed as offerings. So the habit of drinking tea took root among the adherents of Buddhism.

In the 12th century, the monk Eisai presented the ruler of Minamoto with a book that talked about the benefits of tea for a healthy and long life - the ritual of tea drinking began to spread in court circles. A century later, tea ceremonies became popular among the samurai. They were pompous and ritualistic.

Gradually, tea ceased to be exclusively a drink of monks - it gained momentum among aristocrats. They held real tournaments, during which tastings of different types of tea were held, and the participants had to guess what kind of tea it was and where it came from.

The element of the game grew into a crazy celebration and fun - hundreds of men and women took baths - the so-called furo- filled with tea, which they drank from there. All the action ended with buffet tables with a huge number of treats and sake. At that moment, people thought about the medicinal properties of tea last.

Tea ceremony in Japan. Engraving

Ordinary people, city dwellers and farmers also enjoyed tea drinking. The rituals were more modest than among the nobility, but they helped to relax in a break between hard work, enjoy the moment and talk on abstract topics. All elements - the adoption of tea furos, the strict rules of tournaments, the modesty of ordinary people's ceremonies - later formed into a single ritual, which is now considered a classic.

Tea art reached its greatest development in the 16th-18th centuries. It is associated primarily with the name of Joo Takeno, who invented a special building - a tea house - chashitsu characterized by modesty and simplicity.

Later, his student Sen no Rikyu, in addition to chashitsu, created a garden, as well as a path paved with stone - roji. At the same time, he defined etiquette: when and what to talk about, how the master should conduct the ceremony and fill the guests with harmony from the inside. Also, Rikyu introduced traditional utensils, and the tea ceremony began to be distinguished not by feigned, external beauty, but by internal, hidden in soft colors and muffled sounds.

Sen no Rikyu (1522-12.04.1591). One of the founders of the Japanese tea ceremony

All Japanese began to get involved in tea parties: from the poor to the imperial family. By the 18th century, a network of tea schools had emerged. led them iemoto- they helped students master the art, taught all the nuances: to understand the varieties of tea, to brew it correctly, to have easy conversations, to create a friendly and harmonious atmosphere in the company.

Types of tea parties

The Japanese have many reasons to gather for a tea ceremony:

• night - the ceremony takes place in the moonlight, guests gather around 12 o'clock at night, and disperse before dawn - up to 4 o'clock;
• sunrise - approximately from 3-4 hours to 6;
• morning - from 6 o'clock, tea drinking takes place in the hot season, when in the morning you can still enjoy the coolness and unhurried conversation before the working day;
• afternoon - completes the lunch meal, sweets can be served with tea;
• evening - the working day ends with tea, approximately at 18 o'clock;
• a special occasion - it can be any occasion, such as a wedding, the birth of a child, a birthday, or just an occasion to get together with friends. This is a special ceremony, which is called " rinjitian”- people specially invite a tea master who has experience in conducting rituals.

Place for tea

Tea drinking is held in a special area. Ideally, this is a garden, in which the path leads to the house - the ceremony itself is held here.

In modern realities, the Japanese often do not have the opportunity to acquire their own garden, so ordinary premises, separate rooms, or even just a small table often act as a venue.

Garden - pulling

It is usually surrounded by a fence, and there is a gate in front of the entrance. Outside the gate, guests can leave personal belongings and change shoes. Tyaniva is usually small, but very cozy. There is an atmosphere of calm and subdued aesthetics.

Evergreens planted on the territory protect the garden from bright sunlight. Everywhere there are stones covered with moss and decorative lanterns. In the evening and at night, they dimly sanctify the guests, escorting them to a fairy-tale mystery.

Path - roji

Literally, the name in Japanese sounds like "the road sprinkled with dew." Roji is usually paved with natural stones and resembles a path winding between the hills.

Its execution, size and shape are limited only by the imagination of the architect. At the end of the path, in front of the house itself, there is a well where guests can take a ritual bath.

House - chashitsu

The tea house is modest and small, consisting of only one room with six to eight windows. They are located quite high so that the view from the window does not distract from the ongoing ritual, but only allows diffused sunlight to pass through.

The entrance to the chasitsa is low and narrow - such a cunning design makes everyone in the room bow, bending down, regardless of their status in society. In the time of the samurai, a narrow passage did not allow them to enter the house with weapons, the warriors were forced to leave it outside.

The house is furnished very simply: tatami on the floor, a hearth in the center, as well as a wall shelf - tokonoma. It contains incense, a flower arrangement and a scroll with a saying prepared by the master especially for the participants.

Innings

The drink is served in special dishes - wooden, bamboo, ceramic or copper. It should not be pretentious, on the contrary, they try to use old or specially aged dishes to show a tribute to traditions. But the main rule is that all objects must be clean and in harmony with each other.

During tea drinking, several items are used:

• chabako - a box in which tea is poured;
• tyagama - a vessel in which water is heated;
• tyavan - a large bowl, from which all guests drink tea during the first round;
• hisaku, or chawan - small cups for each guest;
• chasaka - a bamboo spoon for pouring tea;
• kobukusa is the cloth on which tea cups are served.

Guests are invited to a tea party in advance, usually five people. Those invited carefully prepare for the ceremony, put on special clothes, such as silk kimonos.

The owner, who is also a master, greets everyone present with a bow and treats with sweets - kaiseki. When the water boils and cools a little, he begins to prepare thick tea - matcha. The rest silently observe this action, intercepting every movement with their eyes.

Then, in the chawan, the prepared tea is passed around in a circle, starting with the most important guest. Everyone sips a little from a common cup and passes it to another, thereby expressing confidence in all participants.

After that, the master pours tea into individual chavans, and guests enjoy the unique taste and density of tea, unobtrusive conversation and a feeling of calmness and warmth spreading throughout the body.

At the end of the ceremony, the host apologizes, bows to the guests, and leaves the room. This means that the tea party is over.

Conclusion

Thank you very much for your attention, dear readers! We wish you to definitely participate in the tea ceremony in the best Japanese traditions.

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Japanese tea ceremony cha but yu) - This…

… a special traditional ritual of tea drinking in Japan. This ceremony was created in the Middle Ages by Buddhist monks. But after that it took root and became an element of the entire Japanese culture. And today we drink tea at home, at a party and in small cafes, using some very old customs of a real Japanese tea ceremony, without knowing it ourselves ...

How did the Japanese tea ceremony come about?

Tea began its journey. It was brought from the mainland to Japan by Buddhist monks and was used only for meditation. After tea began to be drunk on other occasions, as the science of maintaining health with the help of tea spread, and indeed modern science knows about the beneficial qualities of teas, especially herbal teas. And by the 13th century, tea drinking had become a samurai ritual, although it did not meet the original rules and principles of peace and harmony. And only then this ritual reached the Japanese nobility, where entire tea tournaments were held, the rules of which were to present different types of teas and determine the type of tea according to its taste. How many types of tea do you think you could identify by taste? Subsequently, the customs changed and the ceremony changed its essence and meaning. Also among the common people, tea drinking became a tradition, but without chic customs and meals, but simply a gathering of people to discuss topics of conversation over a cup of tea. This is such a long way tea has come to win people's trust and love. The Japanese tea ceremony changed for a long time and took a concrete form as a rite only in 1500.

In general, the Japanese tea ceremony is an organized meeting of the host with his guests for a joint holiday, enjoying the beauty of the conversation and drinking tea. Such ceremonies are held in special places - tea houses, but in the modern world we receive guests simply at home.

In Japan they say that "The tea ceremony is the art of embodying the grace of Emptiness and the goodness of Peace."

Interestingly, our Russian tea ceremony is fundamentally different from the calm Japanese ceremony. After all, we spend it actively and cheerfully to the sound of a seething samovar and the crunching of bagels.

Traditional types of tea ceremony:

• Night (held under the moon from 12:00 to 04:00 in the morning)
• At sunrise (held from 03:00-04:00 am to 06:00 am)
• Morning (held from 06:00 on hot days)
• Afternoon (conducted from 13:00)
• Evening (held from 18:00)
• Special (holiday, organized on a special occasion)

And also the Japanese tea ceremony has a specific goal: creating a mood of calm and relaxation; disconnection from worries; striving for true beauty, not conspicuous, lurking in simple things and quiet sounds. And in truth, it's nice to sit in silence and enjoy the taste of hot tea with friends and family.