THE BASICS OF JAPANESE TEA CEREMONY By Charleen Lay
JAPANESE TEA CEREMONY BASICS As an outsider looking in, Japanese tea ceremony appears both fascinating and utterly bewildering. There are so many steps to making and drinking a simple bowl of tea that it can be overwhelming. In this article, let’s take a look at some of the basics of tea ceremony and try to demystify this Japanese art form.
SCHOOLS OF TEA CEREMONY
Japanese tea ceremony as we know it now was popularised by Sen no Rikyu in the 1500s. He altered the culture of Chinese tea to Japanese tastes and aesthetics. Currently there are three main schools, or styles of tea ceremony known as the san-senke, which are descended from Sen no Rikyu. These are Urasenke, Omotesenke and Mushanokojisenke. Personally, I practice Omotesenke, which is the second largest tea ceremony style. You’ll find that most English language articles tend to focus on Urasenke as it is the most popular of the schools with the most readily available resources. There are also countless numbers of other more niche schools all over the world. Each school favours different utensils, sweets and decorations. The way tea is made and even the number of steps taken on the tatami may differ greatly from school to school. That said, although the form may be different the spirit of tea appreciation remains the same regardless of school!
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STAY JAPAN Winter 2020-2021
