History

The Japanese Tea Ceremony is a well-respected and highly esteemed tradition in Japan. A mixture of rigid rules, politics, and tradition, tea ceremonies evoke a sense of class and luxury for both those who observe it and those who experience it firsthand.

Green tea has a long history with Japan coming from China, and the tea ceremony also has its origins in China and heavily influenced Japanese tea ceremonies. The original tea ceremonies are not the same as what is practiced today, or even what the tea ceremony has evolved into through history. Around the 1100s, Japan started making the tea ceremony more their own and started evolving into the Japanese tea ceremony we think of today.

The tea ceremony started as a religious practice, and then turned into a practice that was done only by the wealthy. Therefore, it became a high-class dominated activity. This was because matcha was expensive and considered a luxury good, and as Japan was poor in those days, only the wealthiest had access to matcha. It started off being performed by Buddhist monks, but are now more often done as a show of class and discipline, showing off the ability to execute this ceremony correctly and with style and grace.

Kyoto was the original area in Japan where matcha thrived, and the tea ceremony dominated because Kyoto was the only place where the original form of tea used in the ceremonies was grown. Today, it can be found in other regions of Japan and is not exclusive to Kyoto, although Kyoto remains the best known and most popular place for tea ceremonies.

The Philosophy behind the ceremony

Tea ceremonies are well known for being very procedural and strict on their rules. The art of a tea ceremony is well-respected and loved, and the Japanese people take it seriously. Although to someone who is not familiar, the philosophical elements behind a tea ceremony are not obvious to the observer, but the tea ceremony is closely related to Buddhist teachings.

From a perspective, it may seem robotic and rigid, but the tea ceremony highly regards the discipline and structure that is put into the ceremony. There are principles that are held in regard that are said to be practiced during the tea ceremony and they are inner harmony, tranquility, purity, and respect.

The conduction of the tea ceremony

The Japanese tea ceremony has a defined procedure and rules, and a proper way of conducting each step. Some people take an official long-term class to learn how to properly execute each step. The steps are often practiced over and over again before performing it in front of an audience, which are usually the guests that the host/conductor invites.

With the tea ceremony, the host of the tea ceremony needs to prepare themselves mentally by abandoning worldly thoughts and focusing on a sense of peace and tranquility. The guests are expected to also conduct themselves respectfully as well, and have the proper mindset. The tools and everything must be just right and clean before using them. The main part, although of equal importance with all the steps, is the preparation of the matcha. Although it may be simple, there are particular ways that the whisk must be help and the matcha whisked. Once the matcha is prepared, it must be served in a particular way. The guests must rotate the bowl and admire it before taking a sip. The guests also must follow proper procedures for tasting and observing, and to not do so is considered rude to the host and ceremony.

The tea ceremony exemplifies tradition and is a honored Japanese custom. Matcha is a big part of the culture in Japan, but the history of it goes far back. It’s a privilege and an amazing thing to be able to experience an old tradition of the Japanese tea ceremony and realize matcha’s origins in Japan. There is something both prestigious about being able to perform a tea ceremony in Japan.

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