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The Japanese tea ceremony (cha-no-yu, chado, or sado) is a
traditional ritual influenced by Zen Buddhism in which powdered green
tea, or matcha, is ceremonially prepared by a skilled
practitioner and served to a small group of guests in a tranquil
setting.
The practice of drinking tea was first introduced to Japan in the 9th
century by a Buddhist Monk from China. From then, it spread quickly and
gained popularity among the Japanese.
 In
the 12th century, a new form of tea, matcha, was
introduced. This powdered green tea, which derives from the same plant
as black tea but is unfermented, was first used in religious rituals in
Buddhist monasteries. By the 13th century, samurai warriors had begun
preparing and drinking matcha, and the foundations of the tea ceremony
were laid.
By the 16th century, tea drinking had spread to all levels of society in
Japan. Sen no Rikyu, perhaps the most well-known historical
figure in tea ceremony, introduced the concept of ichi-go ichi-e,
literally "one time, one meeting", a belief that each meeting
should be treasured. His teachings led to the development of new forms
in architecture and gardens, fine and applied arts, and to the full
development of sado. The principles he set forward -- harmony,
respect, purity, and tranquillity -- are still central to tea ceremony
today.
There are many intricacies to the tea
ceremony. The practitioner must be familiar with the production, and
types of tea, the kimono, calligraphy, flower arranging, ceramics,
incense, and other disciplines and traditional arts in addition to
his/her school’s tea practices. The study of the doctrine of the tea
ceremony can take many years and can even last a lifetime.
Guests in a formal tea ceremony requires knowledge of sado, including
the prescribed gestures and phrases expected of guests, and the proper
way to take tea and sweets, and general deportment in the tearoom
During the Tea Ceremony
 The
host, male or female, will usually be wearing a kimono, while guests may
wear kimono or any subdued formal wear.
If the tea is to be served in a separate tea house rather than a tea
room, the guests will wait in a garden shelter until summoned by the
host. They ritually purify themselves by washing their hands and rinsing
their mouths from a small stone basin of water, and proceed through a
simple garden along a roji, "dewy path," to the tea house.
Guests remove their shoes and enter the tea house through a small door,
and proceed to the "tokonoma," or alcove, where they admire the scroll
and/or other decorations placed therein and are then seated seiza style
on the tatami (woven straw mat) in order of prestige.
Guests may be served a light, simple meal called a "kaiseki" or "chakaiseki",
followed by sake, Japanese rice wine. They will then return to the
waiting shelter until summoned again by the host.
If no meal is served, the host will proceed directly to the serving of a
small sweet or sweets. Sweets are eaten from special paper called kaishi;
each guest carries his or her own, often in a decorative wallet which is
tucked into the front of the kimono.
 Each
utensil--including the tea bowl (chawan), whisk (chasen),
and tea scoop (chashaku)-- is then ritually cleaned in the
presence of the guests in a precise order and using prescribed motions.
The utensils are placed in a precise arrangement according to the ritual
being performed. When the ritual cleaning and preparation of the
utensils is complete, the host will place a measured amount of green tea
powder in the bowl and add the appropriate amount of hot water, then
whisk the tea in precise, prescribed movements.
Conversation is kept to a minimum throughout. Guests relax and enjoy the
atmosphere created by the sounds of the water and fire, the smell of the
incense and tea, and the beauty and simplicity of the tea house and its
seasonally appropriate decorations.
 The
bowl is then served to the most important guest either by the host or an
assistant. Bows are exchanged between the host and guest of honor. The
guest then bows to the second guest, and raises the bowl in a gesture of
respect to the host. The guest rotates the bowl to avoid drinking from
its front, takes a sip, murmurs the prescribed phrase, and then takes
two or three more sips before wiping the rim, rotating the bowl to its
original position, and passing it to the next guest with a bow. The
procedure is repeated until all guests have taken tea from the same
bowl, and the bowl is returned to the host.
In some ceremonies, each guest will drink from an individual bowl, but
the order of serving and drinking is the same.
After all the guests have taken tea, the host cleans the utensils. The
guest of honor will request that the host allow the guests to examine
the utensils, and each guest in turn examines and admires each item,
including the water scoop, the tea caddy, the tea scoop, the tea whisk,
and, most importantly, the tea bowl. The items are treated with extreme
care and reverence as they are frequently priceless, irreplaceable
handmade antiques, and guests often use a special brocaded cloth to
handle them.
The host then collects the utensils, and the guests leave the tea house.
The host bows from the door, and the ceremony is over.
A tea ceremony can last between one hour and four to five hours,
depending on the type of ceremony performed, and the types of meal and
tea served.
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