Tea ceremony in Japan : The ceremony of tea in Japan, or "Japanese tea service", called chanoyu (茶 の 湯), sadō (茶道), or chadō (茶道) is a traditional art inspired in part by Zen Buddhism in which the Green tea powder, or matcha (抹茶), is prepared in a codified manner by an experienced practitioner and is served to a small group of guests in a calm setting who, seen from the West, may be reminiscent of a ceremony.
Chanoyu (literally "hot water for tea"), usually refers to art, while sadō or chadō ("path of tea") represents the study or doctrine of the tea ceremony in the form of a Spiritual "way". The term chaji (茶 事) relates to the service of complete tea including kaiseki ("light meal"), the service of usucha (薄 茶, "light tea") and koicha (濃茶, "strong tea Or “thick tea”), lasting approximately four hours; it also includes sumi demae (炭 手 前, cf. infra), namely the placement and readjustment, in the presence of the guests, of the charcoal used to heat the kettle. That of chakai (茶会, literally a "meeting around tea"), does not include kaiseki and is most often summed up in the service of usucha - koicha, then followed by usucha, is more rarely served at this occasion.
Due to the fact that a chanoyu practitioner must be familiar with the production and the different types of teas, with kimonos, calligraphy, floral arrangements, ceramics, incense, and a wide range of other traditional disciplines and arts in addition to the tea practices taught in his school, the study of the tea ceremony takes many years - indeed a lifetime. Even to participate as a guest in a formal tea ceremony, knowledge of sadō is required, including recommended actions, what to say by the guests, the correct manner of drinking tea, and general attire to adopt in the tea room. room where tea is served.
History of the tea ceremony The tea ceremony traditionally takes place in a chashitsu, a small house with bare decoration located in a garden.
Tea, as a drink, was introduced to Japan in the ninth century by a Buddhist monk from China, where - according to legend - tea had already been known for several thousand years. The tea quickly became popular in Japan and began to be cultivated locally.
The custom of drinking tea, first for medicine, and then purely for pleasure, was also widespread throughout China, its country of origin. At the beginning of the ninth century, Chinese author Lu Yu wrote the Ch'a Ching (The Classic of Tea), a treatise on tea that paid particular attention to its cultivation and preparation. Lu Yu's life was strongly influenced by Buddhism, and particularly by the school which would later be known as Zen, and his ideas would have a strong influence on the development of the tea ceremony in Japan.
Whereas previously, the tea, compressed, was boiled in milk and mixed with spices and salt (a way of proceeding which has been preserved in Tibet and Mongolia), a new form of tea, matcha, appears during of the XNUMXth century. It is green tea whose leaves are reduced to powder: it is emulsified in a small quantity in a larger quantity of water (light tea made from leaves coming from young plants) or it is kneaded in more quantity in a smaller amount of water (strong or thick tea made from leaves from older plants). It is the same plant from which infused green tea will subsequently be derived, then black tea (oxidized or fermented).
It was first used in the religious rituals of Buddhist monasteries, with the particular aim of keeping them awake during meditation sessions. During the XNUMXth century, samurai warriors began to prepare and drink matcha. For them it was a question of practicing an art which, by its novelty, would not disqualify them from the nobility of the court, familiar with all the other arts; in addition, its Chinese origins immediately gave it unparalleled prestige. The foundations of chanoyu were then laid.
To the relatively exuberant practice of warriors, the bourgeoisie opposed the aesthetic of wabi (侘 び). This sober and calm refinement is characterized by humility, constraint, simplicity, naturalism, depth, and above all imperfection and asymmetry. It emphasizes in particular simplicity through unadorned objects (even coarse with regard to aesthetic criteria prevailing until then), architectural spaces and the celebration of the beauty that time and attention give to materials. Indeed, the bourgeoisie was then subject to sumptuary laws which prevented it from acquiring and even less from exhibiting the precious Chinese utensils used by the warriors - it was then that an emphasis on objects developed. of daily life, and in particular pottery of Korean origin, in the context of chanoyu.
During the XNUMXth century, tea drinking spread across all levels of Japanese society. Sen no Rikyū, arguably the best-known historical figure of the tea ceremony, introduces the adage: ichi-go ichi-e (一 期 一 会, literally "once, a meeting"), thus expressing the idea that every meeting should be viewed as a treasure that can never be repeated. His teachings lead to the development of new forms of architecture and garden, arts and lead to the full development of sadō. The principles he transmitted - harmony (和, wa), respect (敬, kei), purity (清, sei), and tranquility (寂, jaku) - are still central to chanoyu today.
Equipment used during the tea ceremony: A large set of utensils is needed for even the most basic of tea preparations (temae, 点 前). A complete list of all objects, utensils, their styles and variations could fill several hundred pages, and many such volumes exist. The following list presents the essential components:
Chakin (茶巾), white and rectangular canvas of linen or hemp is used for the ritual of cleaning the bowl.
Fukusa (袱 紗), silk square used for the symbolic cleaning of the scoop and the natsume or cha-ire, and for handling the lid of the hot kettle (except under certain conditions, men are expected to handle it with their bare hands , Urasenke school). Fukusa is sometimes used by guests to protect tea utensils when examining them (usually this fukusa is peculiar and is called kobukusa or small fukusa. They are thicker, patterned, and often significantly more colorful than normal fukusa. .Kobukusa are kept in a kaishi (a suitcase) or in the breast pocket of the kimono.)
Hishaku (柄 杓), long bamboo ladle with a nodule in the center of the handle. It is used to transfer water from and to iron pots and fresh water containers. There are different styles used for different ceremonies, but also for different seasons. A larger style is used for the purification ritual followed by the guests before entering the tea room.
The tea bowl (茶碗, chawan), is undoubtedly the essential element. Without it, the tea could not be served and could not be drunk. There is a wide range of tea bowls, sizes and styles, and different styles are used for strong tea and light tea (see tea ceremony below), but also depending on the season. Shallow bowls, which allow the tea to cool quickly are used in summer; deep bowls are used in winter. Their creators or their owners, or even a tea master, give the bowls a poetic name - this name partly conditions the use of the bowl depending on the season or the circumstance causing the tea meeting. Bowls over 400 years old are still used today, but only on special and unusual occasions. The best bowls are handcrafted and usually have a high price tag. Irregularities and imperfections are prized: they are often put on the “front” of the bowl. Broken bowls are meticulously repaired using a mixture of hairspray and other natural ingredients. Gold powder is added to mask the dark color of the lacquer and designs are sometimes created using the mixture. Bowls repaired in this way are primarily used in November, when tea practitioners use the ro, or winter hearth, as an expression and celebration of the concept of wabi, or humble simplicity.
A natsume, a tea box for the tea ceremony in Japan. This is typical with a red lacquer covering to which black and gold patterns have been added.
Tea box called natsume (棗), or cha-ire (茶 入 れ). Tea boxes come in two different basic styles, natsume and cha-ire, through which there is variation in shapes, sizes and colors. The natsume is so named for its resemblance to the natsume fruit (the jujube). It is short with a flat lid, a rounded bottom, and it is usually made of lacquered or untreated wood. The ceramic pulpit and is contained in silk or brocade envelopes with the patterns duly listed, is usually large, narrow (but the shapes vary significantly) and has an ivory cover fitted with a foil. or below. Natsume and cha-ire are used in different preparations (natsume for light tea and some preparations of thick tea, cha-ire for thick tea).
Chashaku (茶 杓), tea scoop carved from a single piece of bamboo, the one intended for the most common preparations with a nodule approximately in its center. Depending on the preparations, it can be used in other shapes (with a nodule at the base, or even in ivory in one piece). It is used to scoop tea from the tea box to the tea bowl and has a “poetic name” like the bowl, conditioning its use in a similar way. Larger scoops are used to transfer tea from the tea caddy to the mizuya (水 屋) or preparation area.
Whisk (茶 筅, chasen), tea whisks are carved from a single piece of bamboo. Old damaged chasen are simply thrown away. Once a year, usually in May, they are taken from local temples and burned in a simple ceremony called a chasen koyō, which expresses the respect with which the objects of the tea ceremony are treated.
All the objects of the tea ceremony are maintained with exquisite care. They are scrupulously cleaned before and after each use and before storage. Some of the components should only be handled with gloved hands.
The tea ceremony: The main schools, Omotesenke and Urasenke, and again Mushanokôji-Senke have evolved, each with notable differences in the way tea is served. There are also other lesser known schools. Currently, the Urasenke school is the most active and the most attended.
However, all schools and most variations have a number of things in common. The host, male or female, usually wears a kimono, while guests may wear kimonos or dark formal clothing. If tea is served in a separate tea house, rather than the tea room, guests will wait in a covered garden until called by the host. They then ritually purify themselves by washing their hands and rinsing their mouths in a tsukubai (small stone basin) containing water. They then head to the tokonoma, or alcove, where they admire the scrolls and / or other statements. Then, they sit in the seiza position on the tatami, in order of prestige.
Teahouses and tea rooms are generally small. The standard size is four and a half tatami mats. The size of the smaller tea room can be two tatami mats and that of the larger one is only limited by the wealth of its owner. The building materials and decorations are deliberately simple and rustic.
A light and simple meal, called kaiseki (懐 石) or chakaiseki (茶 懐 石) can be served to guests, followed by sake. At the end of this meal, they return to the covered waiting "room" until they are called again by the host.
If no meal is served, the host will proceed directly to serving small treats. To be tasted, these treats will be placed on a special paper called kaishi (懐 紙); each guest brings their own, often in a small decorated wallet. The kaishi is put in the breast pocket of the kimono.
Each utensil - including the tea bowl (chawan), the whisk (chasen) and the tea scoop (chasaku) - is symbolically cleaned in the presence of the guests in a determined order and using very precise gestures. The utensils are placed in the exact order of storage in accordance with the preparation that will follow. When the cleaning and preparation of the utensils is finished, the host places a quantity of powdered green tea (matcha tea) in the bowl depending on whether it is brewing light or thick / strong tea and add the appropriate amount of hot water, then mix the tea into it.
Conversation is kept to a minimum. Guests relax and enjoy the atmosphere created by the sounds of water and fire, the smell of incense and tea, the beauty and simplicity of the tea house and the appropriate seasonal decorations.
The bowl is then served to the guest of honor (初 客, shokyaku, literally the “first guest”) either by the host or by an assistant. The usual greetings are exchanged between the host and the guest of honor. The guest greets the second guest and raises his bowl in a gesture of respect for the host. The guest turns the bowl to avoid drinking on its "front side" and, in the case of thick / strong tea, takes a sip of it, responds to the host who asks if the tea is to his or her taste beforehand. take two more sips before wiping the rim, turn the bowl to its original position and pass it to the next guest while greeting them. This procedure is repeated until all the guests have taken the tea from the same bowl. The bowl is then returned to the host. In the case of light tea, each guest drinks from an individual bowl, always turning the bowl so as not to drink on its “front side”.
If the thick / strong tea, koicha, has been served, it will be followed by the preparation, by the host, of a light tea, or usucha. However, depending on the invitation that has been made, usucha may be served on its own.
After the guests have each drunk the tea, the host cleans the utensils. The guest of honor will ask the host to allow the guests to examine the utensils and the guests take turns examining and admiring each object, including the tea scoop, the tea box - the tea bowl having been admired right after the tea was drunk. Objects are treated with extreme care and reverence as they are frequently priceless, irreplaceable, handmade antiques.
The host then collects the utensils and the guests then leave the tea house. The host greets them from the door, thus ending the invitation.
A tea preparation can take anywhere from one to five hours, depending on the type performed and the type of meal and tea served.
Types of preparations for tea ceremony:
-Bonryaku temae: Bonryaku temae (盆 略 点 前), literally "short preparation on a plate", is the simplest preparation in the Urasenke school: this is the reason why we start the practice of chanoyu by learning it. . As its name suggests, it offers a summary of the most essential operations for the good preparation of tea. This preparation is carried out in particular not with a traditional kama (kettle), but with a tetsubin (cast iron kettle) placed on a binkake (enamelled earthen brazier) - thus, there is no need to master the handling of the ladle (hishaku), which significantly simplifies the gestures.
In this temae, the host places a tea bowl, whisk, tea scoop, chakin, and natsume on a tray shaped like a mountain pass (yamamichi bon). Light tea is brewed on the tray, guests and host are seated on the floor in the position of seiza — that is, kneeling on the heels.
Hira demae and Hakobi demae: Hira demae (平 点 前) is the simplest ceremony in chanoyu. It allows you to make light tea or strong tea. Hira demae ("flat preparation", therefore simple) implies a ceremony that can be done using or not using a tana (shelf) on which are already placed the mizusashi (cold water pot) and the natsume - the host n 'therefore brings only the bowl (in which are placed the chakin and the chasen, and on the edge of which is placed the chashaku), as well as the hishaku and the waste water pot (kensui).
The term hakobi comes from the fact that in the absence of tana, all of the objects mentioned above must be carried (運 ぶ, hakobu) inside and outside the tea room.
Variants of Hira demae (Tokushu temae): There are a significant number of variants for Hira demae. Here is a non-exhaustive list of the most common variants. Some are valid for strong tea, others for light tea, and still others apply to both.
- Seasonal variations of the tea ceremony:
Nakaoki is a variant for the month of September-October. The first cold approaching, the host, to keep the tea room welcoming, brings the brazier up to the guests. This ceremony is therefore carried out with the furo (portable fireplace) in the middle of the tatami (while in summer, it is located on the far left so that its heat does not inconvenience the guests in the middle of summer). We use a mizusashi (cold water pot normally located on the right) of cylindrical shape placed to the left of the tatami. This variant is applicable both for light tea and for thick / strong tea.
Tsutsu jawan is a variant for the month of February. The latter being the month of very cold, we will use a narrow and high bowl to preserve the heat of the tea. Contrary to the usual way of proceeding, we first wipe the edges, then the bottom of the chawan.
Arai chakin is a variant for the month of July. The latter being the month of hot weather, the host will use a bowl with very flared edges to prevent the guest from drinking too hot tea. The chakin will be, before the start of the ceremony, placed unfolded in a bottom of water. At the beginning of the preparation, the host drains, wrings, then folds the chakin, so as to give a feeling of freshness to his guests.
Habuta mizusashi is a variation for the month of July, the host will use a lacquered mizusashi whose cover is made of a freshly picked tree leaf to suggest freshness to the guests. The sheet is then removed and folded before being placed in the waste water container.
- Ōbuta / Waributa mizusashi are variations for the month of July. For Ōbuta, the host will use a large-sized crystal or ceramic mizusashi, the lacquer cover of which, too large to lean against the mizusashi, will be placed against the screen. For Waributa, the mizusashi is also large, but its cover is made of two lacquered wooden half-moons, connected by hinges. One is returned to the other. In both of these cases, the large amount of water shown to the guests, always suggests freshness. Being too large, these mizusashi are not carried around - like the cast iron kettle, they stay in the room from start to finish.
Tsuri gama is a kettle suspended by a chain from the ceiling that is traditionally used in March. In fact, there is no need for a tripod to support the pot in the fireplace.
Sukigi gama is a kettle with very wide edges resting on small white wooden battens, placed on the edges of the ro (winter hearth). It is traditionally used in April to hide the view of the fireplace from guests, the first signs of spring heat arriving. No tripod is used.
- Circumstantial variants (strong tea):
Kinindate / Kinin kiyotsugu are two preparations which allow tea to be served to a person of high rank (kinin). The first occurs when she is alone, the second when she is accompanied by her people. In both cases, this preparation is carried out in a large room (hiroma, more than four and a half tatami mats) and the bowl rests on a dai (pedestal for the bowl, made of wood, not lacquered). The use of a shelf is mandatory, and the candy tray has a long leg. There are versions of this preparation for light tea and versions for thick tea.
Kazari mono is a type of preparation for bringing attention to a particular object, which may have been offered by the guest or have sentimental value for the host, in relation to the time of the year. This can be the bowl (chawan kazari), the chashaku (chashaku kazari), the pulpit (kazari pulpit), or even a utilitarian object such as the mizusashi or the kettle (chasen kazari). The object in question will be placed in the tokonoma during the first part of the chaji (reception with meal), except for the kazari chasen.
There is also a kazari (tsubo kazari) for the chatsubo (tea jar) which will be placed in the tokonoma and which will be opened (since it is sealed by the tea maker) in front of the guests according to a specific procedure. The host will then go to powder the leaves in the preparation room (mizuya) using a traditional stone grinding wheel. There is also the jiku kazari which brings attention to the calligraphy scroll.
Nagao pulpit is a preparation with a pulpit having a shifuku (small silk bag) whose closing cord is longer than the average. The manipulations by which we take the pulpit out of our shifuku therefore differ from the usual thick / strong tea.
Kasane jawan makes it possible to serve thick / strong tea to more than five people using two bowls, placed one inside the other at the beginning of the preparation. The first is usually served for the first three guests, the second for the following guests. The chawan serving as a support for the first is generally of slightly lower quality.
Ôtsubukuro is a preparation where the container for the strong tea is not a ceramic pulpit, but a lacquered black natsume wrapped in a purple crepe cloth in the shape of a rice bag (originally used in the town of Ōtsu, near Kyoto).
Tsutsumi bukusa is a preparation where one also uses a black lacquered natsume, for the strong tea, wrapped, this time in the fukusa of the host.
- Circumstantial variants (light tea):
Irekodate is a preparation intended for guests who are elderly or who have injured their foot / leg, and who therefore cannot get up and sit down too often. All the utensils are therefore placed on a shelf at the start of the ceremony. The host simply arrives with the bowl placed in the kensui, which allows them to sit down only once.
Circumstantial variants (light tea and thick / strong tea):
Tsuzukiusucha (続 薄 茶) is a preparation where, for one reason or another, the second preparation of charcoal (gozumi) is not carried out: strong tea is directly followed by light tea. This makes it possible, for example, to make up for the delay accumulated during the meal in order to meet time constraints or, in the middle of summer, to prevent it from getting too hot at the end of the invitation.
Ryū-reishiki (立 礼 式) is a preparation invented by the 11th Grandmaster of Urasenke (Gengensai) which is performed on a table. Guests are seated around the same table or at a separate table. This name refers to the practice of the first and last greeting at the entrance to the tea room. In ryū-rei, there is usually an assistant who sits behind the host and moves the host's stool when they stand up or sit down. The assistant also serves tea and sweets to the guests. The most widely used tables are ryūreidana (lit. “shelf for ryû-rei”) and tenchaban. The first allows only light tea to be made and is often used during demonstrations for non-seasoned audiences. The second allows you to make the four preparations of a chaji: shozumi ("first charcoal"), koicha ("strong tea"), gozumi ("second charcoal") and usucha ("light tea"). This preparation was designed to introduce Westerners to tasting matcha, without imposing on them the position, uncomfortable for them, of seiza (sitting kneeling on the heels).
Bon kogō is the coal equivalent of kazari. Attention will be paid to the incense container (Kōgō) which will be placed exceptionally on a tray, whereas it usually is placed in the charcoal basket for the classic sumi demae. The incense container is generally ceramic in winter, lacquered wood in summer.
Sumi shomō is a preparation where the host asks a guest more experienced in sumi demae (setting up charcoal) to arrange the charcoal in its place. In summer, only shozumi (“first coal”) can be requested. In winter, the host can ask for shozumi or gozumi (“second coal”) - cf. infra.
Hana shomō is a preparation where the host asks a guest more experienced in the chabana (flower arrangement for tea) to perform the flower arrangement in the tokonoma. The guest can also be the one who offered the used flowers or vase.
Gyakugatte is an inversion of the arrangement of the tatami in the tea room. Instead of being seated to the right of the host, guests are seated to their left. The four chaji temae can be made there (shozumi, gozumi, usucha, koicha), with or without a shelf. Contrary to what one might think, the gestures are not completely reversed: some of those which are done with the right hand in the usual sense are done in the same way during the gyakugatte.
Sumi demae: Sumi demae (炭 手 前) is the preparation consisting of placing the charcoal in the built-in hearth (ro, winter), or in the portable brazier (furo, summer). There are two temae during a chaji (tea meeting), the first, shozumi (初 炭), before or after the meal, the second, gozumi (後 炭) taking place between the thick / strong tea and the light tea. Various reasons make this last preparation impossible - in this case, the course of the service of the usucha is modified and is the subject of a particular temae: tsuzuki usucha (続 薄 茶, cf. above).
Chabako demae: Chabako demae (茶 箱 点 前) is so called because the utensils are placed in a special box (chabako, literally “tea box”) - during preparation, they are taken out and put back in. at the end. This preparation (temae) only makes it possible to make light tea. As with bonryakutemae, a kettle and an enamelled earthenware brazier are used.
For the Urasenke school, there are six different preparations:
flower (花, hana), this preparation corresponds to spring, it is carried out using the tea box but also a flower-shaped tray (hanagatabon).
deutzia (卯 の 花, unohana), this preparation corresponds to summer, it is carried out using the tea box and the tray used for obon temae (good yamamichi).
moon (月, tsuki), this preparation is associated with autumn, it is carried out using the tea box and four boards linked together by cords in the manner of Japanese books. It is the only one of the six chabako demae to use incense because autumn is considered, in Japan, to be the best time of the year to appreciate its fragrances.
snow (雪, yuki), this ceremony is associated with winter.
harmony / respect (和 敬, wakei): this preparation was developed by the 14th grandmaster of Urasenke (Tantansai).
shikishi (色 紙): this preparation replaces the usual box with a bamboo basket, and uses kobusa (small fukusa the size of a shikishi - form of support with square calligraphy). It is considered to be the most difficult given the number of objects and consequently the manipulations to be done.
Calligraphy and painting: Poetry plays a central role in the chano: it occupies an eminent place in Japanese culture, and holds a role very different from that granted to it in Europe. One of the essential elements for this preparation is the provision, temporary, of a kakejiku that is unrolled and hung in the alcove, tokonoma, provided for this purpose. The vertical scroll, or kakejiku, is either a calligraphy, a painting, or a painting adorned with calligraphy. The writer Jun'ichirō Tanizaki exposed with vibrant words the effect that this work must have on the people gathered by this work, displayed in the semi-darkness, touching the heart of a culture that attaches paramount importance to the shadow and the play of filtering light, subdued.
The hanging work serves to develop a spirit of serenity, respect, peace and purity (wa-kei-sei-jaku, "the four virtues of tea"), and to lead the tea man to discover beauty in the uncommon. It must be simple and sober - words to be taken with caution, however, because the Japanese experience of beauty is very different from the Western (Greco-Roman) experience and conceptualization of beauty, the vocabulary relating to the words "beautiful" and "beauty". »Is not at all superimposable. When the tea man enters, traditionally head down, into the sukiya, he must take the time to admire the floral arrangement and the calligraphy or painting for a long time, to immerse himself in them, to harmonize his heart, kokoro. He must then report his appreciation to the tea master.
Flower Arrangements: Chabana (茶花, literally "tea flowers") is the simplest style of flower arrangement as used in chanoyu. Chabana has its roots in ikebana, a traditional style of Japanese flower arrangement.
The chabana evolved into a less formal style of ikebana, which was used by the early tea masters. The chabana style is now the standard in flower arrangement for the tea ceremony. According to some sources, it was developed by Sen no Rikyū.
In its most basic form, the chabana is a simple arrangement of seasonal flowers that are placed in a vase or other container. These arrangements typically include few objects. Vases are usually made from a natural material such as bamboo, metal, or ceramic.
The chabana is so simple that frequently no more than one flower is used. This flower will invariably lean towards or in front of guests.
Kaiseki ryōri: Kaiseki ryōri (懐 石 料理) is the name of a type of food served during tea meals. The name comes from the practice of Zen monks who placed hot stones at the top of their robes to ward off hunger during periods of fasting.
While kaiseki cuisine is normally strictly vegetarian, nowadays fish and other dishes can be served occasionally.
Only fresh, seasonal ingredients are used in kaiseki, prepared in such a way as to enhance their taste and smell. Exquisite care is taken in the selection of ingredients and types of food. The dishes are beautifully arranged and garnished, often with real leaves and flowers, so some dishes look like natural plants or animals. The aesthetic aspect is just as important as the food during the kaiseki.
Food is served in small quantities in individual dishes and the meal is eaten while sitting in a seiza position. Each meal has its own small tray. Very important people have their own coffee table or several small tables.
Kaiseki for the tea ceremony is sometimes called chakaiseki (茶 懐 石). The latter usually includes one or two soups and three different vegetable dishes accompanied by boiled rice and marinated rice. Sashimi or other fish dishes may be occasionally served, but this kind of dish is quite rare.
The kaiseki is accompanied by sake.
Kimono: While the kimono was to be used on a mandatory basis by all chanoyu participants, this is no longer the case. But on formal occasions, it is customary for most guests to wear a kimono. Practitioners have at least one kimono of their own that they wear when receiving or participating in an invitation. The kimono is the obligatory dress for chanoyu students, but fewer and fewer teachers insist on this fact. It is more and more common for students to wear western clothes when attending class. Indeed, it is difficult to own more than one or two kimonos, because of their cost, and it is important to keep them in good conditions. However, most students will practice in kimono at least sometimes. It is essential to learn the prescribed movements properly.
Many of the movements and components of the tea ceremony have evolved with the wearing of the kimono. For example, some movements were designated with long "sleeved" kimonos; some movements required moving the handles out of the way or preventing them from getting dirty when brewing, serving or drinking tea. Other movements were allowed to straighten the kimono and the hakama.
Kaishi, fukusa and kobukusa are stored in the breast pocket of the kimono - however, the fukusa is stored in the host's obi, hung from below for men and from above for women (Urasenke). When someone is wearing western clothes, they have to find other places to keep these items on them. The sleeves of kimonos function as pockets and the kaishi used is stored in these.
For the tea ceremony, men usually wear a jumpsuit between a kimono and a hakama, but some men wear only a kimono. Wearing a hakama is not essential for men, but it does make them look more formal. Women wear various styles of kimonos which depend on the season and the events. Women generally do not wear a hakama during the tea ceremony. Lined kimonos are worn by both men and women during the winter months and unlined kimonos are used during the summer. For formal occasions, men wear montsuki type kimonos often with a striped hakama. Both men and women wear white tabi.
Seiza: We cannot distinguish a specific style of ceremony here, but the objects visible in the image are the kettle, the roast and the tea bowl. The object on the far right of the image is a piece of bamboo indicating where the host sits. These landmarks take very varied forms; this is somewhat unusual, but it is one of the types that is used in outdoor ceremonies.
Seiza is an integral part of chanoyu. To sit in the seiza position (正 座, literally "to sit correctly"), you start by kneeling, you sit your buttocks on your heels, then you place your hands together (the thumb of the right hand slipped in between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand, Urasenke).
The host and guests are seated in the seiza position. The seiza is the basic position from which everything begins and ends in the tea ceremony. The host sits in seiza to open and close the door to the tea room. The seiza is the basic position for arranging and cleaning utensils as well as for preparing tea. Even when the host has to change positions during different parts of the ceremony, these changes of position are made in the position of seiza. The guests also maintain the seiza position throughout the preparation.
All greetings (there are three variations of them which differ in the position of the hands and the amplitude with which the greeting is performed: formal (shin), semi-formal (gyō), informal (sō) are practiced in the position of seiza during the original tea ceremony.
There are, however, variations that take place Western-style seated (ryūrei) and even cross-legged (zareidana).
Tatami: The tatami also has a central place in the tea ceremony. The main surfaces of tea rooms and tea pavilions have tatami floors, and the tokonoma (alcove in which calligraphy and floral arrangements are arranged) in tea rooms often also have tatami floors, but whose meshes are wider than those of standard tatami.
Tatami mats are used in different ways in chanoyu. Their placement, for example, determines how a person walks through the tea room. When walking on the tatami, you have to slide your feet while maintaining an upright posture and avoiding stepping on the joints between the different tatami sections. The standard placement of tatamis in tea rooms is to arrange four and a half tatami mats by placing them in a circular pattern around a central pan (the half tatami). It is customary to avoid as much as possible walking on this central section, because it is the one in which the built-in fireplace is placed in winter (ro). The host places the bowl of tea to drink on it as well as the utensils he offers to his guests.
Many imaginary and real lines run through the tea rooms, which determine the exact placement of utensils. When we are in the presence of experienced practitioners, the placement of utensils does not vary or in an infinitesimal way between each preparation. The lines of the tatami (heri) are used as a guide for placement and the joints are used as demarcations indicating where each person should sit and each object placed.
The tatami mat provides a more comfortable surface for sitting in the seiza position. At certain times of the year (during the New Year festivities for example), the portions of the tatami where the guests sit are covered by a red felt fabric.
Study the tea ceremony: In Japan, those who wish to study chanoyu, usually join what is known as a "circle" in Japan, which is the generic name for a group that meets regularly and participates in a given activity. There are also tea clubs in elementary schools, middle schools, high schools and universities.
Most tea circles are run by the local tea school. These often have diverse groups who all want to study at the same school at different times. For example, there are women's groups, groups of young students and many more.
Normally, students pay for their classes once a month which covers class time, the use of school (or teacher) bowls, other equipment, the tea itself, and the treats the students serve and eat. at each class. Students should provide their own fukusa, fan, paper, and kobukasa, as well as their own suitcase in which to place these items. Students should also provide their own kimonos and the accessories that go with them.
Typically new students start by observing more advanced students. Normally advanced students don't talk to them. They speak exclusively with the teacher. The first thing new students learn is how to properly open and close the sliding doors, how to walk on the tatami mat, how to enter and leave the tea room, how to greet, to whom and when to do it, how to clean, store the equipment and care, how to store the fukusa, how to properly clean tea bowls, tea boxes and tea scoops, and how to wash and store the chakin. When they master these essential steps, students then learn how to behave like a guest in a tea ceremony, that is, how to hold the bowls, how to drink the tea and how to eat the tea. treats (like the wagashi), how to use the paper and all the other details.
When they master all of these basics, students learn how to prepare tea powder for use, how to fill the tea container, how to measure and whisk tea. Once these basics have been acquired, students begin to practice the simplest preparations, in particular bonryakutemae (see above). Study involves observation and practice; students do not often take notes and some schools even discourage this practice, at least from a certain level. However, publications describe in detail and with photos the course of the preparations of the elementary level (小 習, konarai), chabako and some others. Preparations for intermediate and higher levels are strictly passed on from master to disciple - theoretically they should not be performed in front of students who have not been admitted to study them.
Each class ends with the whole group receiving brief instructions from the head teacher, usually regarding tokonoma and the treats that were served that day.
Several tea schools are represented in France, notably Urasenke and Omotesenke.