Tea ceremony

The Tea Ceremony, or chaji (茶事), is a traditional ritual influenced by the teachings of Shinsei and incorporates many of its basic principles in the simplistic, yet elegant, motions that make up the ceremony. Conventionally practiced by a skilled practioner usually of the samurai caste (though geisha are also trained in the arts of the chaji), the full ritual may take anything from an hour to four hours and is said to bring clarity to the mind and strength to weary limbs. A short tea ceremony is also referred to, albeit less commonly, as chakai (茶会, literally tea meeting).

While the focus is naturally on the preperation and supping of the tea, a practioner needs to be familiar with the production and types of tea, the proper way to wear a kimono while in the ceremony, the correct posturing and motions through various different parts of the ceremony and so on: a full study of chado, or the way of the tea ceremony, may take a full lifetime to properly appreciate. Even to participate in the ceremony itself requires knowledge of the ceremony and phrases expected of guests, the correct way to take tea and general deportment in the tea room.

The Ritual
Before the ceremony begins, all participants ritually purify themselves by washing their hands and rinsing their mouths from a stone basin of water and proceed to the tea room (or wherever the ceremony is about to be performed). There, they are then seated in order of prestiege.

Guests are sometimes served a light simple meal known as kaiseki, followed by sake. If no meal is served, the host will directly proceed to the serving of sweets from special paper called kaishi, traditionally carried by the guests in the breast of their kimono.

Each utensil, including the tea bowl, whisk and tea scoop, is cleansed in the presence of the guests in a precise order and using prescribed motions. The utensils are then placed in an exact arrangement according to the ritual being performed. When done, the host will then place a measured amount of green tea powder in the bowl and add the appropriate amount of hot water, again using the same prescribed ritualistic motions.

Conversation, if any, is kept to a minimum throughout the whole of the ceremony. The first bowl is served to the guests in order of prestiege and status, starting with the guest of highest rank and proceeding downwards. He 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 then passing it to the next guest with a bow. This continues until all have taken tea from the same bowl, and the bowl is returned to the host.

After all guests have taken tea, the host cleans the utensils in preperation for putting them away. It is traditional for the guest of honor to request that the host allows the guests to examine the utensils, and each guest in turn examines and admires each item. The host then collects the utensils, and the guests leave the tea house.

Types of Tea
The tea served is almost always green tea, dried in powder form and whisked to perfection so that the flavor and armoa will suffuse the tea in equal porportions. If koicha, or thick tea, is served, it is common for the host to follow up with usucha, or thin tea.