Japanese tea ceremony steps simplified
Japanese Tea Ceremony Steps
The procedure of tea ceremony is not only about the best-tasting tea but following the philosophy of tea ceremony.
※Guests enter the tea room and the tea ceremony begins. The host enters the room later.
◆Open the Sadoguchi Fusuma (Japanese sliding door for tea room)
◆Make a formal bow with the guests
◆Enter the Chashitsu with the Mizusashi(water container)
◆Place the Mizusashi next to the Furo (brazier)
◆Enter the Chashitsu with Chawan(tea bowl) and Natsume(tea container)
◆Place the Chawan and Natsume in front of the Furo.
◆Enter the Chashitsu with the Kensui(rinse water receptacle)
◆Place the Kensui even with the line of your knees
◆Purify the Natsume and the Chashaku(tea scoop) with Fukusa(square silk cloth)
※Guests eat wagashi sweets
◆Chasentoshi=Purify the Chasen(whisk) with water
◆Purify the Chawan with the Chakin (linen cloth)
◆Place 2 scoops of Matcha to the Chawan
◆Pour hot water into the Chawan
◆Whisk the tea with the Chasen
※Guests drink the tea
◆Clean the Chawan
◆Clean the Chasen
◆Clean the Chashaku with Fukusa
◆Add some fresh water from Mizusashi to Kama(Kettle)
◆Go back to Mizuya with Kensui
◆Go back to Mizuya with Natsume and Chawan
◆Go back to Mizuya with Mizusashi
Simple steps one should take for the Japanese tea ceremony may vary depending on the number of guests and the style of the tea room. According to the book chanoyu, here are the steps of the tea ceremony:
(1) "Bring in separately (a) Water-jar; (b) Tea-bowl, Tea-spoon and Tea-caddy; (c) Slop-bowl and hot-water ladle.
(2) Wipe (a) Tea-spoon; (b) Ladle.
(3) Take napkin from girdle and put it in the slop-bowl. Remove the lid from the Kettle and place it on the Lid-rest.
(4) Take one ladleful of water from Kettle and put it into the Tea-bowl.
(5) Wash Tea-whisk and replace Ladle on top of Kettle.
(6) Empty Tea-bowl.
(7) Wipe Tea-bowl with Swab.
(8) Put Swab on the lid of Kettle.
(9) Take up Tea-spoon and Tea-caddy.
(10) Put the lid of Tea-caddy in front of Water-jar.
(11) Take up two spoonfuls of Tea and put it into Tea-bowl.
(12) Put a lid on Tea-caddy and place it in front of the water-jar with a spoon on top.
(13) Remove the lid from Water-jar and place beside it.
(14) Put a ladleful of hot water into Tea-bowl, replacing ladle on Kettle.
(15) Whisk Tea and replace Tea-whisk to right of Tea-caddy.
(16) Take Tea-bowl in the left hand and present it with the right hand. Bow.
(17) Replace napkin in a girdle.
(18) Take another ladleful of hot water and put in the returned Tea-bowl.
(19) Replace ladle on Kettle.
(20) Empty hot water into Slop-bowl.
(21) Take up swab and wipe Tea-bowl.
(22) Replace Tea-bowl and put swab on top of Kettle-lid. (Repeat from (11) if required. )
(23) Take a ladleful of cold water from Water-jar.
(24) Put cold water into Tea-bowl and wash Tea-whisk.
(25) Empty cold water into Slop-bowl.
(26) Put swab into Tea-bowl with the whisk on it and replace it in position.
(27) Take a napkin and wipe Tea-spoon and put this also on top of Tea-bowl.
(28) Put Tea-caddy by side of Tea-bowl.
(29) Refold napkin and replace it in the girdle.
(30) Take up the ladle and put cold water into the Kettle.
(31) Change ladle to the left hand. Take Kettle-lid in right and replace it.
(32) Put ladle on rest.
(33) Replace lid on Water-jar.
(34) Take ladle and lid-rest in right hand and Slop-bowl in left and withdraw
(35) Return and take Tea-caddy in right hand and Tea-bowl in left and withdraw.
(36) Return and take Water-jar in both hands and withdraw.
(37) Come back to the door of Tea-room and bow to guests from the threshold."
Sadler also states that the entire tea ceremony should be silent being interrupted by only 3 natural sounds that are
- The clink of the lid on the Kettle.
- The tap of the Tea-bowl on the mat.
- The clink of the Tea-spoon on the Tea-bowl.
Reference
Sadler, A. L. Cha-No-Yu: The Japanese Tea Ceremony
Japanese tea ceremony steps, Maikoya
- 釜Kama Kettle
- 風炉Furo Brazier
- 水指Mizusashi Water container
- 棗Natsume Tea container
- 茶碗Chawan Tea bowl
- 茶杓Chashaku Whisk
- 柄杓Hishaku Ladle
- 蓋置Futaoki Lid rest
- 建水Kensui Rinse water receptacle
