Chanoyu: a brief history and description of the Japanese tea ceremony

The Japanese tea ceremony

· chanoyu: lit, “hot water for tea”
used most often in reference to the tea ceremony itself

· chadō or sadō: lit, “the way of tea”
most commonly used to describe not only the tea ceremony, but the whole culture and attitude behind it

History

· A Buddhist monk named Myōan Eisai (1141-1215) is believed to have brought powdered tea from China in 1191. Prior to this, tea was made by steeping tea leaves in hot water. For his contributions to tea in Japan, he has been called “the father of tea” (Castile). He is also known as the founder of Zen Buddhism in Japan. It seems he was more interested in the health benefits of tea than in its actual taste, and promoted it as “a remedy for all disorders” (Tanaka). (Castile 38, Tanaka 28-29)

· By the 13th century, tea had grown in popularity, especially among the samurai warrior class. Some sources claim that Buddhist monks promoted it equally among commoners and nobility, so that “the emperor and the outcast met through Zen in the common experience of tea” (Castile 40). (Sen 5)

· A 15th century Zen priest named Shukō (1422-1502) is known as the “father of chanoyu” for taking the Chinese tea ceremony and developing it into a Japanese art. He advocated a simpler style, to match the spirit of Zen. Called new style soan cha, or “grass hut tea” (Sen 6).

· In the 16th century, the citizens of Sakai (part of present-day Osaka) became known for their love and mastery of the tea ceremony. Tanaka says, “the advances the inhabitants of Sakai were making in the tea ceremony were more profound and refined than those in the other major cities” (41). Sakai tea master Takeno Jōō (1504-1555) followed and further developed the teachings of Shukō, until he himself was the most important and respected tea master of his time. He emphasized simplicity, and “the spirit of tea which included all classes of people, all kinds of utensils, but was served in the simplest enclosure, the grass hut” (Castile 47).

· Sen no Rikyū (1521-1591) was a student of Takeno Jōō, and after Jōō’s death, Castile says that Rikyū “dominated tea with such creative force and superior taste that today chadō (tea ceremony) is considered the ‘art of Rikyū’” (47). Writing more recently, Tanaka says, “Although it has often been said that Rikyū was responsible for all the rules and rituals of the tea ceremony, it is plain from the historical records that more than one person was involved in the refinement of the art of chanoyu. The final form as we know it today owes its origins not only to the masters Jōō and Rikyū, but to the people of Sakai, the samurai lords, and their contemporaries.” However, Tanaka also notes one thing that set Rikyū apart from tea masters that came after him. He says, “the performances of Rikyū were open to men of all classes without distinction. This freedom did not, unfortunately, survive his death” (48). “His art was based on wabi, or the aesthetic of quiet elegance” (45). Style called wabi cha, or “tea of quiet taste” (Sen 6).

· After Rikyū’s death, tea masters began to go back to a more elaborate style of tea, more to the taste of the aristocratic lords they served. This became known as the daimyo style.

· Sen no Sōtan (1578-1658), the grandson of Sen no Rikyū carried on Rikyū’s wabi style of tea. Three of his sons established their own schools of tea: the Urasenke school, the Omotesenke school, and the Mushanokōjisenke school. Today the Urasenke and Omotesenke schools are the largest of all the many schools of tea.

· Although traditionally chanoyu was practiced solely by men, after the Sino-Japanese War (1894-95), women began to participate, particularly under the influence of the 13th Grand Tea Master of Urasenke, Ennosai.

Spirit

· According to Okakura Kakuzo, the 15th century Japanese made tea “a religion of aestheticism…a cult founded on the adoration of the beautiful among the sordid facts of everyday existence.” It emphasizes purity and harmony. (29) He also said it is “the art of concealing beauty that you may discover it” (38). “The whole ideal of [chadō] is a result of this Zen conception of greatness in the smallest incidents of life” (71).

Practice: Making Tea (Tanaka 134-136)

· Arrangement of Utensils

· Wiping the Utensils

· Warming the tea whisk and tea bowl

· Making the tea

· Washing the bowls and the whisk

· Wiping the tea scoop and replacing the utensils

Practice: Guest (Tanaka 138-

· In the past, only kimono were worn to a tea ceremony, but today Western clothes are also acceptable. Modern-day tea master Tanaka Senō recommends, however, that men wear a suit and tie, and that women wear a dress or skirt that covers their knees while kneeling. He also advises against wearing jewelry or perfume, which could interfere with the atmosphere of the tea ceremony.

· During the ceremony, Tanaka says, “it is customary to maintain absolute silence…while the guest observes the movements of the host making tea. If there are any questions, only the chief guest speaks, since all verbal exchanges are conducted in a prescribed form” (140).

· Kaiseki is the special meal served at the beginning of the formal tea ceremony. Twentieth-century tea master Sen Sōshitsu says, “one of the most important elements in kaiseki cuisine is that it be artistically displayed and served. The host will therefore exert great thought and effort in selecting the ingredients and utensils to be used, and must make sure that each dish is the best of its kind and is served at the proper temperature. The guest, in turn, should realize the care and concern that the host has taken and admire the appearance and taste of each dish while observing the proper etiquette when eating the meal” (Sen 56). The kaiseki menu may include things like white rice, miso soup, nishimono (cooked delicacies in a broth), yakimono (broiled fish, meat, fowl, and/or vegetables), hashiarai (a light broth), hassun (a small tray of two delicacies, one from the mountains and one from the ocean), Japanese pickles, and crisp browned rice served with hot water. The meal is served and eaten according to a carefully prescribed ritual.

· Before the tea, guests will partake of kashi, or sweet cakes. There are moist cakes, namagashi, made from sweet bean paste, and there are also dry cakes, higashi, which have a sandy texture.