Tea bowls play an important part in the performance of Japanese tea ceremonies — Photo courtesy of Ashley M. Biggers
Having a meditative cultural experience in bustling Tokyo, a city of some 13.9 million people, may sound impossible. However, that’s just what many travelers find at tearooms such as Yuka-An at Gallery Okubo, in the Yanaka neighborhood.
Tea ceremonies are billed as top tourist experiences in Japan – and for good reason. Even in its modern, abbreviated form, the tea ceremony opens the door to Japanese culture. It reveals elements of Japanese architecture, the craft of ceramics, an adherence to seasonality, and Zen Buddhism – all in one intricate ceremony. There are dozens of teahouses and tea shops dotting Tokyo and other tourism and cultural capitals, like Kyoto.
Regardless of where travelers take part in one, attending a Japanese tea ceremony can feel as tranquil as visiting a Zen Buddhist monastery. That’s no mistake, since Japanese monks in the 12th century adopted the practice of ritual tea drinking from China during this period. The monks drank tea to overcome sleepiness during long meditation sessions. Over time, the practice expanded beyond Buddhist monasteries to high society. It became a status symbol as people gathered to drink tea and have discussions in the style of a literary salon.
In many teahouses today, travelers choose between traditional, often four-hour-long ceremonies with multiple food and sweets courses, or a more condensed, hour-long version. In the informal tea ceremony, tea masters only present matcha green tea and a sweet treat. Yuka-An specializes in the latter, with travelers dipping into the shop for a tea ceremony and to buy antique tea vessels and pots.
The ceremony begins with each guest choosing his/her tea bowl. The gallery selects a dozen or more earthenware bowls for guests to choose among during each season. Here, some of the bowls are hundreds of years old; they reflect the pottery styles of their period of origin and the region in which they were crafted. One bowl, for example, is a 150-year-old vessel with a simple character on each face that was once used for a tea ceremony at Tokyo’s famous Sensoji temple.
Seasonal sweet treats complement the matcha green tea used during ceremonies — Photo courtesy of Ashley M. Biggers
The drinking vessel is only one nod to seasonality during the ceremony. As is typical of teahouses, the tokonoma (tea alcove) is decorated with a hanging scroll and a flower arrangement that reflect the season. The prepared sweets also reflect cyclical flavors and ingredients. For example, a winter sweet might contain chestnut, a particular favorite of many Japanese people during that time of the year. Typically, the room also changes to reflect the tea ceremony’s two main seasons. During the winter, water is heated in a ro (small sunken fireplace), while in summer, it’s often prepared on a portable stove.
Yuka-An’s ceremony teacher, Sousho Ando, has been presenting chadō or sadō (“way of tea”) for three decades. She also instructs traditional dance, so it’s no mistake the ceremony feels more like a performance as she moves from one intricately choreographed movement to the next. She lays out her tools precisely, including the natsume (tea caddies), the cha shaku (ladle used to scoop tea), and the chasen (tea whisk). Her movements are fluid as she reaches for the water and moves her sleeve just so as she pours. In Japan, the tea ceremony is considered an art form, and a trio of tea schools teach students the strict protocols.
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Tea ceremony expert Atsuko Mori, the director of Camellia Tea Ceremony in Kyoto, observes, “It is very difficult to separate individual elements from the tea ceremony. Very much like a dance, the ceremony in many ways is a performance piece and should be appreciated as a whole.”
Tea ceremonies follow strict protocols — Photo courtesy of Ashley M. Biggers
Ando scoops a bit of matcha green tea powder into each bowl. The slightly bitter tea will pair beautifully with the seasonal sweet on our plates. After pouring the water into the bowl, she whisks to blend the mixture. As the host hands off the bowls to the guests, the ritual continues. Although chatting is kept to a minimum during the ceremony, it is customary for attendees to admire and compliment the beautiful container.
The host hands the bowl to guests with the “face” of the bowl toward them. Before drinking, guests rotate the face of the bowl a quarter turn to the left to indicate humility. As they drink the last drops of tea, attendees may also offer an appreciative slurp.
Beyond these small gestures, the ceremony requires little of the guests – even clumsy first-time tea ceremony participants who are unfamiliar with each step in the ritual. The ceremony invites guests to relax and be attended to. As tea ceremony expert Mori recommends, “Come with an open mind. We will take care of you and will make sure you are completely comfortable. You do not need to know anything about the history of tea or understand the ceremony itself to enjoy it.”
As Ando concludes the ceremony by cleaning each of the vessels used with a specific cloth and exacting movements, guests can take away what they wish, whether it’s an appreciation of Japanese culture, enjoyment in performance or a meditative experience.