Japanese Tea Ceremonies

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Arts of the Non-Western February 12, 2012 Japanese Tea Ceremonies The drinking of tea differs throughout the world. The English enjoy having tea with family members or guest before dinner, Americans drink tea at meals or in the morning as a substitute for coffee, and the Japanese drink tea due to a long lasting ceremony formed during the Momoyama period. For the Japanese, the tea ceremonies have a very significant and serious meaning. This drinking of green tea involves a ritual preparation, specific rules, and the creation of architecture and ceramics. The beginning of tea ceremonies, called chanoyu, started in China, but developed in Japan, peaking in the Momoyama period. The starting of the ceremonies in Japan took place in Zen temples. The temples were used “as a symbolic withdrawal from the ordinary world to cultivate the mind and spirit”(110). Monks first used the drinking of the tea as a stimulant to keep them alert during ceremonies and long meditations. Later the tea became popular with various groups and the arts. Once the Muromachi period came about, the ceremonies became a way for collections of Chinese art to be displayed. These works of art included: porcelains, lacquers, and paintings. During this period, a tea master named Sen no Rikyu, said “the ceremony fostered harmony, respect, purity, tranquility, and an appreciation of natural beauty without artifice” (181, PDF). Sen No Rikyu built the very first independent house. Not much later teahouses started popping up outside of the Zen temples. These independent houses were usually built with wood or bamboo. They were very earthlike, similar to their surroundings. Prior to entering the teahouse, the guests go through a small garden with a winding path. Once approaching the house, the guests must wash their hands and mouth in the natural spring; this follows an old Shinto tradition. They
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