the Japanese tea ceremony preparation steps

For a student of the Japanese tea ceremony it might take years of practice to learn how to prepare a bowl of tea without thinking. The goal is to serve a bowl of tea from the heart and not from the mind. This is only possible when practicing at least once a week but preferably a couple of times a week. There are quite a few steps one has to go through to be able to serve a bowl of tea to the guests. Here's a link to the start page of the Japanese tea ceremony preparation steps. For a more detailed description of all the steps needed to prepare a bowl of tea: detailed steps for the Japanese tea ceremony. this page will provide you with many details for every step toward serving a bowl of tea. At this moment there is only a description for hakobi temae during the summer season where the Furo is used. soon this website will be updated with descriptions of hakobi temae during the winter season where the Ro or sunken hearth is used.
If you are looking for some more visual inspiration, have a look at some videos of the Japanese tea ceremony

I have been practicing for some years now but due to circumstances I have not been able to attend my tea ceremony classes every month. This results in a quite clumsy preparation of the tea, since I really have to use my head and think hard about the next step I have to perform. But the website with detailed explanations of the preparation steps really helps when I read it just before going to my tea ceremony class.

Yobanashi tea ceremony

 Last week I went to my regular Japanese tea ceremony lesson after work. By the time i reached my teacher`s place, the sun was already setting. One of the students who was there offered to make me some Koicha thick tea to get me into the mood of the tea ceremony after a hard day`s work. My tea ceremony teacher asked if I thought it was necessary to turn the light on but I felt quite relaxed in the darkness of the tea room. When the tea utensils were being brought into the room, we noticed it was actually too dark to prepare a bowl of tea. My tea teacher rushed to get a small light to place near the Temae-za. Just this small light next to the Tana created such a wonderful atmosphere. I felt the taste of the Koicha became much more intense since I couldn't see what was in the Chawan. I realized that this was actually the first time that I had done a Japanese tea ceremony at night.

 Next, it was my turn to make Usucha for the other students. I wanted to saviour this wonderful opportunity and please my guests as much as i could. I provided everyone with a Zabuton and two different kinds of sweets, Wagashi and Omogashi. I performed the tea ceremony with total devotion to my movements and a perfect balance of Matcha and Oyu (hot water). All complimented me afterwards on my style and the great taste of the tea. It seemed everyone including me was pleased.

 So, Yobanashi is a variety of the Japanese tea ceremony which is usually held in winter when the sun starts setting very early and the tea ceremony can be enjoyed with a small candle light to create a warm atmosphere in the cold winter months.

Importance of Matcha

The Japanese tea ceremony is called Chanoyu in Japanese. Chanoyu literally mean "hot water for tea". Can we draw the conclusion from this that the tea (green tea/ Matcha) is the most important part of the tea ceremony? Let's imagine that we have a room with guests waiting for a bowl of tea after eating their sweets. The Teishu (tea ceremony host) realizes that there is no Matcha. What can be done? at least he can serve hot water to his guests... This might not satisfy an experienced tea ceremony visitor, but something is better that nothing, right? If there is no Chawan or water, nothing can be presented to the guests...

Please leave a comment whether you agree or disagree.

Chawan

The Chawan is the most important tool for the Japanese tea ceremony. Isn't it? If we have Matcha and hot water but not a bowl to serve it in, what good are these ingredients? Our guests will be staring at the powdered Matcha while hearing the water boiling in the Kama. They've already had their sweets and are waiting to balance out the sweetness with a bitter drink.

When I asked several experienced tea teachers, they quickly replied that the Chawan is the most important. After answering the question they started thinking about it more and more which made them confused.

please leave a comment and your opinion whether you agree or disagree!!

Sumi-demae for Furo

Being a student of the Japanese tea ceremony for almost three years now, I have gradually been allowed to make Usucha and performing Sumi-demae for the Ro. This summer season with the start of the Furo, I was able to practice Sumi-demae for the Furo for the first time. Somehow it seems to be easier than the Ro because there is no Hai (ash) added. The Furo portable brazier has a bed of ash which is carefully shaped and should not be messed up by adding more ash. The size of the Sumi is smaller than with the Ro. Also the Haboki (feather) is different, the one used in summer for the Furo is wider on the right side.