The tea ceremony

Matcha is the tea that is used in the famous Japanese tea ceremony established by Zen-master Sen-no-Rikyu in the 1570s. The tea ceremony follows four basic principles:

• Harmony (wa)
• Respect (kei)
• Pureness (sei)
• Silence (jaku)

Every step, every movement, and every moment in the traditional Japanese tea ceremony is clearly defined. The ceremony takes place in a specially designed room which is only used for the ceremony. It measures exactly four and a half mats tall (one Tatami mat has a size of 170×85 cm or ten square feet). This size was defined in the 15th Century by a tea master named Jowo. The room itself is very simple and enables the guest to concentrate on only one essential element : the tea.

A small stove is placed in the middle of the room and a tiny kettle is anchored at the ceiling. In earlier times those kettles were truly works of art. The host is surrounded by tea bowls, tea tins (Natsume), a Matcha whisk, Matcha spoon and a bamboo scoop. The particular arrangement depends on the season. Even the wood charcoal is meaningful as is the age of the wood, which is read by the growth rings. Really every accessory is a symbol.

The ceremony itself follows strictly defined principles. The guests enter the room, and the host starts to prepare the Matcha, moving slowly but securely.

The most fascinating aspect of the tea ceremony is the philosophy behind it. In Japan the tea ceremony is called “Chado” or “Sado”. If you retranslate it, this means: the path of tea. Even the dignified old tea masters take it as this. Sixty years of experience in the tea ceremony does not mean that you have learned everything. You are only one step further ahead on the path to the tea …