The Japanese Tea Ceremony

In Japan, the tea ceremony is woven into history and culture. It embodies the art of preparing and sharing matcha. In a humble tea house, the host uses bamboo utensils to whisk the green tea. Guests then savour the matcha from a beautifully decorated bowl, the centrepiece of the entire ritual. Each precise gesture draws on Chinese traditions and Zen Buddhism. Its origins date back to the 12th century, although most of its codes were established by the tea master Sen no Rikyū in the 16th century.

The history of Japanese tea and the ceremony

The story of tea in Japan begins in the 9th century, when a monk brought leaves back from China. In the 12th century, the Zen master Eisai praised the virtues of tea and matcha. Inspired by Chinese ceremonies and Buddhism, he passed on the art of tea to the Japanese. This is how the tea ceremony, known as chanoyu, came into being. Later, Sen no Rikyū refined the tea ceremony. This great 16th-century tea master defined the four guiding principles still followed today: harmony, respect, purity and tranquillity. Learning chanoyu now requires study at a dedicated school, the Urasenke school remaining the most renowned of all.

The utensils used in the Japanese ceremony

During the tea ceremony, the host and guests rely on various utensils and objects, each with a precise purpose.

• Chawan bowl. Often handmade in ceramic, the bowls are the centrepiece of the Japanese tea service. They hold a place of honour in the ceremony, with one decorated face and one neutral face.
• Chasen: a small bamboo whisk. The host uses it to blend the matcha powder with water.
• Cha ire: the tea caddy that holds the matcha powder before preparation.
• Chashaku: a small scoop to transfer the powder from the cha ire to the bowl.
• Hishaku: a long-handled bamboo ladle, used by the host to pour water.
• Chakin: a small cloth for wiping the bowl.
• Fukusa: a silk square used by the host for various ritual gestures.

How the Japanese ceremony unfolds, from start to finish

The tea ceremony is meant to be intimate, with a maximum of five guests. A true ritual in Japan, it follows precise and carefully ordered movements. In its complete form, it can last up to four hours. Here is how the tea master and the guests proceed.

Welcoming guests to the tea house

The ceremony takes place in a small house. Before reaching it, the host leads the guests through a Zen garden that gently reconnects them with nature. On arriving at the pavilion, each guest washes their hands and rinses their mouth with water, purifying themselves of the outside world.

A respectful entrance

The host invites the guests to step inside the pavilion. They remove their shoes with care. The low doorway requires them to bow, a gesture of respect towards the tea master. Near the entrance, an alcove displays a bouquet of seasonal flowers along with a painting or a calligraphed scroll. The guests admire the arrangement in silence and quietly compliment the host. They then move further inside and let themselves be drawn into the harmonious, meditative atmosphere. Finally, they settle on the tatami, kneeling in the seiza position.

A seasonal meal or delicate sweets

The ceremony opens with a seasonal meal, vegetarian, light and refined, known in Japanese as kaiseki. The meal is optional, and some ceremonies begin instead with small sweet treats.

Cleansing the utensils and preparing the matcha

Now the heart of chanoyu begins. The host sets water to heat in a cast-iron kettle over a charcoal fire. The utensils are gathered, and each one is cleansed in turn with the fukusa. Before preparing the matcha, the bowl and chasen are rinsed. Using the chashaku, the tea master lifts a measure of powder from the caddy, places it in the bowl, and ladles in hot water with the bamboo hishaku. The mixture is then whisked with the chasen until the green tea becomes velvety and smooth. Depending on the season or the type of ceremony, the host prepares either a light or a thick matcha, adjusting the proportions of powder and water.

Tasting the matcha from the bowl

Once the tea is ready, the host offers the bowl to the first guest, the guest of honour. They raise the bowl towards the tea master and acknowledge the second guest, as a mark of respect. They then turn the decorated face of the bowl towards the host. This detail carries great meaning in the ceremony. After a first sip, the guest expresses their appreciation to the host, then takes two more sips. Before passing the bowl to the second guest, they carefully wipe its rim. Each guest takes three sips in turn. The last guest returns the chawan to the guest of honour, who takes a moment to admire the beauty of the bowl before handing it back to the host.

The closing of the ceremony

The tea master may choose to prepare another bowl of matcha, or to bring the ceremony to a close. In that case, the utensils are cleaned one by one and presented to the guests. The guests admire the elegance and quiet simplicity of each object. Finally, the host accompanies the guests out of the pavilion in silence. The decoration is taken down, and chanoyu comes to an end. You needn't be Sen no Rikyū, or trained at the Urasenke school, to enjoy a bowl of Japanese tea. For your own tea ceremony at home, treat yourself to our matcha tea.