Tea Ceremony ~Learning the Mind of Gratitude, Politeness and Thoughtfulness~

There are many manners when you join the tea ceremony. However do not hesitate to join it.

Even for Japanese, it is not easy, do not worry about it.

What you can learn from tea ceremony is not only the Japanese tradition but Japanese mind such as gratitude to everything, politeness to the host and thoughtfulness to the other guests and tea things.

Let's enjoy the tea ceremony!

This time, I joined the tea ceremony in Tokyo. The host built the tea room next to her house.

When I and the other guests entered the tea room, we entered just from the garden to the room window like the below photo. You have to stoop to pass through the low doorway. 

When I entered the room, I found the hanging scroll in an alcove. "華”（read as hana) is written on it and this means "bloom the flower", "brilliant", "gorgeous". 

The host put the flower and something which is related in this season as well as the hanging scroll in an alcove. Today I can feel the spring from them.

This scroll shows that how do the host have feeling to the guests today. So the guests need to try to understand it. 

As I write, there are many manners but I do not write about it. What I would like to tell you is the mind. 

In the tea ceremony, we have the tea and confectionary by turns. 

When my turn come, I have to say " Would you like some more tea? to the previous guest and if he/she saids "I have had enough", I am ready to have the tea. But before having the tea, I have to say "Excuse me for having before you" to the next guest. 

This is the thoughtfulness to the other guests. This mind is very important not only in the tea ceremony but in the business or private life. 

After drink, you must take care the tea cup very carefully. Some are very valuable and priceless. Please respect to the tea things as well.

The decorations like hanging scroll or ornaments in the alcove show the message from the host to the guests.

The guests should try to read the message, how the host think about us, how welcome we are or what kind of meaning is in the hanging roll, ornaments or flower. But if the guests do not have the culture or knowledge, they can not understand the host's thoughts.

Tea ceremony is not just drink the green tea. Read or understand the host's feeling, have the heart of gratitude to all are important. 

Tea ceremony makes us grow up as a person who has the deep culture and can behave well. 

Can you see why the host hang this today?

Why the host put it today?

There are lots of things to learn from tea ceremony.

#teaceremony #greentea #japanesetradition #teatokyo #teahouse #teajapan #tealife