Chanoyu, the tea ceremony, is an aesthetic cult practiced in cultured circles in Japan, where it is regarded as an artistic discipline for the attainment of enlightenment and mental composure.

Originally, tea was more used as a medicine than a beverage. The tea plant, native to southern China, was from very early times highly prized for its power to relieve tiredness, satisfy the soul and strengthen the will. Buddhists made use of it to prevent drowsiness during their long hours of meditation. Buddhists of the southern Zen sect formulated an elaborate tea ritual: the monks gathered before the image of Buddha and drank tea out of a single bowl with all the formality of a holy sacrament. It was this Zen ritual which finally developed into the tea ceremony in the 15th century.

The teahouse

The sukiya, or teahouse, consists of the chashitsu (tearoom), designed to accommodate not more than five guests; a mizuya (service room), where the tea utensils are washed and arranged before being brought in; a yoritsuki (waiting room), wehere the guests wait until they receive a summons to enter the tearoom, and the roji (garden path) connecting the yoritsuki with the tearoom.

The tearoom is about 2.7 sq.m, with a special entrance for the host and another for the guests. The guest entrance is so small that guests must crawl in on their hands and knees - high and low ranks alike. Even smaller rooms are not uncommon; the uninitiated are sometimes disappointed with the unimpressive appearance of the tearoom. Its simplicity and purity emulate a Zen monastery, with the aim of making it a sanctuary from the outside world.

The size of the room is four and a half tatami (straw mats, each measuring 90cm by 180 cm). The half mat fills the space in the centre of the room. At one corner of this half mat, a square hearth is fitted into the floor to allow for a brazier on which an iron kettle is placed. The host sits next to the hearth with all the utensils for making the tea arranged at his side. The utensils consist of the chawan (tea bowl), cha-ire (tea caddy), chasen (bamboo whisk) and chashaku (bamboo spoon). These articles, which the guests are permitted to inspect closely after the tea is served, are often valuable objects of art.

A representative tea ceremony

There are various ways of holding the ceremony, according to the season, and on which "school" of tea ceremony the host belongs to. But this is a representative outline:

Five guest assemble in the yorisuki or waiting room - a small room of generally only three mats, in which they are expected to show their appreciation of the various articles tastefully arranged inside. In due time, the host enters, makes a depe bow and retraces his steps to the tearoom without a word. This silent salutation is understood to mean that he is ready to receive the guests.

The shokyaku or principal guest heads the procession to the tearoom, proceeding along the roji or garden path. This is only about 6m long, but so arranged as to sever all connection with the outside world in order to create a tranquil state of mind so vital to an appreciation of the ceremony in the tearoom. Rocks, trees and stone lanterns are tastefully arranged to form a harmonious combination of nature and art.

Before the guests enter the tearoom, they wash their hands and rinse their mouths at a stone basin. The principal guest is the first to begin the ritual of purification and to enter the room. The guests kneel in turn on the mat in front of the tokonoma (alcove) and respectfully inspect the kakemono (hanging scroll).

A meal called kaiseki forms the first part of the ceremony. It is served on individual trays, by the host himself. He then invites them to retire to the waiting room or to some other appointed place where a bench is provided. This is called nakadachi, or intermediate retirement.

The gozairi, or second sitting, is the real tea ceremony. The guests are summoned by gentle strokes on a gong or thick board hung hear the tearoom. Five or seven strokes are usually sounded to signal that the host is ready to serve the koicha, or "thick tea". On entering the tearoom, the guests will find that the hanging scroll has been replaced by some flowers arranged in the alcove. The koicha is prepared from powdered tea. Two or three spoonfuls are put in a bowl, hot water is poured onto it and the tea then beaten to a creamy froth with the bamboo whisk. It is given to the principal guest first, who bows and takes a few sips before passing it on to the other guests. When the last guest finishes, he hands the bowl to the leader, who returns it to the host. The tea caddy and spoon are also passed round for appreciation, and with that the ceremony ends.

It is usual for usucha (thin tea) to be served following this, with less formality.

The whole occasion takes over two hours, but the guests are carefully chosen to form a congenial group, and topics of conversation range over all aspects of art. Chanoyu is related to all these, including garden landscaping and flower arrangement.

Finally, with a salutation to their host, the guests depart.

One of JTB's Sunrise day tours ("Experience Authentic Japanese Culture in Kyoto") includes a brief introduction to the tea ceremony. See tours for details and booking.