Home

What's Happening
February In Tokyo
March In Tokyo
Cherry Blossom 2012
Festivals By Month
Latest Tokyo News

Most Popular
Top Things To Do
Tokyo Disneyland
Day Trips From Tokyo
Coolest Places To Visit
Best Tokyo Tours
Tokyo Disney Tickets
My Secret

Where To Stay
Tokyo Hotels
Cheap Budget Hotels
Family Friendly Hotels
Tokyo Disney Hotels
Top 10 Tokyo Hotels
Romantic Hotels
Business Hotels

Need to Know
10 Step Trip Planner
Cheap Flights
From Tokyo Airports
Tokyo Subway
Getting Ready
Phone Rental Japan
Tokyo Weather

Things To Do
Tokyo with kids
Mt Fuji
Sumo
Romantic Attractions
Shopping
Museums
Tokyo Nightlife
Tokyo Restaurants

About Japan
Japan Earthquake
Culture Of Japan
Japanese Language
Japanese Food
Facts About Japan
The Samurai
Best Maps
Harajuku Cosplay


[?] Subscribe To This Site

XML RSS
Add to Google
Add to My Yahoo!
Add to My MSN
Subscribe with Bloglines

Fast And Easy Japanese Tea Ceremony Description

It's True: The Japanese Tea Ceremony ritual does take 2 hours.
Here's why...

The fantastic Japanese Culture comes to life in front of your eyes, in this magical and mesmerizing ceremony.

If you're thinking 'tea', and a friendly gathering of friends comes to mind, then think again.

This is a spiritual Ritual!


Japanese Tea Cups
Japanese Tea Cups

Here is a Japanese Tea Ceremony Description, so you know what you're going into.

Prepare yourself for a very slow pace, but it's worth it.

Green tea is certainly the most popular beverage in Japan, but the Japanese tea ceremonies are more of a spiritual ritual. Each aspect of the ceremony is symbolic.

Many locals today still practice the ceremony as a spiritual balance to their hectic daily life.

Tokyo Restaurant usually serve green Japanese tea to every table, free of charge. This is a lovely welcoming gesture.


7 Secrets To Japanese Tea Ceremonies

How to make green tea (c) MShades at Flickr Here is a quick Japanese tea Ceremony Description -

You are requested to sit on the Tatami (traditional floor covering) with your legs folded underneath you.

Don't panic if this posture is impossible for you to hold for more than 30 seconds. Most westerners feel the same.

No one outside Japan was raised up doing so on a regular basis. Locals will not hold this against you. Sit in a way that is comfortable for you.
Some ceremony rooms have small chairs or wooden benches.You are welcomed with a bow. No words are spoken.

The host of the enters with the bowl containing a tea whisk, and a scoop.
The whisk is used to create a thin paste from water and a special type of powdered green Japanese tea called Macha.

The paste is whisked into a thick liquid.

Macha is served in an individual cup called Yunomi which has no handles.
The Macha is drunk hot and without sugar or cream. The same bowl is shared by everyone.

A ceremony will take an hour or so. The pace of the ceremony is something that western culture is not familiar with.
But if you can find the right attitude within yourself, you'll get the chance to experience a very basic part of Japans culture.


What's Behind Japanese Tea Ceremony Ritual

The people here in Japan treat the ceremony as an art form.

They use it as a sort of meditation – a way to detach themselves from the daily routine and to attain inner peace.

A good Japanese tea Ceremony Description would be to say that every element of the ritual is symbolic.

Nothing is accidental – even the number of times you have turn the cup before you drink from it.

The Japanese tea sets are always very beautiful – made from Lacquer, bamboo, and ceramics.

The room is also decorated in a way that reflects the seasons, in very natural colors, very toned down.


4 Tokyo Places For Japanese Tea Ceremonies

  • The ceremonies are held at several places. Some of the Japanese tea gardens in Tokyo have a small tea house, where you can participate in a certain part of the ritual, usually a shorter version of it.
    This is not the Japanese Tea Ceremony ritual, it's just a taste of Japans culture. Perhaps it’s a good peek into the ceremony , after which you can decide if you want to go for the 'real thing'.
  • If you'd like to participate in the full Japanese tea ceremonies, I would recommend this Japanese Tea Ceremony.
    This tour can help you reach a deeper understanding of Japan culture, and you can ask ANYTHING on your mind about this bizarre Ritual.

  • The Suntory museum of art holds a ceremony every second week on Thursday. No reservation is required. The ceremonies are held at 13:00, 14:00 and 15:00. It costs 1,000 yen for the Japanese tea ceremony ritual and Japanese Desserts, in addition to the museum admission.
  • Hyatt hotel in Shinjuku holds the ceremony on the 41st floor. On a bright day you can even see Mt. Fuji.
, in addition to the museum admission.


  • Hyatt hotel in Shinjuku holds the ceremony on the 41st floor. On a bright day you can even see Mt. Fuji.

  • Top Japanese Tea Ceremony History Tips

    The ceremony was introduced from China 700 years ago, when Zen Buddhist monks started to develop this art form.

    But it was only 500 years ago that Sen No Rikkyu began to change the simple ceremony into a ritual.

    It was formalized as a ceremony towards the end of the Heian Period (1185 AD) when military clans began fighting between them for power, pushing Japan into civil wars.

    The Samurai warriors found the ritual very relaxing, and used it as a kind of training for mental self-control.


    If you liked the Japanese tea Ceremony Description you might find these Links interesting -

    Continue Reading:

    Japanese Desserts

    Learn How to make Green Tea

    More on the health benefits of the Japanese Diet

    Entertainment In Japan

    Back from Japanese tea Ceremony Description to Tokyo Attractions

    Back from Japanese tea Ceremony Description to Things to Do In Tokyo


     

    What Are You Looking For?

    Tokyo Events & Deals Monthly, our FREE Tokyo City Newsletter

    Everything you need to start planning, Booking ahead and arranging your itinerary in advance!
    Subscribers to our Monthly newsletter get a FREE Tokyo Travel ebook.

    Email

    Name

    Then

    Don't worry -- your e-mail address is totally secure.
    I promise to use it only to send you Tokyo Events & Deals Monthly.

    We hate spam even more than you do, so we will only use your email address to send you Tokyo Events & Deals Monthly.


    “Thank you! Your site is amazing. I would be lost without it!
    I'll be sure to tell everyone to check out your website! “
    Colton Shoemaker
    (Florida, USA)


    "I appreciate your site and all the effort you have put into it to make it more detailed than most other sites I have been to.
    I bookmarked it because I intend to travel to Tokyo soon.
    Your site offered more than I needed (in a good way).
    I don't really feel like going to any other websites after seeing how nicely organized yours is."
    Morgan