Japanese Tea Ceremony

As part of our Japanese Language "Curriculum" we were advised by the CIS faculty to sign up for a class called Japanese Experiential Activites (not to be confused with NEU's Experiential Ed which is what I often call it as). From the previous りゅがくせい (international students) experiences, I was told that JEA was a class that I should definitely take. The purpose of the class is to make you more aware of Japan in itself through field trips and interactions with Japanese natives that involves both research prior to going and after returning from these field trips. Our first assignment was researching the Kyuudo Club at school which is akin to cerimonial archery with a really big bow. Next we were to investigate a separate Obirin club so I decided to look into the Japanese Tea Ceremony or さとぶ which loosely translate to "the way of the tea serving." The JTC club takes place in what looked like a student apartment close to the university. There were about four of us investigating the club. When you first enter your shoes are removed and you enter the tea ceremony room. We were instructed to sit on the floor behind a white line which was covered with a tatami mat from wall to wall. The purpose of the white line was to distinguish the guests area from the tea master's area. In front of us was what looked like like a dark maple wood desk with a large ceramic pot which holds and warms the water used in the tea ceremony. Once we were situated, the girls who belonged to the club came in and started making the tea while another one of the members presented us with a round soft cake to eat before the tea is served. The actual process of making the tea looked rather intricate and very difficult. It requires a series of steps that must be memorized and perfected. I was later told that there are two different teas that are used for the tea ceremony: one is こいちゃ (koicha) which is bitter and very difficult to make and two is うちちゃ (uchicha) which is easier to make and what was being served to us that day. Once the tea is made, the person who makes the tea brings it over to the guest and places the tea in a bowl in front of the guest but in front of the white line (there side of the white line). It is important that the picture painted on the tea bowl faces the guest.

The host bows and says おちゃどうぞ which translates to "here is your tea. Please take it." The guest bows in return and says いただきます as a way of thanking the host. The process of drinking the tea is as intricate as making the tea. When the guest picks up the bowl, they must hold the bottom with their left hand and cup the bowl with they right hand. Then the tea bowl is turned two times clockwise in order to bring the main picture on the bowl to the front facing the host. The tea is supposed to be drunk in one shot and when finished the tea bowl is again turned two times clockwise and placed on the mat so that the picture is again facing the guest. The guest bows and thanks the host again by saying ごちそさま. In an ideal world where a guest would know the rules of tea ceremony this would have happend. But for four がいじん who had no clue, it didn't go as smoothly. Most of us had a problem with sitting on the floor. The proper way is on your legs, but for those of us who wear jeans that are tight fitting after five minutes the blood circulation is cut off from our legs, then after 10 minutes your legs start to tingle, and after 15 minutes you just can't feel them anymore; at least that is how I felt. I also didn't know when to bow. So I kind of followed suit that everytime my host bowed I bowed as well. Alas, now that I am at least kind of experienced I will be able to go through a tea ceremony a bit smoother...i hope.