The History of the Tea Ceremony
By Dawnya Sasse

Did you ever watch a tea ceremony in person or on
television and wonder just how it came about?

Or perhaps you wish to know about the ceremony
to better explain tea to your customers. After
all, it is very important to understand the past
in order to fully grasp the present and the future.

The traditional tea ceremony actually came from China,
not Japan, as many people mistakenly believe. The tea
ceremony was a practice in China for thousands of years
before a Chinese Buddhist monk introduced it to Japan in
the ninth century. After its initial introduction, the tea
ceremony became hugely popular in Japan.

The traditional tea ceremony first started in China for
medicinal purposes. It later was used for recreational
reasons. In the early ninth century, a Chinese author by
the name of Lu Yu wrote about the tea ceremony and the
cultivation and preparation of tea. This book was known as
“Ch'a Ching”. Because Yu was very influenced by Zen
Buddhism, Buddhist ideas had a great influence upon his
outlook on the tea ceremony. Many people who partook of
the ceremony later adapted these same ideas.

In the twelfth century, a new type of tea came about. This
tea was called matcha, and was a powdered green tea. In
the thirteenth century, samurai warriors came up with a
way to prepare and drink matcha. These ways were
incorporated into the tea ceremony as well. The traditional
tea ceremony thus transformed into its own artistic and
visual ritual.

By the time the sixteenth century came around, all of
Japan was practicing tea ceremonies – across all social
classes. A man known as Sen no Rikyu came about during
this time. Today, he is one of the most historical figures in
the tea ceremony. He introduced the concept of “ichi-go
ichi-e” to the ceremony. This means “one time, one
meeting”. He believed that every meeting between people
should be something that is sacred because it can never
happen again. His teachings of harmony, purity, respect
and tranquility are the foundations of the modern tea
ceremony today.

Today, the Japanese tea ceremony (known in Japan
as Cha-no-yu or sado) is a ritual that is influenced by Zen
Buddhism and includes the drinking of matcha. Cha-no-yu
is a single tea ceremony, while sado is the study of the
ceremony itself. During the ceremony, the tea is prepared
by a skilled practitioner and then served to people as they
sit in a tranquil setting.


The tea practitioner must know all about the types of teas,
as well as kimonos, calligraphy, flower arrangements,
incense, ceramics, and other arts. He or she must study
this at a school, and it often takes years to do so. Even
guests of tea ceremonies must know about sado and the
gestures and phrases that are part of the ceremony. They
must also know how to drink the tea and eat the
accompanying foods.

(C) Dawnya Sasse

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Dawnya Sasse is the creator of the ultimate tea business
training school allowing students to discover the secrets
of the tea industry, "quickly and easily" without ever leaving
home.

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Copyright 2006 Dawnya Sasse All Rights Reserved.
Tea Events http://www.TeaEvents.com