Japanese tea ceremony

The Japanese tea ceremony (cha-no-yu, chadō, or sadō) is a traditional ritual influenced by Zen Buddhism in which powdered green tea, or matcha (抹茶), is ceremonially prepared by a skilled practitioner and served to a small group of guests in a tranquil setting.

Related Topics:
Ritual - Zen Buddhism - Tea - Matcha

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Cha-no-yu (茶の湯, literally "hot water for tea"), usually refers to a single ceremony or ritual, while sadō or chadō (茶道, or "the way of tea") refer to the study or doctrine of tea ceremony. The pronunciation sad? is preferred by the Omotesenke tradition, while the pronunciation chad? is preferred by the Urasenke tradition.

Related Topics:
Omotesenke - Urasenke

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Cha-ji (茶事) refers to a full tea ceremony with kaiseki (a light meal), usucha (thin tea) and koicha (thick tea), lasting approximately four hours. A chakai (茶会, literally "tea meeting") does not include a kaiseki meal.

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Since a tea practitioner must be familiar with the production and types of tea, with kimono, calligraphy, flower arranging, ceramics, incense and a wide range of other disciplines and traditional arts in addition to his or her school's tea practices, the study of tea ceremony takes many years and often lasts a lifetime. Even to participate as a guest in a formal tea ceremony requires knowledge of the prescribed gestures and phrases expected of guests, the proper way to take tea and sweets, and general deportment in the tea room.

Related Topics:
Kimono - Calligraphy - Flower arranging - Ceramics - Incense

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