Tea Ceremony in Japan
2019.01.23
"Sado", the tea ceremony
"Sado", also known as "chanoyu", is the traditional, ritualized preparation and serving of powdered green tea by a host for the enjoyment of his or her appreciative guests. In "sado" there are various prescribed ways of preparing the tea, accepting and drinking the tea, sitting, bowing, standing and walking that make up the etiquette of the tea ceremony. This etiquette was established for the host to show hospitality to the guest and provide them with delicious tea, and for the guest to receive this hospitality and enjoy the tea.The tea ceremony is not merely a matter of the host serving the guest some tea and the guest drinking it; it can be seen as a comprehensive art form blending the spiritual elements and thought behind the interaction of host and guest, and the aesthetic elements designed to enhance this, such as the tea room and garden, the way the tearoom is arranged, the selection and appreciation of the tea utensils, the food served and the etiquette governing its procedures.
Moreover, the tea ceremony's philosophy of hospitality towards guests has parallels in modern-day Japanese hospitality. In the tea ceremony, it is important to experience the spirit of hospitality as well as to enjoy the tea.
