The ceremony is called Chanoyu(茶ã®æ¹¯) in Japanese or more generally Sadou(茶é“). Sadou is a 500 year old Zen Buddhist ceremony in which Matcha (抹茶 - powdered green tea) is served by a highly trained host to a small number of guests.
The serving of tea ceremony requires years of practice. Many traditional skills must be perfected such as incense, tea knowledge, making tea, ikebana (flower arranging), kimono and shodou (calligraphy). For the host, the process of refining the tea ceremony is a continual one which may never reach perfection. Chanoyu guests must have a firm understanding of the process and traditions.
The Tea House
The Japanese Tea Ceremony takes place in a Japanese style room with tatami flooring. The room will typically be small, simple and have one scroll painting hanging over an alcove. This painting is carefully selected by the host and represents the theme of the ceremony. Guests will usually spend some time admiring and thinking about the painting. Near the middle of the room there will be a kettle and hearth. Guests will be seated in the room according to their role in the ceremony. There are typically three or four guests and one of the guests is designated the principle guest.
The Ceremony
A typical tea ceremony may take about 40 minutes depending on the style and whether or not a meal is served.
The host wears a Kimono while the guests may wear a Kimono or other formal clothing. If the ceremony is performed in a tea house the guests may wait in the garden until summoned by the host. Guests will symbolically wash their hands and rinse their mouths from a small basin of water in the garden before entering the tea room. Guests must also remove their shoes before entering the tea room. Once inside the room everyone admires the painting which will be hanging in a small alcove (tokonoma). Then guests will be seated in the seiza position in the order of their status in the ceremony.
The host may first serve a small traditional Kaiseki style meal with sake. If a meal is served the guests will leave the room after the meal and wait to be summoned again for tea.
At the beginning of the Tea ceremony small sweets will be served. Tea is prepared in front of the guests. The guests will typically admire the tea making implements such as the tea bowl. Each utensil will be ritually cleaned in front of the guests and the tea will be made by mixing the matcha powder into hot water with a whisk. When the tea is ready an assistant may serve it to the guests or the guests may come to get it.
Throughout the process conversation should be kept to a minimum and you should feel comfortable with this silence. It is a time of reflection upon the cultivation of an ancient art. Relax and enjoy the atmosphere. The sound of the fountain in the garden, the fire crackling, the simplicity of the ceremony and the tea room, the beautiful painting on the wall, the faint smell of incense and tea.
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