Ceremonial Tea
A tea ceremony is a communion of feeling, when good friends come together at the right moment, under the best conditions.
~ Yasunari Kawabata
This simple explanation is at the heart of what has made tea drinking a pleasurable experience worldwide, and it is the foundation for the tea ceremony as it exists in Japan. Although tea is consumed throughout that the world with great enthusiasm, much attention has been paid to the tea tradition as it exists in Japan and in England - Japan for its complex tea ceremony, and England for its daily ritual of "taking tea." What is it about these two countries that has forever distinguished their approach to tea?
Japanese interests in tea has a deep seated root in Zen Buddhism which was introduced into Japan from China in the ninth century by a Buddhist monk named Saicho. Tea during this period was expensive and was drunk primarily by the aristocracy and the Buddhist monks for its perceived medicinal benefit. Due to the importance of tea consumption as an aid to Buddhist rituals of meditation, the growth of Zen Buddhism necessarily carried with it an interest in cultivation of tea plants in Zen monasteries. Consistent with this association of tea and Buddhism in Japan are the serene and orderly tea gardens themselves. The tea bushes, tightly packed like groomed hedges, spread across the landscape like rolling green waves. The sacred origins of tea in Japan are clearly evident in the care with which the gardens are manicured. By the 12th century, it had become integral to daily life in Japan.
The famous Japanese ceremony celebrated the quintessential example of the country's reverence for the beverage, which began in the 15th century. As an extension of the Zen tea ritual, it evolved into a cult concept called Teaism, which honored the beauty and serenity of the most mundane aspects of everyday life. As an expression of this credo, the ceremony relies on a kind of drama played out by the hosts and guests. The scenario revolves around the polite exchange of salutations and compliments between guest and host, including comments on the décor of the tea room, the tea itself, the paintings on the walls and so forth. The host is humbly apologetic for the tea and the serving utensils, and there is much consoling and graciousness on the part of the guests as they sip a brew made from powdered green tea.
This ancient ceremony is designed to promote the notion that one should see the beauty in the simplest acts and things. From the austerity of the tea room to the precise "rules" for how large it should be, how many rooms it can have and how the ceremony should be conducted, the Japanese tea ceremony is a celebration of simplicity, refinement and discipline which in Zen Buddhism are concepts synonymous with enlightenment. The reverence directed towards the tea itself as the focus of the ceremony speaks to the qualities tea has always had a soothing, settling kind of experience. Hiraski Yamada ex-director of the Urasenke Tea Ceremony (in New York City) comments that "offering tea is a social, a friendly, peaceful time and also a kind of meditation. You concentrate for the moment on what you are doing. Do not negate the little things, for the little things are not little things."
Tea is the beverage of ceremonies and people, and like the monsoon rains, it is both calming and stimulating, encouraging conversation and relaxation…Ideas and traditions steep slowly in its steamy transparence.
~ Pascal Bruckner, Purias
In spite of Asia's long history as a tea-drinking nation, it is perhaps the United Kingdom which more frequently comes to mind as the "nation of tea drinkers." By contrast with Asian tastes in tea, the British prefer their tea strong, black and often with milk. The convention of afternoon tea has been traced to the wife of the seventh Duke of Bedsford during the 19th century. The Duchess Anna, feeling somewhat spent in the afternoon after her busy day, began ordering tea and cakes to be served at 5:00pm when the servants returned from their off-duty period. The caffeine content of black tea no doubt played a part in the duchess' sense of revival, but the tradition of serving caked or scones with tea also helped establish the afternoon tea as a light meal, bridging the long period between breakfast and dinner. Since at this time these were the only two "planned" meals of the day, afternoon tea became a much anticipated event as hunger and fatigue set in late in the day.
To this day, the tradition of taking tea as a pleasant interruption of one's routine-a respite from the day's activities –persists. What seems revealing about these two ceremonies is simply the importance given to this beverage in these two cultures. Both are testaments to the seriousness with which we take our most revered pastimes. A simple custom becomes a philosophical stance.
Recent trends in England and Japan suggest movement away from both the formal afternoon tea and the ritual tea ceremony in Japan. In both countries as elsewhere in the world, the pace of modern life has necessitated the streamlining of the tea ritual. Although one is still able to find many formal afternoon teas in fine restaurants and hotels in England, most people simply enjoy their tea at regular intervals during the day in the more casual atmosphere of the workplace or home. Hot water steamers and the ubiquitous stainless teapot remain fixtures in most English cafes and restaurants, and formal afternoon teas are reserved for tea houses, fine restaurants and hotels. Ready to drink iced teas which have so captivated the rest of the world, however, remain slow to catch on in Britain. Although the country continues to prefer a more traditional approach to their tea drinking, flavored and herbal teas are beginning to develop a following, particularly among a younger audience.
The Japanese tea ceremony continues to be performed fundamentally unchanged, but the tea drinking habits of the general populace have adapted to a faster paced lifestyle. Carts travel through large office buildings bringing Japanese workers their tea at their desks. Although styrofoam cups and ready to drink teas may have entered the Japanese lifestyle, tea drinking as a daily event is still very much a part of the Japanese daily routine. The fine green teas of Japan continue to be highly regarded and little exported, although more and more black tea, including flavored tea is being consumed by the Japanese.
Despite whatever changes tea drinking may undergo as time goes on, it has proven itself as an infinitely adaptable beverage within every culture. As tastes and customs change, we have modified our teas to suit those changes. The changes which lifestyle may bring to our tea ceremonies still do not alter our appreciation of and devotion to tea. Back to Top