Japanese tea ceremony is world renowned for its peculiarity in rituals and its connection to the culture and history of Japan. The origin of tea plant was in mountain region of south Asia, and from there it reached China. In China, tea was used as a medicine and later it acquired the status of a beverage. From China, tea was brought to Japan by Buddhist monks and gradually became the favorite drink of Japan. Tea is consumed as a part of religious ritual and it becomes the part of Japanese culture. Also, it can be considered as an art form. It is closely related to other art forms such as architecture, gardening and ceramics. This essay will discuss three important points.
The first point discuss the development of tea ceremony in early period, the second point discuss the connection between Shogunate and further developments in tea ceremony, and the third point discuss the circumstances and reason behind the participation of women in tea ceremony.
The early period of tea ceremony is connected to the spread of Buddhism in Japan. For the Buddhists, tea was a part of their religious life, especially in meditation. Origin of tea ceremony is before 700 years ago and it was practiced by Zen Buddhist monks. The rituals related to tea reached Japan through Buddhist monks, who acquired this from China in 6th century. The history of tea and tea plantation in Japan is related to the effort of a Buddhist monk named Eisai who introduced tea seeds in Japan for the first time. (Sado (or Chado)).
After 200 years, it became a common ritual among the people of Japan. One can see that tea and the culture of tea ceremony reached Japan from China. Some Buddhist monks who went to China for religious studies brought tea to Japan. When one try to trace the historical background of tea ceremony in Japan, it can be seen that it originated in medieval ages and it is able to continue in this modern world with few changes. From this fact, it is evident that tea ceremony is a cultural quality of Japan which is able to withstand the hard blow of time.
A popular story about the origin of tea in Japan is related to the spread of Zen Buddhism in China and Japan from India. The practice of tea ceremony began in the honor of Bodhidharma, who was the founder of Zen Buddhism, who reached China in 5200. He meditated continuously for 9 years, and when he woke up from meditation, became angry and tore off his own eyelids. Tea bushes sprung up from that spot.
Another fact about origin of tea ceremony is related to samurai, and it was a ritual of sharing a cup of tea among samurai warriors.(Turay). When one tries to glance at history to know more about the history of tea ceremony in Japan, it can be seen that there are several phases of usage of tea in Japan. Initially, tea was introduced in Japan by Buddhist monks. Then it became a part of Japanese culture and it became the tradition of the people to conduct parties and tea competitions. By this way tea was accepted in Japanese society, as a part of Zen Buddhism and as a cultural trait. In fact, there is a close relation between Zen philosophy and tea ceremony.
The origin of tea ceremony in Japan was between 11th and 16th centuries. In the case of culture, Japan is more rigid than any other country in Asia. Japan did not allow westerners to enter their country and to have trade relations with them. For centuries, Japan was closed to trade and commerce.The procedures and steps of Japanese tea ceremony are simple. Here, goal of the host who is preparing tea is to please the guests by serving it in a pleasing bowl, in a calm and quiet atmosphere. The first step is to clear the serving bowls which is the symbol of cleanliness and purity. The next step is to boil a pot of water. The green tea powder is mixed with the boiling water.
After mixing, tea is served to guests. Before serving tea, a sweet treat to guests is important. The simplicity of this ritual is that all the guests must kneel down on the mat, facing the Kama or the kettle and the brazier. Here, the brazier is used to heat water to proper temperature. One can see that the use of brazier can be considered as the proper management of resources for maximum efficiency. In additon to this, the arrangement of tea stools which are used as the part of ceremony is arranged in an artistic manner. While serving the tea, the same tea bowl is shared by the host and the guests. After the ceremony, guests complement the host, ask questions, and admire utensils which are used for the ceremony. (Quah, Teng, and Lim).
In Japan, there are several schools of tea ceremony. But the root of major schools in Japan is at Sen No Rikyu who was an eminent tea master. His initial connection with tea ceremony was the traditional style under the tutelage of Kitamuki Dochin. Later, he learned a contemporary style which was conducted in a small tea house from Takeno Jo-o. Gradually, he became an important tea master to Oda Nobunaga, which was the leading damiyo in Japan. Rikyu pointed out that there are four fundamental qualities for a tea ceremony. They are: harmony, respect, purity and tranquility. (Zen Stories Of The Zamurai).
His contribution to tea ceremony is that he used to popularize the use of stone lanterns as garden ornamentations. Another contribution is that he designed new utensils for serving tea and discarded formal Chinese designs and adopted simple and typical Japanese designs. Based on his services to Shogunate, he received the Buddhist rank of koji (honorary title for a lay person who had lived a pious faithful Buddhist) from the Emperor Ogimachi at the Imperial Palace in 1585.
The order, art and simplicity of tea ceremony in Japan are due to the involvement of Shoguns between 11th and 16th centuries. There were samurai warriors to serve and protect shoguns. They used to present tea to samurais in special jars. One can see that tea was considered as a valuable thing that can be given as a present for achievement in battlefield. Samurais considered this present as most valuable because they can invite their friends and family members to celebrate their victory by conducting a tea ceremony. Through this way, shoguns in Japan unknowingly played an important role to popularize tea and tea ceremony among the common people of Japan.
Later, Zen Buddhism, which became popular in Japan, began to encourage tea ceremony and they accepted this as the part of their religious belief. (Michaud). Drinking tea helped the monks to increase their ability to meditate and it complemented their health. After the World War II, people of Japan became more democratic and traditional, so it helped the survival of tea ceremony as a way of socialization. It is evident that tea ceremony was able to influence the Japanese society and culture.
When one try to evaluate the origin and development of this ceremony in Japanese society it can be seen that it is borrowed from china. W. G. Beasley is of the opinion that Japanese culture is to be considered as extension of Chinese culture and beliefs. This is because Japan borrowed most of the cultural factors including Zen Buddhism and the habit of drinking tea from china. It is evident that, by eleventh century, Japan was trying to shed the Chinese element and it was entering a new feudal period called shogun period. “By the eleventh century the Chinese element was waning and the country was entering a long and essentially “Japanese” feudal period–with two rulers, an emperor and a Shogun–which was to last until the nineteenth century.” (W.G Beasely).
The peculiarity of this period was that it comprise of two rulers, one an emperor, and other a shogun whose aim is to protect the emperor. This lasted up to the nineteenth century. The tea ceremony in Japan is to be considered more than a gathering with friends to enjoy a bowl of tea. The preparation for the ceremony is symbolic and there are so many things that are closely related to Japanese culture and society. For example in a tea ceremony, water represents yin and fire represents yang. (Woodworth). Fresh water symbolizes purity and it is touched only by the host. If the tea is served during the day time, a gong is sounded. When it is served in evening, a bell is rung.
Earlier the involvement of women in tea ceremony was low. It was because tea ceremony was strictly religious and it was conducted by monks who lived in Buddhist monasteries. Traditionally, authority and autonomy of women in Japan were confined to domestic matters. The role of women was to manage the day to day life of the family. Because of the gender divide in the society, women were expected to use more polite and formal style of speech.
To withstand this rigid circumstance, they had to find out an innovative way to regain their importance in family and society. So, women participation in tea ceremony can be considered as an attempt to regain their social acceptance. It was the duty of women to entertain guests through serving tea. In Japan, women are trained to perform tea ceremony in their houses. Usually women used to attend training courses to learn more about tea ceremony.
Here, women had to role play the roles of host and guest. (Tea Ceremony: The Way of Tea, p.2). When one confronts this ceremony from a cultural viewpoint, it can be seen that it is able to share the peculiarities of Japanese culture with other world cultures.It consists of a conversation about seasonal beauty and art objects which are displayed in Japanese tea house. When it comes to a cultural level, it is more than a tea party. It can be considered as a social gathering, cohesion, and spiritual experience. (Japanese Tea Ceremony).
The ceremony is capable to capture the attention of the guest towards nature. The tea house, where the tea is prepared ceremoniously, will be the place of high quality Japanese carpentry and sculpture. The magical setting of the ceremony provides much importance. So, it can be considered as a cultural aesthetic and cultural attitude of the people of Japan. In Japan Atlas-Magazine, the manufacturing of various utensils that are used for tea ceremony is vividly described and it is named as- A Traditional Craft that Combines Beautiful Form with Practical Function. In Japan, tea pots and kettles for the tea ceremony are made by hand. (Nambu Ironware: A Traditional Craft that Combines Beautiful Form with Practical Function).
Traditional techniques are used for the manufacturing. The iron content of the pans, which happen to dissolve into food while cooking and serving, is so helpful to prevent Anemia. So, the preparation of food is closely attached to preservation of health. Most of the western tourists feel so curious to attend a Japanese tea ceremony. In an Interview with Michael Ricci, By Terry Calamito one can see that, everything is Japan is connected to art. Michael Ricci pointed out that the people of Japan treats the tea ceremony as an art form. The people are so conscious to keep their tradition alive. (Calamito).
Japanese tea ceremony is closely connected to other art forms of Japan like flower arranging and calligraphy. The influence of tea ceremony in Japanese society is so strong because it is a part of Japanese life and culture. Moreover, it is the representative art of Japan. For this special occasion, a special dress is used namely kimono. (Quah, Teng, and Lim, The History And Culture Of Japanese Tea). Most of the Japanese houses comprise of a special room for tea ceremony.
There are so many tea schools working in Japan to train young generation to become best hosts. So, it can be seen that the tea ceremony in Japan is connected to the spread of Zen Buddhism from China. Earlier, the use of tea as a beverage, the ceremony for the preparation and serving tea was confined to the Buddhist monks. But gradually this ceremony infiltrated to the lower layers of the society.
Before summing up, it will be interesting to go through the points that are discussed in the essay. The first point that was discussed is the early period of tea ceremony. Here, the early history of tea, tea ceremony in Japan, and two important schools of tea ceremony were under discussion. Then the rituals of this ceremony is discussed and described. The rituals are more than religious beliefs and are closely related to the culture of the country.
The second point which was under discussion is how tea ceremony affected Shogun. Here, one is able to have a general and specific out look onthe relation between shoguns and tea ceremony. Shogunate in Japan caused the infiltration of tea ceremony to common people through samurais. The third point under discussion was how women participated in tea ceremony. Now in Japan women are the focus of tea ceremony.
Training in tea ceremony is considered as a unique quality and skill. Moreover, it is a status symbol for women. One can see that this ceremony is so influential in Japanese society. The people of Japan are so eager to preserve this ritual without any change. So as to preserve this ceremony with its purity and simplicity, there are so many schools for the training of tea ceremony. So, the future of tea ceremony in Japan is safe because the Japanese are aware to preserve their cultural traits for the fore coming generations.
Works Cited
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