EAST ASIAN STUDIES

JAPANESE TEA CEREMONIES

        The  Japanese tea ceremony, called "Chanoyu" or "Ocha", is a choreographic ritual of preparing and serving Japanese green tea, called "Matcha", and sweets to craft a balance between the sweet and bitter tastes. However, although the balance of taste is important, aesthetics play an enormous role in the ceremonies. The ceremony itself is defined my many predictable movements, preformed with precision and focus. Yet, the host of the ceremony always considers the guests with every movement and gesture. Even the placement of the tea utensils is considered from the guests view point, especially the main guests called the Shokyaku.  One man that revolutionized the japanese tea ceremonies, called Sensho, utilized the writings of Confucious devising his philosophies.  Thus, keeping the ideals of hierarchy in mind, he  emphasized the manners of the Japanese tea ceremony as the one of the products in human culture. Essentially, Sensho believed that the Japanese tea ceremony would refine the culture and morality of the individual. He based his ideas on seven points: Established position,  Body formation, Carriage, Continuity in motion, Tempo, Strength of body and limbs, and Suitable nobility. These ideals focused heavily on continuity and fluidity, but also on maintaining the delicate social strata. Thus, balance between fluidity and regimentation becomes a part of Japanese Tea Ceremonies.