Japanese tea ceremony

The Japanese tea ceremony is a cultural activity known as sadō/chadō (茶道, 'the way of tea') or chanoyu (茶の湯, 'hot water for tea'). The ceremony focuses on the presentation and serving of matcha (抹茶), powdered green tea; this procedure is called temae (点前). Much less commonly, Japanese tea practice uses leaf tea, primarily sencha. This practice is known as senchadō (煎茶道, 'the way of sencha').

In Japanese, there is a term, Sadō or Chadō, which means "tea way" and emphasizes the Tao (道). The English term Teaism was coined by Okakura Kakuzō to describe the unique worldview associated with the Japanese way of tea, rather than focusing solely on its presentation, which was initially perceived by some Western observers as ceremonial.

In the 1500s, Sen no Rikyū revolutionized Japanese tea culture. He played a key role in developing what is now known as the Japanese tea ceremony and elevated it to the status of an art form. He redefined the rules of the tea house, tea garden, utensils, and procedures of the tea ceremony with his own interpretation. He also introduced a much smaller chashitsu (tea house) and rustic, distorted ceramic tea bowls specifically for the tea ceremony, and emphasized the tea ceremony based on the aesthetic of wabi.

Sen no Rikyū's great-grandchildren founded the Omotesenke, Urasenke, and Mushakōjisenke schools of tea ceremony. As a result, the tea ceremony spread not only to daimyo (feudal lords) and the samurai class but also to the general public, which led to the establishment of various tea ceremony schools that continue to this day.

Zen Buddhism and Shinto has greatly influenced the culture of Japanese tea. For example, the practice of purifying one's hands and mouth before practicing the tea ceremony is influenced by the Shinto purification ritual of misogi. The architectural style of the chashitsu and the gate that serves as the boundary between the tea garden and the secular world has been influenced by Shinto shrine architecture and the torii (shrine gate). Buddhists used tea to prevent drowsiness during long meditations.

Tea gatherings are classified as either an informal tea gathering, chakai (茶会, 'tea gathering'), or a formal tea gathering, chaji (茶事, 'tea event'). A chakai is a relatively simple course of hospitality that includes wagashi (confections), thin tea, and perhaps a light meal. A chaji is a much more formal gathering, usually including a full-course kaiseki meal followed by confections, thick tea, and thin tea. A chaji may last up to four hours.