it's time for tea!

At Matsue castle last weekend there a was a tea ceremony exhibit. Saki, Jake, Kayla, and I biked on over to the castle grounds to partake. There were many tents selling tea ceremony wares and tea, as well as covered platforms with tatami mats on them, where different kinds of tea ceremonies were taking place. There are many different kinds of tea ceremony. There are different schools of tea ceremony, as well as difference according to where it's being held, who is in attendance, the time of year, the time of day, etc. The tools can be made of different materials, and the food served with the tea varies. It's very in depth and intricate and I don't understand most of it, so I can't really explain it to you here. Sorry!

Walking around the grounds.

Saki studied tea ceremony, so when we picked which school of sado (the way of tea!) to see, we went to see hers, which is Omote Senke.

 The waiting area for the tea ceremony.

Tools of the trade. Saki told me what each was, and it's purpose, but I don't think I can accurately pass on that information. I'll do my best.

 Bowls, called chawan. (the cha part means tea) This is what the tea is served in.

 Tea container, called Chaki. This is what the tea is in before it's made into a drink. Depending on the type of tea in it and what the container is made of, the name changes. Chaki is a loose, general, overall name. I do believe the little ball on the white handkerchief next to it is a type of incense. Could be wrong though. I'm about 85% sure that it is.

The box for the tea scoop, which is called a chashaku, while the storage tube above (the round thing) is called a tsutsu. The chashaku is not in the picture. Each is carved of bamboo, and given a name, which is what's written on the tube.

While waiting in the little waiting area tent, the man in charge of the tent approached us, and told Saki he wanted us to sit in the front row, since we were foreigners, and he wanted us to fully experience the tea ceremony. I felt a little bad for all the short Japanese people who had to sit behind us. They also sat a teacher of tea ceremony next to us so she could explain it to us. She only spoke Japanese, and was sitting next to me, which made it interesting for both of us. She was very cute trying to explain things in very strange English. It's probably what I sounded like when speaking Japanese back.

 The girl doing the ceremony was so graceful. Each movement is precise, even ladling the water and how she set the tea scoop down. She made the bowl of tea for the teacher sitting next to me. All the other cups were brought in from behind the tent. They must have had an army of women in kimono making tea back there, as there were about 30 people in the tent.

A sweet. It customary to eat a confectionery before drinking the tea, since matcha (the green powdered tea) is rather bitter. This is mochi (pounded rice dough) with azuki (red bean) filling.

The bowl I drank out of. When you get your bowl, they do something or other that I can no longer remember as I was super flustered at the time. After you pick up the bowl, you turn it twice, so you can see and admire it, then drink the tea. After drinking it, you rub the place you drank from with your thumb, and the turn the bowl 2 times the opposite direction, so that the bowl is in the same position it started it. I'm sure there is great meaning behind this, but I don't know it.

After the ceremony. These women came up to talk to us. The girl was so cute! She was in junior high (I think....) and wanted to practice her English.

Ah, tea ceremony. It was lovely. I want a kimono....