Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [58]
Although chanoyu (literally ‘hot water for tea’) or sadō/chadō (literally ‘the way of tea’) is usually referred to in English as ‘the tea ceremony’, the practice has always been more focused on collaboration, pleasure and artistic appreciation than on dutiful ritual. Tea gatherings can be short and spontaneous or long and extremely formal. They might be held to mark an anniversary or the changing of the seasons, or just as an opportunity to see old friends.
Typically, a group of guests arrives at the location of the gathering, perhaps a home or a temple with its own tea house, and waits in the outer garden, a peaceful and meditative space. After entering the tea house, the guests observe while the host arranges the charcoal and serves a special meal known as kaiseki cuisine Click here. After the meal, they eat some simple sweets, take a brief intermission and then return for a serving of viscous koicha (thick tea) followed, in many cases, by a round of usucha (thin tea). The movements of the host and guests are carefully choreographed and rehearsed, making the sharing of the beverage a satisfying mutual performance.
At certain moments during the gathering, the guests have the chance to admire the hanging scroll, the flower arrangement and the host’s careful selection of chadōgu (tea utensils).
Tea culture has stimulated and supported traditional arts and crafts in Japan for centuries, and utensils – including tea bowls, tea caddies, tea scoops, tea whisks and tea ladles – can be purchased in tea shops, in local galleries or directly from artists. Urban department stores, such as Takashimaya, Daimaru, Seibu and Mitsukoshi, among many others, frequently have whole floors devoted to ceramics, bambooware, lacquerware and other crafts. There are also galleries in which the finest artists hold solo exhibitions and sales. A trip to a town famous for its crafts, such as Bizen, Hagi or Karatsu, gives travellers further opportunities to buy tea utensils.
Some tea schools, such as Urasenke (www.urasenke.or.jp/texte/index.html), Omotesenke (www.omotesenke.jp/english/tobira.html), Mushanokojisenke and Dai Nippon Chado Gakkai, hold tea gatherings that are open to the public, particularly in large cities. Speciality cafes, such as the confectionary Toraya, also offer a serving of sweets and tea. Museums that specialise in art associated with tea, such as Kyoto’s Nomura Art Museum (www.nomura-museum.or.jp), Raku Museum (www.raku-yaki.or.jp), the Kitamura Museum (www.raku-yaki.or.jp/culture/english/kitamura.html) and Tokyo’s Gotoh Museum (www.gotoh-museum.or.jp), display historical tea utensils and on occasion serve tea as well.
Morgan Pitelka is the author of Handmade Culture: Raku Potters, Patrons, and Tea Practitioners in Japan.
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You May Hear
Vegetarian & Special Needs
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The superb Tokyo Food Page (www.bento.com) offers explanations of Japanese dishes, great places to eat in Tokyo and much, much more.
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Children
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Environment
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THE LAND
WILDLIFE
NATIONAL PARKS
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
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Japan may be small, crowded and heavily industrialised, but make no mistake: this mountainous chain of nearly 4000 islands has some of the most breathtaking and varied scenery in the world. Tropical beaches, snowbound mountaintops and hot-spring valleys await those with enough determination to escape the sprawl of Tokyo and Osaka and explore the Japanese countryside. The human impact on the environment in Japan is often brutal, but enough of the country’s original beauty remains that even the most jaded travellers may feel inspired.
The classic postcard image of a shinkansen (bullet train) speeding past a snowcapped Mt Fuji,