Tea Perks You Up!

The Tea Ceremony came to Japan from China via Zen Buddhism. Our teacher and guide Nitta-san explained that the main occupation of the Buddhist monk is to meditate, which often would make the practicioners very sleepy. So the monks drank green tea to perk them up as it is loaded with caffeine. However, the tea was expensive so traditionally, only the monks drank it. Eventually the tea was prescribed to restore the health as it contains many vitamins such as vitamin A and C. As more people began to drink green tea, the tea developed a social and entertainment value. Tea drinking became so fashionable that feudal lords built elaborate tearooms to show their prestige. As with many aspects of Japanese culture, tea drinking was formalized into a ceremony to express the beauty and reverence of nature and the appreciation for the gift of tea. It is said that it takes 10 years to master the art. If you look closely, you will see that the tea ceremony is carried out in one stream of continuous motion. Nitta-san says, “ Learning the tea ceremony takes a long time and is difficult to master…..but it is easy to drink tea!” Green tea is bitter and not sweetened, so the start of the ceremony is begun with a sweet. After one enters the tearoom and quietly kneels on the tatami mat, one is presented with a sweet bean paste curd decorated with a small candy that is shaped depending on the season. Our shape was a green maple leaf. After savoring the sweet, the foamy deep green tea is brought out in a slightly larger than fist sized ceramic bowl, each bowl uniquely decorated. Mine had lovely flowers both inside and outside the rim. As the bowl is placed in front of you, you bow deeply with both hands folded together on the mat. You then pick up the bowl, with both hands, the left hand carefully cradling the bottom. Remember the tea itself is valuable, but the bowls can also set you back a few yen. The mamasan of the tea ceremony explained that some bowls can cost over a million yen! So don’t drop it. The bowl has been placed in front of you so that you can see the beautiful design. You then rotate the bowl to the right twice in your palm. As you bring the bowl close to your face, you bow again in thanks. The tea is hot and in winter the bowl is shaped more narrowly to keep the tea warm, in summer the bowl has a wider mouth to release the heat. The taste for a devoted tea drinker is heavenly. The mamasan asked if anyone would like a second bowl and I of course raised my hand.