P2+Chado




 * Chado- The Practice of Tea**

**By: Patrick Mulqueen and Julianne Cinoman**
 Introduction Chado was the practice of tea, an art form that was an exreamely important part of Japanese history during the Tokugaua Period in Japan. Tea was brought from china when the Japanese thought that china was better than them. The Japanese copied what the Chinese did, said, and wrote. So, tea was brought as an important drink from China. So, the Japanese preformed the whole tea ceremony around it, called Chado. As years went on, the tea ceremony evolved away from the Chinese drink into a Japanese art form. The tea ceremony is an art, but the making, buying, selling, history, and the peroration for a tea ceremony, is all an art form that takes a lifetime to master.  Buying and Selling the Tea

The making, buying, and selling of tea is a skill that one would gather from experience. Tea was grown as a permanent plant on the farms in large portions. The tea leaves and herbs were cut from the plants before being boxed so that there was enough for an estimate of around twelve cups of tea. Merchants would buy and order a large amount of boxes. Merchants would buy tea from many different farmers, so the boxes had a symbol or name on them to show who made the tea inside the box. The tea farmers also grew rice and other herbs to add flavor to their tea and for food to eat at home. Tea farmers didn’t travel to the capital city Edo often, so it is important that they grow their own food as well as tea and food to sell to merchants. The farmers also attempted to sell their larger and better boxes of tea for a higher price. Farmers didn’t often have tea ceremony’s themselves because of their class. Merchants tried to sell their better tea to Zen monks, Judges, Samurai, respectable people, and rich men with the money to pay for the expensive tea. Tea would be served as leaves that sit in boiling water so that its flavor evaporates into the tea. The tea leaves weren’t taken out when you drink the tea so that the flavor can still be evaporated into the boiling water, but the time it took to make tea is still shorter than the time that it took for the tea ceremony to evolve.

The History

Zen Buddhist monks brought tea and the Tea Ceremony with them from China and Korea during the Yayoi Period. The monks used the tea to stay awake while they were meditating. The Tea ceremony evolved in the Medieval Times and was and still is used as a way to communicate between large periods of time. The Tea Ceremony had grown from taking two cups of tea to drinking at most six sips of tea. The tea ceremony is still a very popular art today throughout Japan. Originally only people of high social status could perform or be invited to a tea ceremony such as samurai but eventually merchants and anyone who afford it often preformed tea ceremonies.

Preparing the Tea  It took four years to prepare for a four hour long tea ceremony, so what takes four years to prepare? One of the first steps was for the host to begin lessons on the art of tea. Most likely, the host would have already had many years of training in the art of the tea ceremony, so they must only keep up their perfection because the host must become a master of tea to perform a tea ceremony. The tea ceremony would be performed in a rustic setting of dull colors and a beautiful background. The background showed many of the Japanese arts that have been perfected over many years. The tea container would be purified before using it, as well as the hands and mouths of the guests. Purification was extremely essential. Before the guests arrived, dark bamboo screens are placed over the windows, darkening the room. One of the last steps before the guests arrived was to add up to five folded mats in a circle in the darkened room to circulate pleasant conversation around the tea. The conversation of the tea was the only talking permitted during the tea ceremony, and you may only talk after taking your three sips of tea to compliment the gracious tea. The master of tea made the setting and the surrounding art look perfect, because even a simple imperfection was considered a disgrace to a master of tea. So, they must be as perfect as there clean, perfectly prepared tea houses.

Tea Houses  Japanese tea houses were small clean and exact buildings made perfect for a relaxing cup of tea. Before the Tea Ceremony the host would clean the tea house till it was spotless All the cooking utensils were cleaned until they too were spotless. Tea houses were small buildings with mud rounded walls, small low windows, and a medium heighted roofs. The walls of tea houses were originally made of paper but later were made of mud so the corners could be rounded giving it a more restful appearance. Another thing that has changed in the architecture of tea houses is the roofs. Tea house roofs are made of shingles, wickerwork, bamboo and reeds. Originally the roofs were very high but eventually got lower and got down to 6 to 7 feet high. The floors of a tea house were covered with bamboo rugs. The windows in tea houses are small and low. The reason the windows are so low is so the guest could have a good view of the garden outside the tea house, while sitting. Tea houses are constructed perfectly to be restful sanctuaries for the guest of the tea ceremony.

The Final Stage

The final perorations are sometimes the most important part because when done correctly, the tea ceremony can look and feel pleasant and gracious. One of the first things to do is to change the atmosphere of the room into a bright scene. The scroll in the alcove is replaced by a floral arrangement, and the water jar, tea caddy and the tea utensils will be placed in the area where the ceremony will take place. When the host picks up the ladle, the bamboo screens roll up the bamboo screen to once again brighten the room. The host must perform the ceremony in silence, while the guests concentrate on this movement. That is the climax of the ceremony and must be performed with beauty and care. The main guest speaks to the host next while the other guests remain silent. A thin amount of tea is then served, which signifies that the tea ceremony is coming to an end. After the tea has been drunk, silence continues, the fire is smothered by adding more charcoal to the fire pit as the sound of the boiling kettle dies down, and sound settles out.

Conclusion

Chado the Tea Ceremony was an essential part of ancient Japanese history because it united the Samurai and other people in Japanese history. When people were in a tea ceremony they were friends there was no weapons or harsh words they simply talk about the tea. The Tea Ceremony was done in times of peace and united everyone.

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