P1+Chado


 * __Chado: The Practice of Tea __**

By: Jessica H. and Nicholas L. **Introduction**

This essay is about the tea ceremony; one of the biggest parts in the samurai culture. This essay includes information about the tea ceremony materials, the tea's purpose in the ceremony, where it is preformed, tea history and how the tea ceremony is preformed. This essay should be read because you can learn why the samurai practiced this ceremony and why it was important to them. When you read this essay you will see why the samurai needed the tea ceremony so much.

**Tea History **

There is one thing in the tea ceremony that you mainly need, and it is tea of course! Tea has been drunk in Japan since 618 C.E., and is still drunk today. The difference is of course that in 618 C.E., they used tea as a medicinal drink, not a beverage. Tea was used to calm, focus, and overall heal the pain of someone with its rich taste and soothing warmth. Tea was a huge part in a samurai’s life, the tea would focus them, soothe them, and even help them relax from their hard work. Later in 1187 C.E., tea became a ritual drink when Eisai Myo-an brought 1,191 seeds from China, and planted them all in Japan. Not only has the tea ceremony come a long way, but the tea itself has too!


 * Tea **

Tea is one of the biggest parts in the tea ceremony (hence the name); the whole ceremony is about drinking the tea and relaxing. Tea leaves use to be boiled to make the tea for the tea ceremony. That was, until Eisai Myo-an taught people how to grind the leaves into a powder and boil the powder. Tea also serves as a stimulant for monks and samurai, monks for when they are meditating, and samurai to keep them focused and calm. There are many types of tea that are drunk today, but the most common tea used in the tea ceremony is called "matcha." Matcha is a bitter, frothy tea that is served with a single meal in the tea ceremony. Tea may be a big part in the tea ceremony, but the materials you use in the tea ceremony are an even bigger part.


 * Tea Ceremony Materials **

In the tea ceremony the Japanese had many materials. Without the materials the samurai would not be able to practice the ceremony which will not let the samurai get their break from the world. The tea ceremony is preformed on a tatami; a mat made of rice straw. The small box in the center of the tatami is a grill that heats the water for tea. Grinded leaves (powder) and boiling water are used to make tea for the ceremony. In the tea ceremony there is the small grill, cups for the tea, a spoon for stirring the tea and the tatami mat. The tea ceremony itself already takes a huge part in samurai culture, and what would the tea ceremony be without the materials to perform it. The materials take a big part in the tea ceremony, but the tea ceremony is the most interesting itself!

 The tea ritual, or chanoyu, is one of the most common religious rituals in Japan, besides the fact that it takes a half a day to complete! Although chanoyu takes a half a day to complete, you can also choose to participate in a shortened version of the tea ceremony that only takes forty – five minutes. The tea ceremony has forty – seven steps or rules to the ritual; these rules must be followed accordingly. The tea ritual serves as a calming ritual for all, including samurai. A bitter frothy tea is served at the tea ceremony, followed by one meal. Tea ceremonies are significant in the samurai culture because the ceremony helps calm the samurai and focus them. The tea ceremony is literally a break or wilderness retreat for the samurai after all of their hard work. The tea ceremony is very interesting, but you need to perform it in something of course!
 * Tea Ritual **

 The tea ceremony is held in many places, but is mostly held in a tea house. This is important for the samurai because the tea house is a place for them to relax and get away from the training and fighting. Teahouses were made to be soans, or "grass huts" to make each tea ceremony like a wilderness retreat. Soan teahouses are made out of materials found nearby, such as bamboo, wood, reeds, and vines. There is only one way to enter the room where the tea ceremony is taking place; which is to crawl through a low ceiling doorway, is also called a nijiriguchi. The participants had to crawl through the nijiriguchi (even the shogun or emperor would have to) to show that they are of social equality**.** Samurai have to work constantly day and night protecting Japan, so a relaxing, half - day retreat would help them relax and focus. What better place to relax than a cool, wilderness like teahouse!
 * Teahouse **

**Conclusion**

The tea ceremony has played a big part in the samurai culture throughout the centuries. Tea has been used for medicinal purposes and stimulant beverage purposes, but then tea rested in the Tokugawa Period as one of the biggest parts in the samurai culture. Samurai have been working nonstop, need to rest, and when you are tired it is easy to become angry (which a samurai should never become). So the tea ceremony would relax them for a half a day and they could just recuperate and relax.

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 * Citations **

Lee, Karen. " History of Tea." Pacificu.edu. Pacific University. Web. February 16, 2010. " Architecture Teahouse - Chashitsu " artsmia.org. Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Web. February 17, 2010. “History of Tea in Japan.” Asia-Art.net. Runckel & Associates Inc, 2008. Web. February 17, 2010. Pratt, James Novwood. New Tea Lover's Treasury. San Francisco, CA: Publishing Technology Associates, 1999.