Elements of Tea

Elements of Tea

 

Chanoyu (the Tea Ceremony) is a multifaceted art form developed in Japan over 800 years, an expression of hospitality, a school of movement and manners, and a compendium of the Japanese arts – garden architecture, carpentry and woodworking, painting and calligraphy, flower arrangement of a certain kind, pottery, cultivation and preparation of powered tea, Tea sweets, seasonal procedures and much more.

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The Hammond Tea Club, the Ryusuikai, has presented ELEMENTS OF TEA as a monthly series to examine the individual elements of Chanoyu, understanding their contributions to the art and spirit of the Japanese tea ceremony. As we now begin to reopen, starting with our Spring Open on April 23, 2022, we will look forward to conducting more events in the Hammond garden LIVE, bringing our Elements of Tea together as our celebration closer to nature.

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​Japanese Tea Ceremony 

The Japanese Tea Ceremony, or Chanoyu, originated in 16th century Japan. This was a period of intense creative turmoil as trade opened up Japan to new ideas from China, Korea and India.

 

Chanoyu developed from the highlight of Chinese culture during the Sung Dynasty, serving a refined powdered green tea called matcha. This was the time when Zen was also introduced to Japan as its distillation of Chan Buddhism. It was Sen Rikyu who perfected Chanoyu in the late 16th century as the special art form of Japan as it is known today.

 

The basic idea of Chanoyu is to invite guests and enjoy a get-together for tea. The garden is beautifully trimmed and swept. The tea room is simple, yet artistically decorated. Burning incense adds fragrance to the flowers which are beautifully arranged.  

 

Here you can enjoy the quiet atmosphere to share friendships. Forgetting the harshness of life outside, one can enjoy the refreshing aroma and flavor of powdered green tea.

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