07.05.16
Today, we were fortunate enough to participate in a Japanese tea ceremony on KUIS’s campus! This activity was organized by Dictionary, so that the LSAers could have the opportunity to witness and experience an actual Japanese tea ceremony.
The ceremony took place in a traditional tatami no heya (tatami room), featuring summer-themed decorations. We all kneeled in typical seiza fashion, and followed the teacher’s instructions on how to properly perform and enjoy a tea ceremony. She, along with her students, distributed a dish of wagashi (sweets unique to tea ceremonies) to each of us. The wagashi was filled with sweet bean paste, and featured a design of a fish. After we ate the wagashi, the teacher and her students distributed chawan (a small bowl used for drinking tea during tea ceremonies) filled with matcha tea. Before receiving the chawan, we all bowed and expressed our appreciation. We were then instructed to hold the chawan up to chest height with our right hands, and turn it clockwise two times. We then took a sip of the tea, and enjoyed it quietly as a group. The teacher urged us to take in the summer scenes of the room as we drank our tea, such as the giant scroll bearing the kanji of waterfall (taki, 瀧).
Photographs from the tea ceremony
At the end of the ceremony, we gathered around the teacher for a brief Q&A session. She spoke to us of the importance of the longevity of the tea ceremony, and its ability to survive despite the modernization of Japanese society. It was quite easy to tell that she was truly a master in her craft – we were all truly grateful that she took the time to teach us about the art of the tea ceremony.
After the Q&A session, we expressed our gratitude to the teacher and her students, and went out separate ways home.