Welcome and thank you for coming to TeaHyakka
We are a group of people in London and in New York who are interested in Japanese tea ceremony. Our goal is to introduce Japanese culture through 'Chanoyu' on a bilingual web site which updates quarterly.

In this space named "Tea Mind, Zen Words, and Spiritual Reflections", thanks
to his kind permission, we are pleased to introduce writings by Sen Soshitsu
Hounsai Iemoto, fifteenth generation Grand Tea Master of the Urasenke
Tradition of Chanoyu.

The custom of drinking tea was prevalent in China before the time of Christ.
Tea was first imported from China as a beverage and over the course of several hundred
years was developed into the art of Chanoyu from which developed Chado.
The study of tea is effective in teaching discipline and instilling respect for others.

A chashitsu is a building or a room in which the tea ceremony is performed. The purpose of a chaji, or full tea ceremony, is to allow the host an opportunity to express the utmost hospitality to his or her guests. Together, the chashitsu, roji (tea garden), and mizuya (preparation room) should provide the optimum physical and spiritual setting for expressing this hospitality

Steve Bildermann wrote:...my teacher send me round to learn both tea cermony and flower arranging....

Taro Toporific wrote:first boil water then infuse the tea
and drink it
- - -Sen no Rikkyu, a master of tea.

Sen no Rikyu was born in 1522 in Sakai to a merchant family. He was born Soeki, but Hideyoshi changed his name in 1585 to Rikyu, to give him the status of a koji, a distinguised Buddhist layman. This allowed Rikyu to surpass his commoner status. As one of the most influential tea masters of Japan, he would serve both Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Rikyu was preceded by two tea masters: Murata Juko (1422-1502) and Takeno Joo (1502-1555). Rikyu emphasized the wabi aesthetic. Wabicha stressed rusticity and simplicity in the tea ceremony and tearoom. The Taian teahouse is an example of a space designed with wabi aesthetics. Rikyu established wabicha as an upper class activity. Although Hideyoshi and Rikyu were considered close acquaintances,

Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered Rikyu to commit Seppuku in 1591. Sen no Rikyu died at the age of 69.

Steve Bildermann wrote:... Rikyu emphasized the wabi aesthetic. Wabicha stressed rusticity and simplicity in the tea ceremony and tearoom...Rikyu established wabicha as an upper class activity. Although Hideyoshi and Rikyu were considered close acquaintances, ... Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered Rikyu to commit Seppuku in 1591. Sen no Rikyu died at the age of 69. ......Guess Hideyoshi didn't like the tea.

GomiGirl wrote:A good tea ceremony is awesome....One of the hardest things was learning to walk correctly, she said....