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Though it is not
native to the country, the drinking of tea was introduced to Japan in
the 9th century CE by a Buddhist monk from China, where it had already
been known, according to legend, for thousands of years. Tea soon
became widely popular in Japan, and began to be cultivated locally.
The custom of drinking tea, first for medicinal, and then for purely
pleasurable reasons, was already widespread throughout China. In the
early 9th century, Chinese author Lu Yu wrote the Ch'a Ching, a
treatise on tea focussing on its cultivation and preparation. Lu Yu's
life had been heavily influenced by Buddhism, particularly the school
which would become known in Japan as Zen, and his ideas would have a
strong influence in the development of the Japanese tea ceremony.
In the 12th century, a new form of tea, matcha, was introduced. This
powdered green tea, which derives from the same plant as black tea but
is unfermented, was first used in religious rituals in Buddhist
monasteries. By the 13th century, samurai warriors had begun preparing
and drinking matcha, and the foundations of the tea ceremony were
laid.
Tea ceremony developed as a "transformative practice," and began to
evolve its own aesthetic, in particular that of wabi. Wabi (佗, meaning
quiet or sober refinement, or subdued taste) "is characterized by
humility, restraint, simplicity, naturalism, profundity, imperfection,
and asymmetry [emphasizing] simple, unadorned objects and
architectural space, and [celebrating] the mellow beauty that time and
care impart to materials" ("Introduction: Chanoyu, the Art of Tea" in
Urasenke Seattle Homepage).
By the 16th century, tea drinking had spread to all levels of society
in Japan. Sen no Rikyu, perhaps the most well-known -- and still
revered -- historical figure in tea ceremony, introduced the concept
of ichi-go ichi-e, (一期一会, literally "one time, one meeting"), a belief
that each meeting should be treasured, for it can never be reproduced.
His teachings led to the development of new forms in architecture and
gardens, fine and applied arts, and to the full development of sado.
The principles he set forward -- harmony, respect, purity, and
tranquillity -- are still central to tea ceremony today.
Tea Ceremony - Introduction
Tea Ceremony - Detail
Article based on
Wikipedia article and used under the
GNU Free Documentation License) |
