Last Friday (November 25th) , at Daikoozenji Temple in Saga Prefecture, near Tosu, I had the perfect opportunity to enjoy a cup of Omatcha (green tea) and the usual sweet that accompanies it. It was very relaxing to sit under the eaves of the tea house, eat the sweet, in this case a beautiful, whole chestnut cooked in syrup, and then slowly drink the very refreshing tea, while gazing restfully out into the autumn garden that is a feature of this temple.
Omatcha (green tea) and accompanying sweet, served on a fresh autumn leaf.
When I first came to Japan to live, I often saw these tea houses when visiting such tourist attractions as the Golden Pavilion in Kyoto, or the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo. A handful of people would be sitting inside on soft Tatami mats, or outside on cushions, at bright red cloth covered low tables.
It looked very beautiful, and looked to be a very traditional Japanese scene, or at least my impression of what that should be. But I was always reluctant to join in, as I thought of it as ‘tea ceremony’, some high class event that one needed to be on best behaviour for, and needed to understand, for fear of making a terrible display of inappropriate manners.
Sometimes it is a little like that, perhaps on an occasion when you have been invited as an honoured guest to view a kimono clad hostess ritually making Omatcha in the way she has been trained, in the style of one of the celebrated tea masters of old Japan. But even then, it is more ritual than ceremony, and although it may seem appropriate that we should be very quiet, talking is allowed. I now think that the silence was often really just a nervousness of the hostess in the presence of a ‘gaijin’, as often happens. But if you witness this formal ritual performed among many Japanese, they will be politely chatting, enquiring after family, and discussing many mundane things in a chatty, gossipy way. Much like the English ‘good cup of tea’ in the mid-morning or afternoon.
I think the word ‘ceremony’ is misplaced, as it is more of a ritual than a ceremony, started by the samurai as a time and means to relax during breaks in the fighting during battle. It is called Ocha-kai, which translates better as tea meeting, rather than tea ceremony. And an old name, Cha no yu, translates as hot water for tea. No hint of ceremony there.
And when you see it offered (for sale) in the gardens of temples and shrines, or other popular tourist attractions, it is just as a refreshment. There is no ritual or ceremony attached to it, but it is served as a relaxing beverage, to be sipped and enjoyed, while taking in the beauty of the scenery. Much like the famous English habit of resting and relaxing with a ‘good cup of tea’.
Katsura Rikyu teahouse and room, Kyoto. A beautiful garden to contemplate while taking tea.
The sweet is eaten first, which prepares you for the bitterness of
the tea. And it is the bitterness of the tea that refreshes. Next time
you come across the serving of Omatcha when out sightseeing, give it a
try. You don’t need to have a deep or special understanding of the
culture, or behave with any deep concern for the process. Just relax,
and let it become part of what you are out to enjoy.
RK
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