Part 2: Tea Ceremony

Once we were dressed in our proper attire (see Part 1: Kimonos), we were welcomed into the tea house for a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. 

We knelt on the tatami floor, and listened to our host explain the four key principles of a tea ceremony: harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility.

She then pointed out a hanging scroll in the alcove, or tokonoma. These scrolls are selected for each tea ceremony, and reflect an appropriate message for the occasion. Our scroll read, “once in a lifetime,” which felt quite relevant.

We were taught how to properly bow to show our gratitude to the host and for the opportunity at hand. And then we were given small sweets, called wagashi. These sweets, we were told, help offset the bitterness of the green tea. 

The host then began her ritual of delicately and precisely cleaning the tea bowl, whisk, and tea scoop. She demonstrated how to prepare tea and helped us to do the same, noting that in a real ceremony, the host would prepare tea for all her guests. 

We sipped from the cup in unison, ending on the fifth sip with an audible slurp, to convey to our host that we found the tea delicious and the experience incredible. 

I’m pretty sure the Noonans slurped the loudest.