Japanese traditions: Tea-ceremony

And so another week here in beautiful Kyoto has gone by..

As usual there has been a lot to do, not at least because all the midth-term tests are coming up. Non the less, I´ve had the time to do some explorations this week as well; I´ve joined the dance studio Tokiwa, which is really close to our dorm, so now I´m taking samba-classes every Wednesday. Perhaps not exactly the most traditionally Japanese experience I´ll get here, but of course it is a lot of fun and I already like it a lot.

Besides this I also joined a volunteer-circle at school, so in the upcoming months I might be able to combine my love for traveling with the chance to help others as well. Nice deal! :D

Other than that the days are passing by as usual: studying in the library and hanging out with friends.

Yesterday my usual ceramic class involved a new experience for me though: We went to a traditional Japanese house to take part in a tea-ceremony.

It was really interesting! Firstly, the house was really old; The ceiling was low and the style was quite what I would call typical Japanese. The house was quite big though, and though Japanese houses like this tends to be a bit cold during the winter I still thought it would be a nice place to live cause it was so peaceful.

The room where the tea-ceremony was quite small, but that only made the atmosphere better.

I´ve uploaded a couple of my photos from the tea-ceremony for those who wants to take a look:

A picture displaying the lady of the house mixing Japanese maccha-tea (抹茶) for the ceremony. This tea is supposed to be very healthy, so I´m tempted to start drinking this everyday instead of the cheap apple-tea I bought when I came to Japan in September.

The alcove (Tokonoma; 床の間) in the tea-cermony room. The scroll and the flower arrangements in the alcove are supposed to bring forth a spiritual atmosphere, and at the same time they are reflecting the current season.

The inside of the Japanese house. Most of us had to be really careful walking here due to the low ceiling.. But it looks really cozy! :)

一期一会

This calligraphy print shows what is considered to be a typical spirit of the tea-cermony: Ichigo-ichie (一期一会). The meaning behind the expression is that every encounter is unique, and that you therefore should care extra for your guests cause the moments that goes by will never come back.

A view of the garden. Though the leaves are beginning to turn red (known as kouyou/紅葉 in Japanese) it still doesn´t feel much like November.

My ceramic class! Our teacher (at the right side) invited us out to eat Dango (団子), or dumplings, after the tea-cermony was over.

About Anette
Anette came to Japan as an exchange student in 2010, met the love of her life and got stuck. From her base in Tokyo she writes about her experiences as a full-time worker in Tokyo and about her travels in Japan and abroad. She's a free-spirited adventurer who enjoys both the great outdoors and her urban lifestyle.