Since tea was first imported from China long ago, Japanese society has been appreciating, improvising, and have conceptualized their own exquisite and unique Japanese art and way of life out of drinking tea. Uniquely Japanese ways of presenting a cup of tea to the guests called, “sado” (particular ways of tea drinking in the form of ceremony) has been internationally known and practiced inside and outside of Japan since tea was first brought to Japan in the 9th century.
Historically since its inception, the structure of sado and its culture has experienced various challenges, with the most significant event being the death of the most influential tea master, Sen no Rikyu (1522-1591).
China to Japan
Tea ceremony was imported from China in the 9th century by Kentoshi (A Japanese envoy to Tang Dynasty China). In the first Japanese literature recording a tea ceremony, “Nihon Koki” (815), since Eichu (a Japanese priest) presented “dancha” (an early form of tea servings, a crust of fried tea leafs) to Emperor Saga as a gift; the Emperor ordered near regions to plant tea trees.
During the Heian period (794-1185) with the prioritization of domestic culture (kentoshi was abolished at this time), China-born tea drinking became temporarily stopped until the 12th century, when the Zen priest, Eisai, brought back tea from the Chinese So Dynasty, along with the ceremonial aspects of tea drinking.
Although tea was at first considered as of medicinal value, its ceremonial virtues also became recognized among samurais and Zen priests as part of shugyo (training).
As tea production increased during the Muromachi period (1392-1573), drinking tea became widely popular among the commoners. This new trend created a variety of entertaining events, from “chakai” (tea drinking gatherings) to games and competition involving tea.
Wabi-cha
While the wealthy classes (aristocrats, samurai, and imperials) began collecting imported utensils used in tea ceremony and enjoyed viewing them in a “shoin” (a style of architecture which accommodates special furniture and structures to display expensive utensils for tea ceremony), a priest, Juko, attempted to accomplish the spiritual aspect of tea culture. He invented the Japanese concept of beauty called, “wabi” (or wabi-cha) which is to find a beauty in the state of imperfection and being worn out, and emphasized the importance in finding the spiritual aspect of tea and its culture. According to Juko, one must strive to reach the state free from preconceived consciousness and desire while engaging in tea drinking. He created “soan” (a very small room with four and half tatami mats with limited decorations and furniture).
Tea Ceremony: Cha no yu by Sen no Rikyu
Sen no Rikyu (1522-1591) was born in to a merchant family in Osaka, Japan. He came to be regarded as the master of sado in Japan. He further refined Juko’s wabi-cha and introduced a spirit of “motenashi” (hospitality) to establish spiritual comfort and unity between the owner and the guest.
The successful acceptance of Chado by a large part of the Japanese society was due to the fact that the new powerful Shogun, Hideyoshi Toyotomi (1536-98) ardently supported Rikyu.
Rikyu’s Death
However, when it became apparent that the Shogun had rather spendthrift tastes towards tea culture, the discrepancy of values between the two contributed to increased disagreements. Moreover, the Shogun began to realize that tea culture under Rikyu was developed throughout “gekokujo” (the activities by the inferiors trying to overthrow their superiors).
Finally, in February 1591, the outraged Shogun ordered Rikyu to commit “seppuku” (committing ritual suicide by stomach-cutting). Rikyu was seventy years-old.
After Rikyu’s death, sado has remained deeply entrenched in Japanese culture. During the Edo period (1600- 1868), many samurai practiced sado to refine their samurai etiquette with an emphasis on their mental discipline. Towards the mid and end of the Edo period, merchants and farmers also became familiarized with tea drinking customs, which gave resulted in the addition of entertainment elements.
In later years, sado came to represent two focused pathways: perfection of “temae” (refined steps of serving tea to the guests) or studying of philosophical and spiritual aspects of the ways of tea.
Sources:
Dunnigan, Neal. “Zen Stories of the Samurai.” Web. 13 September 2010.
Naoko Charity - I was born in Japan, and currently living in the U.S. I attended Japanese Art school for four years and studied English Literature for two ...
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