Japanese savor simpler tea
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
It is just a cup of tea. But when the relaxing drink is served in the Japanese style be attentive, because every gestures carries a meaning.
"The sound of the hissing kettle, each movement of whisking the tea, folding the cloth and offering it is a beauty perceived by all of our senses," said Chikako Soroji, a middle-aged Japanese women in Jakarta who recently began studying the traditions and movements of the tea ritual.
Chikako and her friend, Hiromi Matsushita, shared on Wednesday the traditional tea ritual with some Indonesian friends, proving that traditional customs are still important in modern times.
In a simple setting -- an apartment living room with carpets instead of a special tea room with tatami (bamboo mats) -- Hiromi served the guests their tea after offering them a sweet.
The tea is usually served with cakes made from sweetened rice flour to help cut the bitter taste of the beverage.
It took Hiromi only a moment to prepare for the ritual, including tying a bow at the back of her yukata (light kimono), before hushing the guests and starting the ritual.
"Every movement from those engaged in a tea ceremony, be it the server, host or guests, has a philosophical value," said Hiromi, a Japanese housewife who has performed the traditional ocha ceremony for 10 years.
As if dancing, Hiromi slowly but firmly opened the whistling kettle, took out just the right amount of hot water with a bamboo dipper and poured every last drop of it into a tea bowl.
While the Indonesian guests tried to concentrate on Hiromi's every move, she explained the steps in rudimentary Bahasa Indonesia.
"The style I am using is that of ancient Japanese soldiers," she explained. "It is called o ie ryu or ando ryu. The people who learn the style are mostly men."
"Even in Japan there are very few people interested in learning the old rituals, let alone in Indonesia," she said, adding that there were various ceremony styles that had different steps and methods.
Chado, or ocha as Hiromi calls it, originally represented the Way of Tea, a philosophy of not only preparing and drinking tea, but also providing a venue and practice for recognizing the beauty of ordinary life.
Tea, now an integral part of Japanese life, has its origin in China. Imported into Japan by Buddhist monks in the ninth century, its serving has been developed into an art in Japan.
This first started with Murata Juko (1422-1502) who emphasized the spiritual aspect of making tea, and was continued by Imai Sokyu (1520-1593) who initiated the Way of Tea. The ritual was perfected by Sen Soeki Rikyu (1522-1591), who established the Urasenke school.
In Jakarta, people interested in the ritual can learn the Urasenke style from a certified teacher or find reference books on chado at the University of Indonesia's Japanese Study Center in Depok and at the Japan Foundation. (003)