Departments
Intermediate Japanese - Free Online Course
SADŌ
茶道
tea ceremony
The sadō is also known as the chadō / 茶道 or the cha no yu / 茶の湯. The tea ceremony involves the ritual preparation, serving, and drinking of tea. Powdered green tea known as matcha / 抹茶 is the preferred variety of tea to be used in the tea ceremony.
The practice of drinking tea was originally imported from China. Tea drinking was at first associated with Buddhist priests, before being adopted by the samurai, and finally by commoners. The tea ceremony developed into a highly formalized art during the 1500s, under the influence of Zen Buddhism. During the chadō every minute movement—from stirring to drinking—is explicitly prescribed.
The tea ceremony is still practiced today, as a cultural hobby of sorts. Many young women study the chadō as part of their hana-yome shugyō / 花嫁修行, or “bridal training.”