Reflection on Japanese Tea Ceremony

Reflection on Japanese Tea Ceremony

For me, the most inspiring part of the Japanese Tea Ceremony was 2 elements.  The first was her precise motions and the way she controlled all of our senses.  The smell of incense, the taste of matcha, the sound of silence and tapping, the visual aesthetics of the teaware and her outfit, and finally the feeling of holding and drinking from a matcha bowl.  The other part that inspired me most was her dedication to the art of Tea; the time she’s spent studying it and the future that she will spend perfecting her art.  I experienced japanese culture from learning about the history of the tea ceremony as well as visually experiencing japanese aesthetics such as the kimono and the idea of wabi-sabi with the pottery.  The ceremony was quite different than my own culture, but there were a few comparable things, such as how both my jewish culture has special ritual meals and drinks like the japanese tea ceremony.  I certainly think that the way Souheki prepared the tea is a form of art.  The command she has over the space and the participants, as well as the intention of the ceremony, is no different in my eyes than a performance art piece.

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