The Japanese Tea Ceremony

The Japanese love their tea and it is considered a big ritual in most of Japan. Drinking tea in Japan is a social rite in itself and involves a certain protocol. The entire ceremony is designed to create harmony, bring peace and tranquility. The Japanese try and make it sound elaborate but at the same time the ceremony appears trite and simple.

Japanese tea ceremony is believed to have started some 700 years ago. In the initial years, it was simple a tradition of gulping down the tea but with time the social etiquette changed and tea drinking was associated with royalty. More pageantry and a bit of razzmatazz were involved during those years of the Japanese Dynasty. Over the centuries the Buddhist monks transferred the ceremony into one of harmony, peace, friendship and humbleness. The ceremony went from the royal places out in to the beautiful Japanese gardens/tea rooms. Today, the Japanese Tea ceremony is simple and involves drinking tea in a .Tea House. (Chashitsu).

Prior to drinking, the guests kneel on the mat and wait for their turn to be served. In all cases, the room is simple with little ornaments and some flowers. The hosts will arrange the tea tools in a ritualistic method that reflects the tea values (such as peace, harmony and friendship). Most hosts will also add some Tea decorations or paintings in the room to reflect the history of tea.

Once the tea is served in a tea bowel, there are certain prearranged movements and ritualistic actions which are performed. Everyone drinks from the same bowl. The bowl is raised and the tea is sipped (not gulped). The one who gets the last drop swipes the tea drops away with his fingers. The guests compliment each other and the talk is all about how exciting it is and how glamorous the tea tasted. Any type of tea can be used for the ceremony but the Japanese love their Matcha (green tea which is viscous and the leaves are also consumed) and Sencha tea (fine liquor type green tea) . Tea drinkers everywhere can appreciate the ancient Japanese Tea Ceremony.

Japanese Tea Sets

There are literally thousands of Japanese tea sets available. The Japanese being tea drinkers, have refined the art of creating appliances which are exotic and have intricate design. The majority of Japanese Tea sets are colorful and have some type of artwork on the outside. They come in all colors and designs. Many also have ornaments attached to the pots. Every part of the pot including the handle and sprout is eye catching. Japanese tea pots come in many seizes and shapes ant they are made of various materials also.

Many Japanese tea pots are made of ceramic but iron cast, clay, porcelain, bamboo, stoneware glass steel are other materials used to manufacture the teapots. Even though a lot of tea sets are mass produced in Japan, there are some which are individually made and handcrafted. Many of the individually made japans teapots are only used on special occasions to bring good luck.

Tea is an important part of the Japanese culture. Drinking Japanese Matcha (green tea where the leaves are also consumed) and Sencha (liquor type of green tea) is thought to bring good luck, improve health and clear the mind.

The Japanese tea sets also come with matching teacups in a variety of shapes, colors and sizes. The elaborate deigns and art works makes Japanese tea pots makes them ideal souvenirs or gifts.

Many Japanese tea pots can be used to boil water and brew tea, however, there are some which can only be used to pour tea/water.

Cast Iron Teapot / Tetsubin

The majority of Cast Iron Teapots have their origins in the Far East, esp. China and Japan. Both of these countries have traditionally used cast iron teapots for centuries. The most famous of the cast iron appliance is the Tetsubin Tea set, first made in Japan. This teapot has had a status symbol during many of the Japanese dynasties. Once upon a time, only the royalty were served from such teapots. Unlike the current day teapots, these cast iron appliances were directly used to boil water and brew tea. Over the centuries, the cast iron teapots have undergone numerous modifications. The material is the same but is more lightweight today.

One of the reasons why cast iron was used to manufacture these teapots was the strength and durability of the metal. In addition, many Orientals believe that the flavor of tea is infinitely better flavored when the tea is brewed in a cast iron pot. When the water or the tea is boiled, the cast iron also acts like a strong insulator and preserve the warmth. . After use, all cast iron pots have to be thoroughly cleaned. Even though rust can occur, it can be prevented with good rinsing. The most common with the Tetsubin tea set is that the repeated brewing of tea can cause dark staining on the inside. It is not recommended that one clean the pot with detergents or harsh soap, simple rinsing and drying is the key to preventing rust. Further, one should not add sugar, salt or any other material to the inside of the pot.

Most Japanese use tea leaves to make the tea but one can also use the powdered tea. The two types of tea that the Japanese love to drink from these cast iron pots are Matcha (green tea where the leaves are also consumed) and Sencha (liquor type of green tea). Drinking this tea is thought to bring good luck, improve health and clear the mind.

The majority of these Tetsubin tea sets have engravings, ornaments, etchings and some have fancy artwork. Some of these cast iron pots also are engraved on the inside. Each of the Tetsubin tea set comes with a cast iron trivet and a stainless steel infuser. There are also various sizes of the teapots.