| The tradition of tasting and drinking tea originated in
China about 1,300 years ago. Tea was brought to Japan by Zen Buddhist priests
at the end of the Heian Period (794-1185). In the following centuries, the
habit of drinking tea spread quickly to the common people. Sen no Rikyu
(1521-1591) is credited for creating the unique traditions of the Japanese
tea ceremony, called chado or chanoyu in Japanese. His tea ceremony, based
on the philosophy of "wo-kei sei-jaku" (the four elements of the
tea ceremony: harmony, respect, purity and tranquility), reaches out in
its dignified stillness to calm and pacify the heart and mind. Today, tea
ceremony is the only art form that connects so many aspects of Japanese
culture: visual arts and crafts, cuisine, flower arrangement, and incense. |
