Matcha, or powdered green tea, has become phenomenally popular around the world – in uses from high street matcha lattes to ice cream flavours.
Demand is so strong that many retailers set a limit on how much matcha customers can buy at a time. But matcha has a significant role in one of Japan’s oldest and most important practices: chanoyu or chadō, the Way of Tea. (Although it is commonly known as “tea ceremony” outside Japan, this term is misleading for a non-religious practice.)
With around two million people in Japan practising chanoyu, interest is also increasing globally – perhaps because of the rise of matcha consumption outside Japan. For example, Urasenke, the largest tea school in Japan, has 113 overseas offices and study groups in 38 countries.
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A virtual tour of a formal tea gathering
Japanese tea traditions are about more than just a drink. To understand the art of chanoyu, let me take you on a virtual chaji – a formal gathering over matcha.
Imagine that we are standing in front of a gate with wooden sliding doors. Water has been delicately sprinkled on the pavement and the door is slightly open. This indicates that the host is waiting for us in the teahouse. We step in to the roji, the garden path leading to the teahouse. It is a sanctuary with thick moss covering the ground and evergreen trees filling the space. Instinctively, we inhale the soothing air. We feel the fine rays of the sun on our face through the tree leaves and hear birds chirping and a soft breeze brushing the trees.
We walk on stepping stones, skilfully placed in mischievous odd lines so that our journey to the teahouse will be somewhat hindered. Gradually our worldly thoughts are forgotten, and we focus on what awaits us in the teahouse. After purifying our hands and mouth at the tsukubai basin, as we do at a shrine, our mind and soul are ready.
We enter the teahouse through a tiny nijiriguchi, a 70cm x 70cm hole in the wall, the entrance itself a metaphor for rebirth into a new realm. (Historically, the small size of the hole necessitated everyone to remove their swords and bend down to enter, in a show of humility similar to bowing.) We say ‘Osakini’ (‘Allow me to precede you’) as a courtesy to our fellow guests, thanking them for their company. The room is dim as the windows are covered with blinds. We are welcomed by the subtle mysterious scent of incense together with the sound of gentle steam from the kettle.
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The first phase takes place in an atmosphere that reflects the Taoist concept of Yin. We see a scroll in the alcove. It may have a Zen phrase, poems or an ink drawing hinting at the theme for today’s event. After greeting us in welcome, the host offers us a kaiseki meal, one which appears humble but which is in truth delicate and seasonal. This part of the experience finishes with an omogashi, a Japanese-style dessert specially made for tea. When the meal is finished, the host asks us to leave the teahouse briefly.
A gong sounds. This is not only a signal that the second phase is about to start, but has a spiritual resonance, acting to re-purify our minds like the New Year’s temple bell (joya no kane). When we return to the teahouse, we see that the blinds have been removed, giving the tearoom more natural light. During winter, especially in the evening, the room is cosily illuminated with candles. The alcove is now decorated with a single flower or small bunch of flowers, symbolising life.
The second phase represents the atmosphere of Yang. Koicha (thick tea) is offered first, using the very best matcha. As the host makes the thick tea, its aroma fills the room. We remain silent. We share a single bowl of koicha among us. Sharing precious nourishment is universally a gesture of love and compassion. Once the koicha is finished, the host continues with usucha, thin tea. By now, we all feel relaxed and reflect on the moment we have shared. This is the spirit of “ichigo ichie” – cherishing the encounter as the moment will never return.
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Where did tea traditions originate?
Japan’s tea traditions go back to the 8th–9th century. Japanese monks who studied Buddhism in Tang Dynasty China brought back the customs of tea drinking. Initially it was enjoyed in the brewing method described in Lu Yu’s The Classic of Tea (Cha Ching). In the late 12th century, a Zen monk called Yōsai (also known as Eisai) introduced the matcha method, mixing finely ground tea powder with hot water. Promoted for health benefits, it soon became popular among the ruling classes.
When Japan went through a hundred-year period of political turmoil during the 15th–16th centuries, the philosophical concept of wabi emerged, based on the acceptance and appreciation of imperfection, impermanence, and incompleteness. Major tea masters, such as Shukō (1423–1502) and Sen Rikyu (1522–1591), revolutionised the tea customs, establishing chanoyu.
The phrase ‘chanoyu’ itself literally means hot water for tea. The word is so simple that it is difficult to comprehend fully. Although it takes a lot of behind-the-scenes work to prepare the perfect settings and conditions for chanoyu, this should not be noticed or mentioned according to Rikyu. In chanoyu, ‘less is more’ is easy to say and hard to practise.
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Tea schools of today
Broadly speaking, there are three groups of tea schools in Japan, reflecting their founders. The first is koryū (old-style) schools, such as Furuichi Koryū and Ogasawarake Sadō Koryū. They were established by the disciples of Shukō.
The second is the Sen Family schools, like Omotesenke, Urasenke, and Mushanokōjisenke.
The third is called bukecha (samurai tea), as they were created by samurai disciples of Sen Rikyu or his son Sen Dōan. The bukecha schools include Yabuuchi-ryū, Enshū-ryū, and Sekishū-ryū.
All the schools have similar training syllabuses. The goal is to be able to host an impeccable chaji (formal tea gathering). For this purpose, students take keiko (lessons) routinely and practice various sections of the chaji. The programme includes not only how to make matcha, but also how to walk, sit, bow, eat and drink. Social manners and protocols are also taught, such as how to wrap gifts, write letters, and choose appropriate kimono for different occasions.
Introducing new ideas
The adaptability or acceptance of new ideas has been one of Japan’s key characteristics. The most significant example is the country’s syncretic faith, combining native Shintoism with a variety of imported Buddhist schools. For centuries, the Japanese have gone to Shinto shrines for celebration of birth or growth, while they attend Buddhist temples for funerals. This high adaptability is based on a spirit of harmony and respect, a sense of family and community, flexible thinking under challenging circumstances, and a diligence and desire to learn and improve. The tea traditions also reflect such characteristics. They are thus a multidimensional and multidisciplinary art form.
Matcha was first introduced by a Zen monk, but chanoyu reflects other religious and secular philosophies and wisdom as well. For example, purification is primarily a Shinto concept, while rebirth is from Buddhism. The bipolar idea of Yin and Yang stems from Taoism.
Chanoyu is also a multi-sensual activity exploiting all the five senses: not only taste but also sight, hearing, smell, and touch. It is multidisciplinary with a number of arts and crafts involved, including culinary art, architecture, landscaping, calligraphy, flowers, ceramics, woodworks, and lacquerware. Chaji is held to celebrate various seasons as well as pivotal moments and events in life.
Matcha is thus a drink but also a delicious medium for the discipline of one’s mind, acquisition of aesthetics and knowledge, training of manners and protocols, social engagements, and an appreciation of nature and humankind. Chanoyu, an exquisite art of living, is rooted in the ancient Japanese way of life, but its teaching in many ways is timeless and universal.
Tea traditions at Japan House London
Visitors to Japan House London’s The Craft of Carpentry exhibition (12 March – 6 July 2025) can experience the intimate elegance of teahouse architecture, through a life-size reconstruction of the Sa-an teahouse in the temple Daitoku-ji in Kyoto. We also hold regular tea demonstration events – check the What’s On page or sign up for our newsletter for details.
Yamaguchi Yasuhiro is a Japanese art historian and long-term practitioner of Urasenke Chado, Japanese kana calligraphy and Sogetsu ikebana school. His speciality field is the Heian to pre-Edo periods (9–16th century) arts. He currently hosts Urasenke Chado classes in central London.