May 19, 2016 • mccsokinawa.com
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tep out of the scramble of the city and onto a series of small stones through a mini bamboo garden tucked away in a quiet neighborhood. This path leads to a stone basin filled with pure, clear water. Lightly rinse your hands and swish some water in your mouth; this ritual washes away any mundane concerns. Then crouch through the small doorway, stripping all rank or status held in the outside world, and enter the tea room. For the Japanese, a society built on honor and status, this impartiality is a luxury. All are equal here. It’s a small room with wooden paneling, and the first thing that greets you is the smell. It rained, and with the opening of the small sliding door, you’ve brought in the scent of wet soil; this combines with the light grassy smell of the straw tatami mats and the warm
inside
hint of wood and tea leaves. The hosts of the tea ceremony, two Japanese women dressed in kimono, a mother and daughter, explain the kanji written on a single scroll, the room’s only décor. There are four guiding principles to the “way of tea”: harmony (和 wa), respect (敬 kei), purity (清 sei) and tranquility (寂 jaku). Taking water from an iron pot, the mother prepares the matcha, the thick powdered tea, whipping it with a bamboo whisk into a fine froth. You are experiencing something that stretches back to the Muromachi Period of Japan. The tea is offered to the first guest. Each guest wipes the rim with a cloth before passing it to the next person. The matcha is a thick paste and a vibrant green and considered the finest type of tea in Japan. The host then prepares the thin tea. Her movements are smooth and calming, every-
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thing prepared just so. The tea is served in individual cups with complimenting sweets. If you’ve ever noticed the way time seems malleable—one moment stretching into eternity and then vanishing a second later—it’s during this tea ceremony. The host explains ichi-go ichi-e—the philosophy behind the tea ceremony—each meeting should be treasured, for it can never be reproduced. Even if you meet again, time will have passed and you both will have changed. Join the MCCS Tours+ Japanese Tea Ceremony on May 27. Keep in mind, like the ichi-go ichi-e philosophy, experiences vary. To reserve your spot, call 646-3502 or visit mccsokinawa.com/tours. For even more tea enlightenment, check out pages 5 and 7 where we cover types of must-try Japanese teas.
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