KCP Spring 2016 Students Experience Chanoyu
Matcha, a finely ground powder of specially processed and grown green tea, is a popular flavoring in Japan for many types of food. Matcha is also used in the traditional Japanese tea ceremony that centers on the preparing, serving, and drinking of green tea.
Chanoyu (“hot water for tea”) is the Japanese term for the traditional tea ceremony. It is essentially an elaborate ritual of serving green tea, along with some sweets. The chanoyu is a way to relieve the stress of everyday life, even for just a short while, by immersing in the Zen aesthetics of serenity and peace. Each gesture and act in the tea ceremony is deliberate. The process is simply about drinking or making tea, but about serving the best bowl of tea.
At KCP International, every student is introduced to the ancient tradition of chanoyu, a result of centuries of meditative, ritualized interaction among host and guests. For the Way of Tea, the year is divided into two main seasons: the sunken hearth (ro) season (the colder months, November to April), and the brazier (furo) season (the warmer months, May to October). It is a wonderful way to get to know the Japanese culture and way of life.
For more photos of the KCP Spring 2016 tea ceremony, visit KCP Flickr.