Okinawan Tea
The Okinawan Tea Ceremony
An Okinawan tea ceremony is essential a Japanese tea ceremony with some local or provincial modifications or additions. It is a highly structured ceremony, and to fully enjoy it, one needs to be at least somewhat familiar with the etiquette. That's not to say the novice would not be welcome, nor should you fear that, in attending an Okinawan tea ceremony for the first time, you're going to do something awkward, stupid, or demeaning to the host. Any guest participating in the ceremony is an honored guest, and if you listen and learn, you'll find it to be a fascinating and enjoyable experience.
A tea ceremony takes time, and preparing for one takes even more. Everything that is done, even to the smallest detail, is done just right, and done for a purpose. In participating in an Okinawan tea ceremony you don't just drink tea, you learn many things in the process, and will likely want to participate in a ceremony sometime again in the future.
The History Behind The Ceremony - When you attend your first ceremony, the hostess will usually explain the history behind the ceremony before the ceremony actually begins and before you enter the tea room. You'll not only be given an introduction to the different part of the ceremony, but will find see how Japanese and Okinawan culture is interwoven into the ceremony.
At the beginning of the Okinawan tea ceremony, you may be asked to remove your shoes and replaced them with a pair of wooden shoes. You will then walk to a place where there is water to wash your hands and also your face. Once you are in the serving room, or tea chamber as it is called, you'll watch the tea being prepared, a very precise and orderly process. The hostess will describe to you the symbolism behind various aspects of the tea making process.
Almost A Ballet - Serving the tea itself is a very disciplined, and beautiful procedure. Even the way the hostess uses her hands in pouring the tea and placing the cups has been passed down through generations. Even the tea towel carefully folded and placed across the hostesses' arm is carefully folded just so. You will usually be given a sweet to eat before taking your first sip of tea. The word sweet here is a relative term. The tea itself is somewhat bitter, the treat is not, but may have a taste you have never experienced before. You may like it or may not. If you can't finish the treat or a cup of tea the hostess will not be insulted.
Koucha And Usucha - There are two types of tea taken during the ceremony. The first is a very thick tea, served in a bowl from which each guest takes a sip. The second is a thin tea, served in individual cups. The thick tea is called koucha, and the thin tea is called usucha. When drinking from the bowl of thick tea, the ranking guest takes the first sip, then apologizes to all for drinking first and passes the bowl to the next guest. Even the way the bowl, and later the individual tea cup, is held, conforms to a certain pattern, which the novice will learn.
Asking Questions - Questions regarding the ceremony may be asked by any guest after the formal ceremony has concluded. During the ceremony only one guest, designated as the ranking guest, will ask questions or communicate with the hostess. In an Okinawan tea ceremony held for the benefit of novices, this protocol is sometimes not strictly enforced, but the whole ceremony is an exercise in proper manners, and manners associated with a different culture than ours.
An Okinawan tea ceremony or a Japanese tea ceremony is one of those things that should go on your list of “things to do during my lifetime”.